Adoptive Mom Fakes Son's Illness, Makes Him Undergo Unwanted Medical Procedures

An Arkansas woman has been charged with first-degree child endangerment for allegedly faking her adoptive son's medical condition for years, authorities said.

Kristy Schneider, of Alexander, turned herself in Tuesday after a bench warrant was issued against her for allegedly providing false information to doctors about her son's illness, making the boy undergo several unwanted medical procedures and treatment, ABC 7 reported.

Kristy and her husband Erik Schneider were accused of misleading the doctors by claiming that their adopted child, Louie Schneider, suffered from a mysterious chromosomal disorder. Kristy used her social media accounts to publicize and bring nationwide attention to her son's illness.

The investigation began in 2019 when law enforcement agencies got reports of Kristy misrepresenting the then 9-year-old Louie's illness and pain. The couple lost custody of the child later that year after a court ruled them as "unfit parents."

Within days of removing from the couple's custody, Louie significantly improved his health, the court heard. The boy who was in a wheelchair and feeding tube until then started to walk and eat normally.

According to court documents, the couple has been accused of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy, a form of abuse caused by "a mental health problem in which a caregiver makes up or causes an illness or injury in a person under his or her care."

Six doctors provided testimony in court that supported the claims of dependency neglect and misrepresentation of the child's medical condition. Doctors testified that Louie was on high doses of narcotics such as fentanyl and morphine after Kristy reportedly complained that he was in "significant and persistent pain." However, the doctors could not corroborate the pain and symptoms described by her.

"She [Kristy] presented false information to medical experts which led to unnecessary medication and medical procedures being administered," news outlet THV11 reported, citing court documents.

Kristy was released on $100,000 bond after she surrendered to Saline County Sheriff's office Tuesday. She is scheduled to appear in court on August 4.