I am so disgusted and furious about this latest story from my home state of Ohio that I can't even see straight! As a parent, I cannot even imagine, and would never WANT to imagine putting one of my babies through the hell they have put this child through. How could money be more important to you than your child???

The story is featured on the homepage of AOL, but if you missed it, here is a brief summary of this horrible crime against honest, charitable people and a precious 7 year old little girl

URBANA, Ohio (Jan. 16) - Police arrested the parents and grandmother of a 7-year-old girl who was told she had leukemia as part of an apparent fund-raising hoax that netted about $10,000 in donations from well-wishers.

Robert J. Milbrandt, 44, his wife, Teresa L. Milbrandt, 35, and her mother, Mary K. Russell, 57, all of Urbana, were arrested Tuesday. The scheme, which had been going on since April, was discovered in December, police said.

The girl, Hannah, had been taken from the couple and placed in the custody of relatives.

To make Hannah's cancer appear believable, police said, Teresa Milbrandt shaved the girl's hair, gave her sleeping pills, had her wear a protective mask and put her in counseling to prepare for death. Hannah also wore a large bandage to cover a ``port'' for chemotherapy injections that wasn't there, police said.

``We interviewed well over 100 people and felt it was time to make the arrests,'' police Lt. Garry Kimpel said. ``Hannah is still in protective custody.''

Russell and the Milbrandts were charged with theft and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. The Milbrandts were charged, in addition, with endangering children and possession of criminal tools.

Robert Milbrandt's lawyer, Mark Feinstein, said his client ``had absolutely no idea this was going on.'' He said his client believed his wife's story that their daughter had leukemia.

``That's too horrific of a lie to think she's not telling you the truth,'' Feinstein said.

Feinstein said his client suspected nothing because his wife handled the medical bills and usually took their daughter to Dayton for what she said were cancer treatments. He said Hannah has a blood disorder that requires quarterly checkups.

01/15/03 07:22 EST

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

That is so hideous. I can't even begin to imagine how traumatic that must have been for the poor little child. That stuff makes me so angry, i don't know how they could exploit their own daughter like that!! Its disgusting to make money in this way. I hope they lock them up and throw away the key

(ps, comments made purely on basis of reading above story - ranting does not take into account both sides of story, but i'm sure they don't have an awfully good one anyway)

That poor child. What a disturbed look on life her parents were teaching her.

And even if the father didn't know the mother and grandmother were faking it, he still should be put up on charges for criminal neglect. As a father he is saying he wasn't aware his daughter was being abused in a criminal activity. He knows his wife but apparently doesn't know his daughter very well.

This is one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard in my life!! That poor poor child... The newest love of my life is actually from Urbanna and from what I understand the father is claiming he had no idea the little girl wasn't sick!! How could you not know??? I feel so bad for her, and what is especially sickening to me, is that this poor child was taken to a grief counselor to prepare her for her death!! Where they planning on killing her at some point?? I just don't understand some people, I can't imagine putting my child through sheer h@&* for the sake of money.

This is one woman that was obviously born without a consious or a soul. I'm still leaning on giving the dad the benifit of the doubt. I know though our own serious illnesses, because of the type of job my husband has, he was able to get time off only for the times when we had stays in the hospitals. The doctor's appointments, the blood test checkups, etc., I had to handle and I also kept all the records for paying the bills. Since she obviously had no stays in the hospital, it would be easy to fool a guy who thinks he's doing his best by working his fool head off to take care of his family. She has a police record for passing bad check (and other things prior to her marriage to this guy) but I have not heard that he has any record.

[ January 18, 2003, 05:53 AM: Message edited by: Connie ]

I couldn't believe people would take advantage of giving hearts like that.

Mind you, look at the emails I get every day asking for money. i must get around 20 scam spam emails from people supposedly in Nigeria and other places.

These kind of people make you sick. Take advantage of good faith and this is what happens.

What an ugly thing to do to a child! I too am not sure the hubby knew about the wife's scheme; it's possible he didn't, but I'd like to hear more on this case...

Like Miranda, I'm particularly upset about the girl having to go through counseling to prepare for her own death. And I wonder too, if the mother wasn't planning to 'off' her when she accumulated enough $$!
Now, you'd think the counselor would have doctor records of an illness like this and his notes about the patient (like a referral of sorts), yes? Where were those?? And if the counselor DID have these things, who's the fraudulent doctor!? I don't think there is a doc in this case, but what I'm saying is, shouldn't the counselor have known something wasn't quite right here?

I've heard of people doing this to their kids before. Sick, sick, sick.

Kell