Authorities learn a Texas woman was faking breast cancer diagnosis so she could pay for breast augmentation with money from a fundraiser to cover her treatment.
A woman from Texas has given charity a bad name after raising money for her breast cancer treatment and then using the loot to buy breast implants.
It seems 24-year-old Trista Joy Lathern never had breast cancer but managed to fool more than 100 people into showing up at a fundraiser in Waco, Texas, that helped her raise $10,000 in one day.
Lathern had claimed she needed medical treatment for breast cancer and didn’t have health insurance. She even shaved her head to simulate the results of chemotherapy, and convinced friends and family of her plight – including her own husband.
But according to the McClennan County Sheriff’s Office, Lathern never had cancer. Investigators say her plot began to unravel when she went to a local plastic surgeon for a consultation to discuss a breast augmentation. The surgeon, who knew about the fundraiser, was suspicious because she never mentioned having cancer. He passed the information on to his attorney, who contacted the local sheriff.
In the meantime, investigators say, Lathern went to another plastic surgeon to have the breast augmentation, to the tune of $6,800. She was arrested November 4, made bond and then was arrested again on an outstanding warrant.
Lathern is currently facing a charge of theft by deception, and a court date is pending.
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