A Florida couple is facing serious criminal charges after authorities say they faked their teenage son’s cancer diagnosis in order to collect donations from sympathetic community members.
The Dixie County Sheriff’s Office announced that Edward Downing and Stephanie Skeris were arrested and charged with scheme to defraud, communications fraud, and child neglect following an investigation into the alleged scam.
According to investigators, the couple told friends, neighbors, and local businesses that their 15-year-old son had been diagnosed with cancer affecting his chest, kidney, liver, and small intestine. They reportedly asked for financial support from the community to help cover medical expenses.
At the time, the parents publicly shared emotional stories about their son’s supposed illness.
“It helps tremendously to pay for his doctor visits, so it’s not so hard on us and everything else,” Skeris said in a March 2025 interview with local media.
Downing also spoke about the situation, telling reporters he was struggling to process the diagnosis.
“As a father, all I can do is love him day by day, just hoping he gets better,” he said at the time.
Their teenage son also appeared in interviews discussing the alleged diagnosis.
“I noticed a small bump on my chest,” he said in the same interview. “I told my mom about it, and then we went to the hospital.”
But investigators say the heartbreaking story wasn’t true.
After reviewing the boy’s medical records, authorities determined that there was no evidence he had ever been diagnosed with cancer.
The sheriff’s office also discovered that the couple had set up a bank account where donations from the public were deposited.
One of the businesses that helped raise money was a Florida restaurant called Papa Luigi’s, which reportedly matched $3 for every customer purchase during a fundraising effort in March 2025.
At the time, employees and community members believed they were helping a family in need.
“Everybody knows that in times like this we could use help,” one employee said during the fundraiser. “If it happened to your family, you would want someone to help you.”
However, investigators say financial records show the donated money wasn’t used for medical care.
Instead, authorities allege the funds were spent on personal purchases including retail shopping, restaurant meals, gas, and cash withdrawals.
Following their arrests in late February, Downing and Skeris were later released on bond.
Meanwhile, their son has been placed in protective care as authorities investigate concerns related to his well-being and medical treatment.
The investigation remains ongoing.
When we lived in Florida we know if a parent who tried to make her child autistic so she could get money.