Blogger Fakes Baby's Death

by Susan Wagner (Subscribe to Susan Wagner's posts) Jun 15th 2009 8:00PM

Blogger Rebecca Beushausen lied about her terminally ill baby. Source: David Pierini, Chicago Tribune / MCT.

Imagine finding out that the baby you are carrying is terminally ill. Now imagine choosing to carry that baby to term, knowing she will not live. That's exactly what one Chicago area mom blogger recently went through. She chronicled her doomed pregnancy and home birth, and then told her readers that her baby girl had died a few hours after she delivered.

Heartbreaking, right? Here's the most heartbreaking part: The entire story was a lie.

Twenty-six-year-old Beccah Beushausen had captivated readers with her story of a single mother facing a difficult pregnancy. Her blog, Little One April, drew thousands of readers, who offered prayers and support and help. On June 7, when she posted about her baby's birth and subsequent death hours later, her site had nearly a million hits.

But when Beushausen posted a photo of Baby April, readers got suspicious -- the baby wasn't a baby at all, but a Reborn doll, a baby doll made to look exactly like a newborn. And that's when Beushausen's story began to unravel.

Click above to watch a video report of this story. Screengrab courtesy of ABC.

Beushausen, who started her blog in in March, had struck a nerve with Christian and anti-abortion bloggers; they saw her as a beacon for their beliefs. But now those same bloggers are questioning Beushausen's motives. Jennifer McKinney, the blogger behind My Charming Kids, was one of Beushausen's biggest supporters. But no longer. "I feel emotionally exploited," McKinney told the Chicago Tribune. "My readers were praying for her, and I feel guilty about that." McKinney says that in retrospect, Beushausen seemed more interested in driving up the traffic at her web site than she did in her unborn baby.

Her pretend unborn baby, that is.

What does Beushausen have to say about all this? In the wake of revelations that she lied, she initially deleted both her blog and her Twitter account -- but now she's posted an apology at Little One April. It says, in part:

"In my life I've had good days and I have also dealt with a lot of pain, including the sorrow over the loss of life, among a lot of other things. I don't say that to garner your sympathy or to lessen your anger. I say it because it is true. Was the loss present day? -- No. But true, none the less. In my "calendar past," perhaps, but still very much so in my present day to day.

"I lied and I am not trying to hide that, nor am I trying to minimize it. Worse still, I lied to a community of people whose only intention was to support me through this time and that is wrong, and for that I am sorrier than you could know.

"The #1 question I have been asked in the last few days is what I would tell people online who followed my story, who are now upset to find it is not true. - The simplest and most honest way that I can answer why I started lying (even prior to opening my blog) and started my blog is that I am struggling with my life. I have been dealing with unresolved pain that weighs heavy on my heart and which I have been unable to handle alone."

Beushausen goes on to say that she did not recieve money or gifts from anyone, and that contrary to public reports, she was not paid for advertising placed on her blog. She also says, over and over, that she is sorry.

But that's not cutting it with other mom bloggers, particularly those who really have lost a child, and who came to Beushausen's aid. Bloggers Angie Smith, Jennifer McKinney and Raechel Meyers, who befriended and supported Beushausen, are hurt and angry: "There is an issue that all three of us feel needs to be addressed, and that is the fact that we really want you all to know that we are hurting with you. The fact that we want to honor the Lord doesn't mean that we aren't experiencing anger, disappointment, and deep sorrow. Two of us have walked through this journey and lost our babies, and the third came closer than most people can relate to."

So what is the lesson here? It's difficult to tell right now. We've seen bloggers reach out to support each other in times of need, and it is devastating to see that trust abused. But it is also incredibly sad to think about what drove Beccah Beushausen to create this fiction, and to lie to so many people.

