Dr Phil: My Daughter Is Lying About Dying From Cancer
What line would a family member have to cross for you to waver in your supporting him or her? For Mary, watching her 30-year-old daughter Lynn pretend to be suffering from medical maladies has been too much. Her list of ailments is said to include rheumatoid arthritis as well as heart disease and two types of cancer (stomach cancer and uterine cancer). However, Mary thinks that Lynn has made up every word in a bid for attention.
So far, Mary has yet to see any evidence backing up her daughter’s claims that she is very sick. Furthermore, Mary is concerned because Lynn has set up a crowdfunding donation page online to raise money for her medical bills. I can see why that would be alarming if it turns out the medical bills don’t actually exist. Lynn was shocked that her mother does not believe her, and the two came face to face on Dr Phil’s stage for the first time in a year.
Dr Phil: In Denial or Dying of Cancer?
Why is Mary’s daughter Lynn lying about having cancer and other medical problems? Dr Phil had plenty of questions, but Lynn had few meaningful answers. (iQoncept / Shutterstock.com)
Mary thinks that Lynn is a pathological liar, especially after Mary fell for Lynn’s story in the early going. “Then there were no appointments scheduled, and it made me wonder why,” Mary said. Lynn agreed to give Mary her power of attorney, and when Mary looked at the medicals records, she learned that her daughter does not even have a diagnosis.
Dr Phil’s first question for Mary was whether she could be in denial. She insisted that she is not in denial. Lynn’s story is that her mother Mary is so meddling that it is affecting her medical treatment. But Lynn told Mary that Mary was bothering the doctors, who were treating her pro bono without leaving a paper trail to help her save on medical costs.
“I believe that she honestly, truly believes that she’s dying of cancer,” Mary said of her daughter. Lynn claimed that she was battling a malignant tumor, and she was avoiding medical treatment because she was afraid to die.
Dr Phil: Fundraising Page for Fake Cancer Patient
When Lynn joined them onstage, she insisted that she is telling the truth. Then she claimed her GoFundMe page was a fundraiser for her children’s Christmas gifts. But when Dr Phil pulled up the page, he had some questions for her.
Though Lynn’s GoFundMe page claims she has seven children, according to Mary, Lynn actually has four children, but only two who live with her. According to Lynn, her fiance has another three children, which is how she added up to seven.
“I was expecting to have insurance in February,” Lynn said of the claims she made about her upcoming medical care. Previously, she told Dr Phil that she had not seen a doctor in a year. The GoFundMe page only raised $80 out of the $3,500 goal.
Dr Phil: Pathological Liar Does Not Have Stomach Cancer
Dr Phil went on to question some of Lynn’s claims about her health. When compared to her medical records, her story fails to hold up. When Dr Phil told her that she did not have a partial Hysterectomy and does not have Stomach Cancer, she was almost unmoved, though she did acknowledge that this would be good news.
Why wasn’t Lynn more excited to hear that she might be in good health? Dr Phil wondered why she has not been to a doctor in a year, if she truly believes that she is gravely ill. Lynn conceded that her story might not make sense to Dr Phil, but insisted that she does have a serious heart condition. “I live it every day,” Lynn said.
Dr Phil: Mental Health Resources
What would you do if you a loved one in your family was faking an illness? It has to be hard to imagine what Mary has gone through. It’s embarrassing for others to find out that your child is in the middle of something like this, and I believe it would also be alarming that your offspring may not be able to distinguish fact from fiction.
Hopefully Dr Phil will be able to provide Lynn with the resources that she needs to get her life back on track. Share your own stories of people who tell elaborate stories in a bid for money or attention. Leave a comment below or sound off on social media using the hashtag #Hoping4Support.
Do you need access to mental health resources for yourself, a loved one, or a friend? To locate treatment options in your area, visit mentalhealth.gov to get started.
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