A mother who falsely claimed her six-year-old son had cancer to solicit thousands of dollars in donations has been sentenced to prison in South Australia. Michelle Bodzsar, 45, from West Lakes, pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in acts likely to cause harm to her child and 10 counts of deception.
Court Details Manipulative Behavior
In the South Australia District Court on Wednesday, Judge Geraldine Davison rejected the defense's argument that financial difficulties were the root cause of the offending. 'You attribute much of the root cause of this offending to financial difficulties, saying that you felt you were living beyond your means and needed to provide for your family with the latest fashions,' Judge Davison said. 'I do not accept that… your offending is far more cruel and manipulative… It was designed as an attention-seeking device.'
The court heard that Bodzsar's son sustained an eye injury in a trampoline fall in September 2024. Although an ophthalmologist cleared him, Bodzsar told her husband, Ben Miller, that their son had cancer and that scans revealed three tumors on his optic nerve requiring eight rounds of radiotherapy.
Social Media Campaign and Donations
Bodzsar uploaded social media posts featuring pictures of her son with a shaved head, requesting donations to his bank account. She transferred more than $5,000 to her own account for daily living and received thousands more in cash donations. The judge noted that the harm to her son was perpetrated daily by giving him pseudo medication and forcing him to take it 'even when he clearly did not want to.' This was described as 'a form of child maltreatment and child abuse.'
Impact on Community and Family
The local school community experienced shock, betrayal, anger, and a profound sense of shame and embarrassment. 'They feel shame for being naive and embarrassed for not spotting the lies earlier,' the judge said. Outside court, Mr. Miller stated that 'no sentence will ever justify what was done to my children.' He was initially arrested but had 'absolutely no idea what was going on,' the judge noted. The judge added, 'Your crimes have resulted in him losing his job, his career, and being unable to get work because he was on home detention, and no contact with his children for almost seven months.'
Sentencing
Bodzsar was given a head sentence of four years, three months, and 20 days, with a non-parole period of two years and four months, meaning she will be eligible for parole in approximately one year. The judge highlighted that the son is now 'angry and sad for no apparent reason,' while the daughter is anxious about being abandoned and has been deeply affected.
