Woman ‘faked adopted son’s terminal illness that saw him dosed with fentanyl and sought end of life care when he was 9’
A WOMAN has been charged with faking her adopted son’s terminal illness and dosing him with fentanyl as she sought him end-of-life care when he was nine years old.
Kristy Schneider turned herself in on Tuesday after she was accused of faking the boy’s mysterious debilitating illness, which led to him receiving medical treatment that could have been deadly.
Kristy Schneider turned herself in on Tuesday[/caption] She allegedly faked her adopted son’s illness[/caption] Schneider had publicized her son’s ‘disorder’[/caption]She had already lost custody of the boy, then named Louie, after doctors raised the alarm and she and her husband, Erik, were deemed unfit parents, according to KATV.
The couple adopted Louie in 2014 and Schneider allegedly faked his illness between 2017 and 2019.
Erik has been accused of going along with the scheme, according to court documents.
Schneider had widely publicized what she said was her son’s terminal illness through her Facebook page and her blog.
The Arkansas woman claimed that he suffered from a chromosomal disorder.
She alleged that it left him in “significant and persistent” pain and he was given high doses of fentanyl and morphine as a result.
END-OF-LIFE CARE
In February 2019, the couple sought end-of-life care for Louie and his journey to the hospital was publicized by local media.
He also received a guard of honor from multiple law enforcement agencies as he was taken in for treatment.
It was thought the boy only had days to live.
Yet after a month, the then-nine-year-old showed improvements and was discharged from the hospital.
Schneider was then accused of Munchausen by proxy syndrome as medical officials pushed for her to lose custody.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Munchausen by proxy syndrome is when caregivers “intentionally harm or describe non-existent symptoms in their children to get the attention given to the family of someone who is sick.”
DOCTORS SPEAK OUT
The judge found Schneider misrepresented her son’s illness after six doctors provided testimony and medical records to support claims of neglect.
The doctors claimed that they could not corroborate her claims that the boy was suffering from intense pain.
Evidence presented in court showed that the boy was able to walk and eat normally within days of being removed from their custody, despite having spent the months in a wheelchair and using a feeding tube.
Schneider now faces a charge of first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor.
She presented herself to the Saline County Sheriff’s office on Tuesday afternoon.
Louie was adopted by the couple in 2014[/caption] He spent months in a wheelchair but could walk again days after being taken out of Schneider’s custody[/caption]Most read in News
She was later released on a $100,000 bond.
Schneider’s first court date is set for August 4.
She has since removed the blogs and Facebook posts about the boy’s condition.