Woman who faked breast cancer also 'stole' disease from woman she met at camp of disabled adults

A woman who falsely claimed to be battling multiple serious illnesses, including stage IV breast cancer, also “stole” the condition of a woman she met and befriended at a camp for adults with disabilities.

The shocking story of Sarah A. Delashmit is detailed in the February 23 episode of ID’s The Curious Case Of…, titled "The Woman Dying for Attention".

The episode explores how Delashmit, a nurse from Illinois, faked genetic disorders, cancer, and other serious health conditions for years, manipulating friends, charities, and entire online communities in the process.

Delashmit and Johnson's Friendship

Erin Johnson, a woman with cerebral palsy - a disorder that affects muscle control - met Delashmit in the summer of 2005 at a camp for adults with disabilities in California.

Johnson was attending the program, while Delashmit worked there as an able-bodied counselor.

The two quickly became close, with the nurse telling Johnson she had an 11-year-old sister named Gabby with a form of muscular dystrophy.

In the docuseries, Johnson recalls that Delashmit’s curiosity often felt clinical. She asked detailed questions about her disability that, according to Johnson, made it seem like she was "studying" her.

Nevertheless, their friendship continued long after camp ended. It appeared to grow even stronger when Johnson got an email from a potential suitor whom Delashmit claimed was her husband’s best friend.

Later, Delashmit said the man, who may not have existed, died in a car accident that her husband, also allegedly fictional, survived.

A "Violent Seizure" And A Fake Sister’s Death

Five years after the pair first met, the nurse suffered what Johnson describes as a "violent seizure" during a video call. Delashmit’s alleged sister, Gabby, kept Johnson informed about her health.

After Delashmit supposedly recovered, she claimed Gabby had died. Johnson would later learn Gabby never existed.

"I did call her," Johnson says in the episode, per PEOPLE. "I was like, 'I guess the only question I can ask you is why?' She was like, 'I don’t know why.' I was like, 'After almost 12 years, you don’t know why?'"

Legal analyst Beth Karas, who has two brothers with disabilities, strongly condemned Delashmit’s actions in the docuseries.

"She stole her emotions. She broke her heart. She stole her disease. It’s disgusting," she said.

Wheelchair Deception Exposed

Years later, Delashmit resurfaced at Camp Summit in Texas, a facility serving children and adults with disabilities.

There, she met counselor Bethany Turner, who recalls that Delashmit claimed to have muscular dystrophy and used a wheelchair.

Like her earlier friendship with Johnson, Delashmit formed an instant connection with Turner. Turner remembers Delashmit’s upbeat interactions with wheelchair-bound campers and says counselors often assisted her when she needed to use the bathroom, sometimes more than 10 times a day.

But in the spring of 2016, Turner received a shocking call from the assistant camp director, who said Delashmit’s family and pastor had arrived at the camp.

When Delashmit saw them, she reportedly stood up out of her wheelchair and got into their van without saying a word. "She was able-bodied and was lying about all of this," Turner said.

Fake Cancer Claims And Charity Fraud

Delashmit’s lies went far beyond her personal friendships. The former nurse - whose license was suspended in multiple states - also falsely claimed to have stage IV breast cancer, and told nonprofit organizations and charity volunteer, Liz Hickox, that she was battling the disease.

Hickox recalls that Delashmit once even claimed she had been shot in the knee by a stalker. In addition to this, advocate Andrea Smith revealed that Delashmit created multiple fake identities within Spinal Muscular Atrophy community pages.

Hickox and Turner eventually worked together to expose her. In 2019, they appeared on The Dr. Phil Show, where host Phil McGraw confronted Delashmit. During the appearance, she admitted she had a "lying addiction".

After the show, Hickox and Turner connected with Smith, who helped push for fraud charges. Smith contacted authorities after finding out Delashmit had accepted a $650 bike from the Young Survival Coalition by claiming to be a cancer survivor.

During the investigation, the FBI discovered that Delashmit had also bought another bike on eBay using her mother’s credit card. She later told the bank the transaction was unauthorized and kept the bike.

Federal agents ultimately searched her home with a warrant. In 2020, Delashmit was indicted on eight counts, including wire fraud, mail fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

After pleading guilty, she was sentenced in 2021 to 18 months in federal prison and three years of court supervision following her release, per the United States Attorney’s Office.

Police have said the crimes for which she was charged occurred between 2015 and 2019, but evidence suggested she had "engaged in similar scams going back as far as 2006".

She was also ordered to "pay a $1,250 fine, forfeit several items she received through her scheme, and make full restitution of $7,629 to the nonprofit organizations and others she defrauded," per the statement.

Delashmit was released in 2022 and moved in with her mother in Highland, Illinois, per the documentary. She did not participate in "The Woman Dying for Attention."

The episode notes she has since had a baby and joined a local moms group.

Featured image credit: Facebook