Depraved Ohio mom Pamela Reed 'shaved her child's head to help ruse her 7-year-old daughter suffered

September 2024 · 5 minute read

A depraved Ohio mother is accused of faking her child’s cancer diagnosis and shaving her head so she could raise money and keep it for herself, police said. 

Pamela Reed, 41, was charged Monday with theft by deception after she allegedly claimed her seven-year-old daughter, Addey Rae, had Acute Myeloid Leukemia along with a collection of other conditions.

The mother raised loads of money and posted heartbreaking photos of her child’s treatment online.

Suspicions arose last week when her child’s elementary school nurse discovered that Addey was not blind in her right eye, like Reed had said she was. The nurse then tipped off detectives at the Noble County Sheriff’s Office and sparked an investigation. 

‘After obtaining information, Sheriff Mackie, along with Detectives and Children Services began an investigation into the allegation, they were able to confirm that the child did not have cancer,’ the sheriff’s office said.

Pamela Reed, 41, was arrested and charged with theft by deception after she allegedly claimed that her daughter Addey Rae had Acute Myeloid Leukemia along with a collection of other conditions

Pamela Reed, 41, was arrested and charged with theft by deception after she allegedly claimed that her daughter Addey Rae had Acute Myeloid Leukemia along with a collection of other conditions

Addey's elementary school nurse tipped of detectives after she discovered that the child is not blind in her right eye- another health condition that Reed claimed her daughter had

Addey’s elementary school nurse tipped of detectives after she discovered that the child is not blind in her right eye- another health condition that Reed claimed her daughter had  

Addey is seen laying on a hospital bed in April as she got an ultrasound on her back. The mother created a public Facebook page called 'Our "Rae" Of Sunshine- Team Addey Rae,' where she posted saddening images of her daughter

Addey is seen laying on a hospital bed in April as she got an ultrasound on her back. The mother created a public Facebook page called ‘Our “Rae” Of Sunshine- Team Addey Rae,’ where she posted saddening images of her daughter 

Reed also said Addey suffered from frequent seizures and would need to have a port implanted in the future for her cancer treatments. 

She went on to shave her daughter’s head, subjected her to constant blood test and caused her child to miss more than 280 hours of school, charging documents said. 

It’s unclear why medical staff did not catch the child’s actual health status. 

Reed who is from Pleasant City, Ohio, was taken to Noble County Jail where she originally tried to lie before she came clean and admitted that ‘she had exaggerated and fabricated medical conditions to receive monetary donations.’ 

The school nurse also went on to call Addey’s primary doctor, who referred to the child as ‘AR’, and confirmed that she ‘did not have cancer or leukemia, and she never had cancer or leukemia.’ 

Addey’s doctor also revealed  the plethora of documents the mother gave the school in to demonstrate her daughter’s supposed cancer were all false. 

Reed later confessed that she would take other prescriptions and repackage them in cancer medication boxes and fed Addey anti-seizure medication. 

She also claimed her daughter suffered from Severe Aplastic Anemia- a disease caused bone marrow to not make enough blood cells for the body. It is unclear if that disease was also falsified. 

The corrupt mother went on to tell authorities that she continued to carry out the scheme ‘because she liked the support given as a result.’ 

Reed shaved her daughter's head, subjected her to constant blood tests and caused her child to miss more than 280 hours of school, documents said

Reed shaved her daughter’s head, subjected her to constant blood tests and caused her child to miss more than 280 hours of school, documents said

It has since been learned that the donations were not going toward Addey's medical costs and were instead going directly into Reed's pockets as she was given approximately $8,000 by a local organization 'to aid cancer treatment expenses'

It has since been learned that the donations were not going toward Addey’s medical costs and were instead going directly into Reed’s pockets as she was given approximately $8,000 by a local organization ‘to aid cancer treatment expenses’ 

The mother was given approximately $8,000 by a local organization ‘to aid cancer treatment expenses,’ the press release stated. 

She also created a public Facebook page called ‘Our “Rae” Of Sunshine- Team Addey Rae’, where she posted saddening images of Addey during her ‘cancer journey.’ 

The page has been up since October 2017, when the child was around 20 months old and along with pictures, Reed would also post fundraising links and flyers that said ‘All proceeds to benefit Addey’s journey.’ 

It has since been learned the donations were not going toward Addey’s medical costs and were instead going directly into Reed’s pockets. 

Though all recent posts have been taken down, one from April showed a pile of blood-filled vials and Addey laying on her stomach as she got an ultrasound on her back. 

The post read: ‘Our baby girl is one of the strongest little gals on this planet! 22 tubes of blood today and ultrasounds…..she was so brave through it all…Miss Addey, mommy, daddy and her sisters are so ready for this nightmare to be over!’ 

Records revealed that Addey’s sister was also under the impression that her sibling was sick. 

The Facebook page in honor of Addey has been up since October 2017, when the child was around 20 months old

The Facebook page in honor of Addey has been up since October 2017, when the child was around 20 months old

Reed's husband was not at the house at the time of her arrest and it is unclear if he was a part of the plot

Reed’s husband was not at the house at the time of her arrest and it is unclear if he was a part of the plot

Reed is married, but her husband has not been mentioned in any records and was not present at the time of the arrest, according to Law & Crime. It is also unclear if he was a part of the plot or not. 

All of their children were ‘removed’ from the home ‘as there were concerns for their safety,’ documents stated. 

Theft by deception is a fourth-degree felony and Reed’s bond was set at $50,000. 

‘We are extremely proud of the Children’s Services staff along with law enforcement collaborative efforts to quickly act for safety these children,’ Nobel County Sheriff’s Office said. 

‘Child abuse and neglect isn’t always cut and dry, cookie cutter scenarios. If you as a professional or as a member of our community feel like something just isn’t quite right, don’t hesitate, make the report. The grit and devotion of this team is inspiring.’

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