Manipulative mom’s disgraceful reason for lying she had stage 4 breast cancer and allowing $7000 of GoFundMe donations to flood in as she learns her fate
A Texas mom who pretended she had stage four breast cancer and allowed friends to contribute to a GoFundMe has revealed the real reason why she lied after she was sentenced to five years of felony probation Monday.
Emily Joyce Hinojosa, 38, was arrested in July 2023 and admitted to police she had lied about her cancer diagnosis.
According to an arrest affidavit, the mother-of-three told cops she ‘has a problem with making up stories about her medical health to gain sympathy from her friends so they would like her more’.
The GoFundMe set up for her by friend Natalie Nelson claimed she had been battling cancer for nine years.
The fundraiser, which is currently still live but inactive, said: ‘As most of you are aware, Emily has been diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer. Emily has battled this hideous disease for 9 years. After completing a pet scan last week, it was found the cancer has spread throughout her body. Emily immediately started treatments on Monday, September 21st and will continue treatments and radiation 3 times a week for 10 weeks. After the completion of the 10-week treatment, another pet scan will take place to determine the next course of action.
‘Due to the expense of procedures and extended time-frame for treatment, there will be a significant cost for the family, even after insurance. This fundraiser will help offset the cost of Emily’s medical expenses, travel expenses, and the loss of her income during this time’, the post continued.
‘Emily’s contagious smile and enormous heart maker it a blessing to know her’.
According to police, Hinojosa collected $7,085 from the fundraiser.
A Texas mom who pretended she had stage four breast cancer and allowed friends to contribute to a GoFundMe revealed that the reason she lied about her illness was so people would like her more. Pictured: Mom-of-three Emily Joyce Hinojosa
The GoFundMe was created by a friend of Hinojosa’s, Natalie Nelson. Nelson later told police she had grown suspicious of Hinojosa’s condition due to a lack of symptoms
The fundraiser is no longer active, but Hinojosa received over $7,000 in donations as a result
However, Nelson grew suspicious of Hinojosa’s apparent cancer diagnosis, and told officers that her condition and lack of symptoms ‘did not match the extend of her claimed sickness’, according to the arrest affidavit.
Police checked with four doctors Hinojosa claimed were treating her, and found that three of the medical professionals she named had no record of her being a patient.
The fourth doctor showed that Hinojosa had been diagnosed with cancer in 2014, but was said to be in 75 remission by May 2021.
‘Nothing in the records from the fourth facility showed a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer from July 2020 through November 2020,’ the affidavit stated.
From September 2020 to October 2020, 64 donations were made to her GoFundMe.
After her sentencing Monday, Hinojosa has been ordered to pay the money back to the people who contributed to her fundraiser.
