A mother was faking while she claimed to be fatally ill with a brain tumor, bone cancer and leukemia. She is accused of inventing her condition to con well-wishers out of hundreds of pounds. The woman named Terri Edkins, 23, from Gainsborough, Lincolnshire allegedly shaved her hair off and wore a headscarf to fake the appearance of a real cancer sufferer as she told her three young children, friends and family that she had only six months to live. Her husband Lawrence, 24, was among those who were taken in by her alleged scam, and arranged fund-raising events to pay for £25,000 treatment in the U.S. that Edkins said she needed.
Terri Edkins with her husband Lawrence.
Photo Credit - Caters News Agency
The couple brought their wedding day forward to October last year after the bride claimed she had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and bone cancer that summer. Soon afterwards, she claimed to have been diagnosed with leukemia as well.
Edkins has now been charged with three counts of fraud, and is known to have raised at least £1,380 at fund-raising events including a charity football match and a head shave of her father-in-law.
Speaking in June about the football match which was arranged by her husband and raised £580 – Edkins said: "All I want is more time with my children and my husband. If I wasn’t married or had children then I’m certain I would have just given up by now. But they said six months nearly a year ago and I’m still here, so every day is a real bonus. And I’m really glad that the children are still too young to understand what’s happening. That also keeps me going. I’m really grateful to everyone who is trying so hard because this is basically my last shot."
Her stepfather-in-law, Paul Gibbs, had his long hair shorn off the previous month, raising another £800.
Before her appearance in court on Friday, Edkins used her Facebook page to announce that she was pregnant with her fourth child.
Once news of the charges against her emerged, the couple began receiving threats. Her mother-in-law Susan Gibbs, 61, said "We could not believe it. Loads of people have helped her. Now we’ve had to go around them all telling them what has happened." "Lawrence knew nothing about this. He’s shocked and angry. She had him running round like a headless chicken." She added. She also said her son would wait for Edkins outside the hospital when she supposedly had chemotherapy. "He remains with Edkins but is said to be considering leaving her."
Edkins will appear at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court next month on charges relating only to St John’s Ambulance, Tesco, who donated shirts to the football, and Gainsborough Lions club. She is accused of defrauding them of £175.78.
