An Adelaide mother, Michelle Bodzsar, has been sentenced to over four years in prison for deceiving her family and community by falsely claiming that her six-year-old son had eye cancer. Bodzsar managed to secure approximately $11,500 AUD (£6,000) in donations by fabricating her son’s medical condition, despite medical tests confirming that the boy did not have cancer.
In a manipulative scheme, Bodzsar informed her husband, Ben Miller, that their son was diagnosed with cancer, alleging the presence of three tumors on his optic nerve. She even went as far as posting photos of the child online with a shaved head, falsely stating that he required eight rounds of radiotherapy and soliciting donations.
The deceit extended to Bodzsar making her son take fake medication daily, attending school events in a wheelchair, and sporting a bald head, eyebrows, and bandages. Mr. Miller only discovered the truth when police intervened, leading to dropped charges against him. Expressing his betrayal, Miller stated that he felt like a pawn in a game orchestrated by his wife.
The judge emphasized the severe impact of Bodzsar’s actions on her family, with the son displaying signs of anger and sadness, and the daughter experiencing abandonment anxiety. Additionally, the local school community felt shocked, betrayed, embarrassed, and ashamed by the revelation of Bodzsar’s deception.
Despite Bodzsar attributing her actions to financial difficulties, the judge dismissed this claim, labeling the behavior as attention-seeking and manipulative. Bodzsar received a sentence of four years, three months, and 20 days, with a parole eligibility after two years and four months. The sentence was backdated to December 12, 2024, allowing the mother to be considered for parole in a year.