We have previously seen stories where people fake cancer or illnesses to get friends and co-workers to give them money. However, Trista Joy Lathern, 24, of Texas takes the cake. She is accused of faking breast cancer in order to get friends to donate money, so she could get breast implants to save her failing marriage.
Friends and neighbors of Lathern put together a charitable benefit and raised $10,000 by taking time off from their vacation allowance and even donating hours of work pay to her. A flier asked people to attend the benefit at the Hog Creek Icehouse, noting that Lathern has two boys and no insurance. Her husband claimed that he believed that she had breast cancer until a police detective told him last month. This may be true, but I am curious how a husband is not present for at least one visit with a doctor to discuss his wife’s prognosis and treatment.
Investigator James Pack alleges that she even shaved her head to pretend to be going through chemotherapy.
Various businesses donated items and at least three bands donated their time to play at the benefit.
A local plastic surgeon became suspicious after he learned about the benefit — and the fact that Lathern asked only about the breast implants and never mentioned chemotherapy. He was given cash for the breast enlargement and reported it to the police.
It is not a crime to pretend that you have an illness, but, when you use that fraud to obtain gifts, you move from being a horrible person to being a horrible criminal defendant. What will be challenging for her lawyer will be to use the two boys as a basis for a claim of mercy when they were previously used as a basis for the alleged fraud.
For the full story, click here.
The sheriff’s office started its investigation Oct. 1 after an attorney for an undisclosed Waco plastic surgeon reported that…. “The surgeon advised the attorney that he felt he was possibly in possession of stolen money that Trista had raised and gave as a cash down payment in the amount of $3,509” for breast augmentation, Pack wrote.
She said that after the fundraiser, she gave $3,500 to the local plastic surgeon for breast augmentation but later had the surgery done in Austin for about $6,800.”
I think the answer lie in the surgeon not getting the business and he wanted the remaining money, like about $6,500 and she probably wanted back the $3,500. So rather than give the money back to her he called the cops and hung her out to dry so to speak. She went to Austin….
Mespo:
you are right and so is Nal.
So how does one fake breast cancer … inject Malt-o-meal into them?
With regards to the questions about “How can a husband not catch this,” I’ll tell a story about my mother.
I’m my mother’s oldest son. We are closer than she is to my brothers. She’s still married to my stepfather (and the “still married” comment will make sense in a moment).
About nine? years ago, my mother started having severe headaches and pains in the right side of her head. Also, she started getting dizzy and she started losing hearing in her right ear. She went to the doc and he could not figure it out. She got a CAT scan and they found a tumor wrapped around the nerves going to her right ear. When she came home and told my stepfather, he responded with something like “So what do you want me to do about it? You know I could have a brain tumor too with all the headaches I have.” He then got up and walked out into the back yard and smoked a cigar.
So I can see how her husband would not know. Now I’m not saying her husband was like this but he definitely could not be involved in this sort of thing (leaving him open to being duped).
nal:
Your caring is remarkable. Desperate people do desperate things, and I have no evidence contrary to her explanation here. This was no grab for cash in my judgment given she intended to have the procedure.
I once represented a stockbroker who stole from parents, family, and close friends in a remarkable breach of fiduciary duty and filial trust. When I went to inquire about restitution amounts, no one wanted anything paid back. While no one condones a thief or the theft, there are differences in motivation that cause us all to pause. The person stealing bread to avoid hunger fares differently in most people’s minds than Bernie Madoff. Who’s to say keeping her marriage intact for her kids was any less important to her than her basic needs.
Sadly, we can’t confidently judge a person’s character nor so easily correct it, as as we do their grammar.
Swartzmoremom speaks the truth. In some parts of Dallas plastic is king.
It is true, Horatio or was that Horus.
Jim I am not being sarcastic. I have lived in Texas long enough to see what goes on in many aspects of life here.
yes i agree with swarthmore, who i cannot tell if she is being sarcastic or not. Larry McMurtry touches upon it in The Last Picture Show.
what i am surprised with is the fact that other people seem to be surprised.
