An Indiana mother is facing multiple felony fraud and neglect charges after she allegedly made the false claim that her daughter had a terminal illness—a deception that led to a Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World, according to court documents.
Katherine Jackson, 41, of Decatur, allegedly misrepresented her child's medical condition, falsely stating that her daughter's illness was terminal while also neglecting to provide her with necessary prescription medications, WANE reported.
In July 2021, Jackson launched a GoFundMe campaign, claiming her daughter suffered from 80-90 seizures per day due to Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) and raising over $1,600. The case also caught the attention of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which granted the child, her sister and Jackson a trip to Disney World.
However, medical staff raised concerns about potential medical child abuse when Jackson took her daughter to the hospital in August 2022. Doctors later discovered Jackson had not been refilling her daughter's prescribed medications, court records state.
A genetics specialist confirmed the child does have Pilarowski-Bjornsson Syndrome (PBS)—a chronic but non-terminal condition. Despite this, Jackson allegedly told her daughter and others that the child would not live another year.
Following the 2022 hospital visits, authorities removed the child and her younger sister from Jackson's home and placed them in foster care. The foster parent later reported that neither child was potty trained or enrolled in school when they arrived.
Jackson now faces one count of fraud and two counts of neglect of a dependent, including a Level 5 felony. As of Wednesday evening, no court dates had been scheduled.
Originally published on Latin Times