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Comments (177)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)

amanda 6-15-2009 @ 8:19PM

this lady is so wrong in doing what she did. 2 weeks ago my little angel died. she was only 14 months old. this lady here is a shame. does she really realize the pain that people suffer over the loss of a child?

kitty 6-15-2009 @ 9:07PM

Oh my Gosh I'm so sorry!!!! She is with Jesus now.. :)

leelee 6-15-2009 @ 9:21PM

Think Positively.
This lady has a great career as a fiction writer. She loves to develop story lines and obviously can keep readers interested. Someone needs to help her channel this creative energy into a new direction.

brenda 6-15-2009 @ 10:37PM

Dear Amanda,

I am so sorry for your loss. I cannot begin to imagine the heartache you and your family feel. Just remember, a childs love is always with you. Although I have never experienced this kind of pain, I know from seeing others that it is the worst of all.

My heart felt sympathy and prayers,

Brenda from Maine

vincent 6-16-2009 @ 12:27AM

Although the people who were following the story were lied to, they should not be angry at this women. They should feel joy that this story was not true. That in the end there is no mother, father, or grandparents that have to suffer a death of a newborn.

barbie 6-16-2009 @ 1:02AM

I'm sorry to you all that lost your little one...that must be a awful pain you are holding in your heart...i know there is a god and i know that he loves us all good or bad....that lady must have some kind of mental disorder and really crave attention...thats why she did it for the attention...we all just need to let it go and really think with our hearts...what would jesus do?

God Bless You All

leah 6-16-2009 @ 2:32AM

I think she has something called "facticious disorder" or munchausen (by proxy). People with that lie, say they are dying, have cancer, lost children, and they also fake illness to require medical attention. It is all of the much needed attention. It's sad, but obviously very sick. IN her case, it was regular faciticious disorder because she lied about the child, but she is the type who might actually harm,. poison or suffocate the child for attention as well. she needs help.

Shannon 6-16-2009 @ 4:21AM

Hello Amanda,

My name is Shannon I have 3 beautiful daughters. When I read what this woman had done I couldn't believe it. I had my only son back in Dec. 2000. My pregnancy was as normal as it could be. With my son though the cord had rapped around his neck 3 times and made a knot the day before I had him. It was a shock for the entire family. My oldest daughter Amanda was in Jr. high and Amber was in elementry. For my husband it was his first time going through 9mo. with someone you love and that most horrific day. Of course at that time I was a pre-school teacher and going back to work was very hard for me, but so was staying home while your kids were at school and your husband was at work. I felt soo alone even though I still had my family. This woman says she's going through a tough time/problems she's trying to deal with,ARENT WE ALL. That gives her NO right to make any type of story just to get attention and people to feel sorry for her. I wanted my little boy soo bad after having 2 girls. After that happened our doctor told us that he didn't tie my tubes so we could try again. We did and we had a beautiful baby girl, "Serenity Rose"/Serena. She is 6yr. now. My oldest daughter gave me a grandson and is giving me another grandchild this Oct. No-matter how long its been I still get very emotional talking about my son. Serena looks soo much like him. My little Prince, is what is on his grave/stone. So for those who feel sorry for this woman tell them to spend time with the WOMEN who have truely lost their child and hear their stories. Do you really think I wanted my girls to see their little brother laying in a box.

I just wanted to add. the day my husband and I went home our girls stayed with my mom. When we got home I went to the living room and just sat on the couch. My husband went in the bedroom and wrote a beautiful poem for our son. We didn't speak to eachother for 6 hours.

Thank you, Shannon
pinky8268@aol.com

espitia25 6-16-2009 @ 5:10AM

Amanda, it is very hard to loose a child i lost my child in 2006 I had him at 23 weeks and he died 2 hours after I delivered him...i was so angry with God I could not understand why he would do this to a child and to me who tried for years with my husband to have a child...I did not understand. But in 2007 I was blessed with a set of twin boys I had them at only 26 weeks and they eached weighed a little over a pound. This friday on the 19th they will be 2 years old, even though they are tiny weighing 20 lbs now they are healthy and smart..I believe that everything happens for a reason and if my first son lived I would not have the twins and I can not see my life without them. I am now 7 months pregnant with a girl and this is it I have to many problems with my pregnancy so this is my last. My I am very blessed to have my kids some people can not have them.. And the ones that do stuff like this woman did in her blog she had no idea the affect it has on people...I also think of my first son when i hear stories like this.

