Mother Who Faked 6-Year-Old Son's Cancer Diagnosis in $7K Fundraising Con Pleads Guilty: Reports By Kimberlee Speakman

An Australian mother pleaded guilty to faking her son’s cancer diagnosis and deceiving the public into donating money to fund his treatment.

Michelle Bodzsar, 45, reportedly appeared via video from Adelaide Women’s Prison to plead guilty to the charges at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, Oct. 16.

After accepting a plea deal, she admitted guilt to one count of engaging in acts likely to cause harm to her young son and 10 counts of deception, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), 7News Adelaide and Adelaide Now.

The mother, who was arrested in December 2024, initially faced an additional 61 charges, including criminal neglect. However, prosecutors dismissed those charges in satisfaction of her guilty pleas to the remaining offenses, according to ABC.

Prosecutors argued Bodzsar falsely claimed that her 6-year-old son had eye cancer — a lie she also convinced the boy to believe. To support the deception, she allegedly shaved his head, wrapped him in bandages and placed him in a wheelchair to make it appear as though he was undergoing radiotherapy, according to ABC and 7News Adelaide.

The mother then shared photos of her son online and requested donations, which she claimed were going to fund his treatment. Donations totally roughly $7,000 rolled in from the local community and her son’s private school. The deception started in mid-November, 2024 and ended on Dec. 13, 2024, per the outlets.

In one of her posts pleading for donations on Facebook, Bodzsar reportedly wrote that it was “unbearable” to see her son “go through this,” per ABC. 

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“Time is passing day and night with screams of angst when taking your medicine, and a body full of heat I can not [sic] explain to you,” she wrote in a public message to her son, per the outlet. “I will take the pain away from you as much as I can so you do not have to feel it.”

Police launched an investigation and said in a press conference, per News.com.au, “Our investigation has confirmed the child is not seeking medical treatment.” They added, “We believe this farce illness is causing significant and serious psychological harm to the child and their sibling.”

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Bodzsar’s husband, Ben Miller, was also initially arrested and charged. However, all charges were dropped against him earlier this year, per the outlet.

During Bodzsar’s appearance in court on Oct. 16, she reportedly showed no emotion until after she pleaded guilty. Then it was reported that she put her head in her hands, seemingly crying, according to 7News Adelaide.

The South Australian woman will remain in police custody until her next scheduled appearance in court at the end of November for a pre-sentence hearing.

PEOPLE reached out to the Adelaide Magistrates Court for further comment.