By James Hannah
The Associated Press

Teresa Milbrandt (left) of Urbana, Ohio, is shown with her daughter Hannah in this family photo. (Associated Press photo) | ZOOM |

URBANA, Ohio - On the floor of the police department's evidence room sits a Barbie dream house, a Christmas gift from city residents for a 7-year-old girl they believed was battling leukemia.

Next to the box are bags filled with hundreds of thousands of pop-can tabs collected by children to be redeemed for cash to help the girl's family pay medical bills.

But police say Hannah Milbrandt never had cancer.

Police Sgt. David Reese said the girl's mother, Teresa Milbrandt, 35, fooled her daughter and residents into thinking the child had leukemia to get donations, shaving the girl's head and giving her sleeping pills to make it appear she was receiving chemotherapy. Police say she received more than $10,000.

"She betrayed us," Tish Turnmire said Thursday as she worked at her nail salon on the downtown square of this western Ohio community of 11,600. Ms. Turnmire raised more than $700 and persuaded a toy store to sell the Barbie house at a discount for Hannah.

Police are investigating Mrs. Milbrandt; her husband, Robert; and a third person whom Sgt. Reese wouldn't identify. No charges have been filed.

Mr. Milbrandt told the Springfield News-Sun he believed his daughter was dying until authorities told him his wife admitted making up the story. He said his wife is seeking mental help.

Mr. Milbrandt said he suspected nothing because his wife usually took their daughter to Dayton for what she said were cancer treatments. He said his daughter does have a blood disorder that requires quarterly checkups.

"Terri claimed the whole time that we had these medical bills," he said. "It all made sense."

Police do not know what happened to the money the family received; they said the hoax had been going on since at least April.

He said Mrs. Milbrandt admitted the hoax this week to the Champaign County Department of Job and Family Services. The agency was notified after employees at the girl's school noticed that her hair was cut or shaved, not falling out.

Sgt. Reese said Mrs. Milbrandt also told the agency that she would tell Hannah they were going to the doctor, drive until the girl fell asleep, then return home and tell her daughter that she had received her treatments while she slept.

Mrs. Milbrandt put her daughter in counseling to prepare her for death and put a bandage on her back to cover a chemotherapy "port," Sgt. Reese said. When authorities removed the bandage, there was no port.

Hannah has been placed in the custody of relatives.