Who is Lindsey Abbuhl? Ohio mom faked illness of daughter, 11, for 3 years for free SeaWorld trip and donations
CANTON, OHIO: A 11-year-old girl in Ohio has been put in foster care after her mother claimed that she was terminally ill in order to raise donations and obtain freebies. Lindsey Abbuhl, 34, told her Canton, Ohio, community that her daughter Rylee Abbuhl, 11, had a terminal illness caused by a central nervous system malfunction.
Rylee had been working with a psychologist for the past three years to "process her own death" after being told she had an incurable medical disorder that could cause her central nervous system to collapse. Charity events were held for Rylee and the mother-daughter duo even bagged free tickets to SeaWorld. Besides, a GoFundMe page set up by a friend received $4,500.
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Who is Rylee Abbuhl?
Rylee Abbuhl is the daughter of Lindsey and Jamie Abbuhl. Jamie, who had divorced Lindsey in 2017, raised the alarm. Lindsey started telling friends and neighbors that her home-schooled daughter was ill, and that's when the story began.
Lindsey had previously claimed to have a brain tumor and she had also interviewed families interested in adopting Rylee after her death, Daily Mail reported. She would post her daughter's hospital visits on social media because the family seemed to be plagued by bad luck. "This little lady is my best friend! Continue to say prayers for her as we navigate through her medical concerns," she posted.
SeaWorld on bucket list
Lindsey worked as a supervisor at a bowling alley and organized a 'Rylee's Warriors' youth softball tournament in Plain Township in April to raise money for medical expenses. She and her daughter were sent to Key West, Florida, by Wishes Will Happen in December. The event was covered by local media and Lindsey talked about how much it meant to her daughter.
"She has two months," Lindsey told The Canton Repository, adding that her organs were shutting down and the main goal for her was "quality of life". Rylee was invited to travel to College Station by the Texas A&M softball team and she and her mother went to SeaWorld, which Lindsey said was on Rylee's bucket list.
'Calling me a liar is calling her a liar'
Rylee's father, on the other hand, was becoming increasingly concerned. He said she had sluggish digestion and constipation. “If she needed my heart, I’d give it to her today,” Jamie told the Repository. “As far as her going to die... no.” Readers had asked some questions about Rylee's illness, according to The Repository. They requested the girl's medical records from Lindsey, but were refused. Lindsey previously told the Repository that she had former friends who were attempting to discredit her daughter by casting doubt on her disease, the Daily Beast reported.
“She has a whole team of doctors (at Akron Children’s Hospital) working on her,” Lindsey previously told the outlet, adding that she didn't know the root of her daughter's disease. “That’s sad people have to cause drama. Rylee sits in during her (doctor) appointments; she knows what’s happening to her. So calling me a liar is calling her a liar.”
How to 'process her own death'
The neglect and abuse lawsuit claimed that despite Lindsey's belief that her daughter was ill, Rylee's psychiatrist discovered this year that the girl was well, according to the Repository. The complaint, filed by Children Services in Family Court, alleged Lindsey "has been using Rylee's medical condition to obtain funding for trips, housing and other expenses for the last several years".
Rylee has seen a counselor for the past three years to learn how to "process her own death", the report stated. “(Lindsey) also told the counselor, who is going on maternity leave, that Rylee may not be alive when the counselor returns," the complaint states. The child even began asking friends to be pall bearers at her funeral.
The document, obtained by The Repository, notes a medical professional reviewed all of Rylee's medical records involving neurology, genetics, gastrointestinal, hematology, rheumatology, pulmonology and podiatry. They concluded: "There is no evidence to support mother's claim that Rylee is terminally ill." The court granted full custody to Rylee's father Jamie.