Politicians sell themselves to the highest bidder using lies and extortion why shouldn’t the little people?
There are multiple issues raised in this story. First, why doesn’t this person have health care? There is no reason our society cannot provide health care to every person. It is obscene that people who really do have cancer, including those with insurance, must have fund raisers to pay for their treatment.
Secondly, big boobs are pushed by this extremely ignorant society. I’m certain this woman did feel pressure to “go big” and that is a part of living in a society that values women for body parts instead of as people.
Nevertheless, to lie to other people is quite cruel. Taking advantage of other’s kindness and sympathy is a really low down thing to do. I hope she is able to return all money and pay back anyone’s time by doing something of value with her time for their sake. The people who offered to help should be honored by her with an apology and all attempts to make it right between them.
Ah, this “poor woman”. It wasn’t her fault, it was society’s fault.
Baloney.
Sad that this poor woman felt such pressure. It doesn’t appear to me to be based on vanity merely desperation. Society demands too much sometimes: beauty, intelligence, personality, financial success, sexual prowess, perfect morals, et al, ad nauseum. To what end?
For all the Texas bashers on this blog, the Texas culture promotes this type of thing.
If a woman needs breast implants to save her marriage–my assumption would be that the marriage wasn’t worth the salvage effort.
And men who are attracted to women only because they are extremely well endowed are definitely big boobs themselves.
This is a perfect example of why this government needs to provide free breast enlargements.
I’m not buying the “save the marriage” story. That’s just a little too convenient.
This is not all that uncommon for men to thing that a woman with big Breasts are the best. It is the eye of the soul that I now strive for. I will admit that big Breasts will bring out the Beasts in most men.
Professor, I will add to you commentary that you stated that she wanted to have the implants because of her failing marriage. Note, benefit took place at the Hog Creek Icehouse. Then consider that it is only 9 or 10 miles from Crawford, Texas near Waco. I think you have you answer, brains are short sided there. What more needs be said. Oh yeah, Bush called Crawford home while in Washington, thats it.
“I am curious how a husband is not present for at least one visit with a doctor to discuss his wife’s prognosis and treatment.”
Jonathan,
This is an excellent point. My wife accompanies me to all of my major medical exams and procedures. I have discovered that I tend to listen to about half of what any Doctor tells me, my mind drifting off to the implications, rather than focusing on the details. My wife takes good notes and asks pertinent questions that I would fail to do. By the same token, although she is far more healthy, I perform the same role. To me this is a part of being a spouse.
She should have just enrolled as a contestant in a beauty pageant sponsored by Trump.
“I am curious how a husband is not present for at least one visit with a doctor to discuss his wife’s prognosis and treatment.”
Not every husband is a mensch like you and your readers, Jonathan. My wife and I would never go through anything potentially life-changing without supporting each other and talking things through. (I went through this once with my wife; a lump was discovered on her breast that fortunately turned out to be a benign cyst. But we went through every step of the ordeal together.)
That said, I am amazed at how non-sharing– or non-caring– some husbands are about their wives’ “female issues.” Ms. Lathern likely manipulated her none-too-sharp hubby the same way she manipulated her community. Which makes him stupid, but not complicit.
My wife and I are sickly addicted to plastic surgery reality shows on TV. We watch them to view the insanity of people believing that they can fight aging. It is amazing how women have been sold on believing the breast to be the “ne plus ultra” of sexual allure. There follows the corollary that by increasing their breast size they will be more attractive. In truth this is bolstered by immature males who at heart are trying to replicate the suckling feeling of babyhood and are focused on large mammaries. It is further backed up by the advertising industry and the film industry.
Personally, I’ve always been attracted to women’s faces, intelligence and interesting other parts. I’m not anti-breast, but have found small ones every bit as interesting as large ones. In the end it is the intelligence and personality of a woman that makes her attractive to me at least, since I’ve had some success with women I attribute it not to my charm and looks, but to the fact that I appreciate them for their entire personhood.
Sometimes, I wish I lived in France, where there is less emphasis on breasts!!!