Meaghan Hudson, 25, will sit with Dr. Phil in an episode airing at 10 a.m. on Channel 7. Hudson will discuss what motivated her behavior, according to a statement from the show.
Hudson also will meet face-to-face with at least one of her former Stebbins High School classmates who shaved their heads in solidarity and to raise money for her cancer treatments.
FIRST REPORT (April 10)
A Dayton native living in California is facing several felony charges after she allegedly lied about having cancer and reportedly accepting more than $5,000 in donations to help pay for medical bills.
In 2013, Meaghan Hudson, 25, reportedly told friends and relatives that she was suffering from multiple myeloma and she had less than a year to live. Multiple myeloma can cause low blood counts, bone and calcium problems, infections, kidney failure and the like.
Her friends and loved ones rushed to her aid immediately, said Angela Floyd-Troutman, Hudson’s former classmate at Stebbins High School in Dayton. They had no reason to doubt her, Floyd-Troutman said.
“You don’t ask them to show you a doctors note,” she said. “You just think how long am I going to have to spend with this person?”
Hudson, who moved to San Diego shortly after graduating from high school, reportedly informed relatives and friends about the cancer via text message, Floyd-Troutman said. So she and others rushed to California to visit Hudson.
“She just acted tired,” Floyd-Troutman said. “She said she had tumors and would point to different parts of her body.”
Hudson’s loved ones in the Dayton area started collecting donations to help with her medical bills. They created an account for her on the fundraising website Giveforward.com, and 83 people donated $5,000 at the end of 2013. Some friends also shaved their heads and got tattoos in support of Hudson, Floyd-Troutman said.
In early 2014 Hudson told friends and relatives that her condition had worsened, and they resumed their fundraising efforts. Jason Butler, who’s fiance is friends with Hudson, held a fundraiser at Poelking Lanes bowling alley in Dayton. He sold t-shirts that read, “Bowl for Meagan,” and raised $500.
But in July, San Diego police said they got an anonymous tip that Hudson did not have cancer, nor was she dying. Her friends say they were hurt by the alleged lie.
“It was just devastating,” Butler said.
Hudson is facing charges of theft by deception and grand theft. She is scheduled to appear in court on April 6.
Troutman said she believes her friend lied about having cancer because Hudson was lonely.
“If you miss us you ask us to come visit you,” said Floyd-Troutman, who doubts their friendship will be repaired. “You don’t tell us you’re dying.”
About the Author