Debbie 6-16-2009 @ 9:18AM

I don't think she has ever been pregnant because if you have truly carried that little one feeling it grow inside you only to loose it. that is a pain that no one can comfort. I went through that last nov. when I lost my son was almost 7 months pregnant with Andrew. I 'how I feel but can not imagine what it would be like to loose one that was able to live after it was born.

tracey 6-16-2009 @ 11:36AM

I think this woman needs some counseling. Ironically, I was in the exact situation that she described. Pregnant, found out in the seventh month that my daughter was not going to live, and(as the doctors put it) had to let her"drift out" and they would not intervene. Well I carried my daughter to full term and prayed for a miracle, hoping God would bless me with a healthy child.

I find it disturbing that this woman would do something like this.To feed on peoples emotions and collect money for something that personal, not to mention the people who has been through something like this and had to relive it through her lie.

tracey 6-16-2009 @ 11:35AM

rosemary 6-16-2009 @ 1:15PM

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my angel 16 months ago. I was told at 4 months of pregnancy that my baby had a diaphramatic hernia, which is where there is a hole in her diaphram and her stomach and intestines grew into her chest, so her lungs didn't develop. She lived for only 13 hours. My husband and I had to make the horrible choice of taking her off of life support. We had spent months worrying because the doctors told us that she only had 20-50% chance of making it. I chose to give her that chance. I let God determine my daughters future. He needed another angel, So she died in my arms.
I think that woman was horrible for all her lies. She seriously needs some counseling. I hope she never has to suffer like myself and all of the other parents have who has lost a child. I don't know why she did what she did, but it really hurts to know that I have actually been through what she is lying about. Nobody should ever lie about something like that. That's just sick!
Amanda, I know you've been told this before, as I was also. But time does make things better. You will never forget you precious baby and you will always miss her and feel a part of you is missing, but eventually you will be able to talk about her without crying and you will always know that you have your very own angel.

fitnesscoach71 6-16-2009 @ 1:55PM

I'm really sorry for your loss, words cannot express my sorrow for what you've been thru and it was SICK what this woman did to many like yourself who have really lost their child. My heart goes out to you sincerely.

Piper

rebecca 6-16-2009 @ 5:31PM

Amanda - I am so, so sorry about your sweet angel. If nothing else, this crazy lady's story brought about the opportunity to give you a big cyber hug and let you know that somebody in San Diego is mourning with you.

Her Sister!! 6-16-2009 @ 5:00PM

OMG!!!! You people can't possibly believe her story, can you? This is part of the scam that she keeps on running. Playing on your sympathy. She has done this more than once! She is one sick puppy! There never was a baby, nor did she ever lose one in the past. She has mental problems that need to be dealt with and her family knows this.

sandy 6-16-2009 @ 9:37PM

Amanda I am so sad about your loss. I lost my son 48 years ago. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him. The sadest day of my life. I still cry sometimes. Especially on his birthday or the anniversary of his death. The pain gets lighter but never goes away. To lose a child is like taking a piece of your heart out of your body. I have two other children but neither took his place. I will join him in heaven. That is what helped me get through all these years. God bless you. Be strong. And no one can realize the pain you suffer when you lose a child unless they lost one.

Heather 6-16-2009 @ 10:56PM

For all those that have a lost a baby.. I am sorry for your lost! This woman is sick and makes me mad!!! Nov 22, 2009 my sister gave birth to a stillborn son! Seeing what my sister went though and my family i wouldnt wish this on anyone.. so why would this women do this?? it makes me sooo mad!!!

Desiree' 6-17-2009 @ 12:09AM

Amanda,
I am so sorry for Your loss.
My husband and I have lost to little one's.
The first one was at 9 week's and the second was at 12 week's.
We did not get to know Our little one's in person like you did but either way it's heard.
My prayers are with You and your Family.
God Bless and please try to keep the Faith...

Jan 6-17-2009 @ 1:45AM

Amanda, YOur little angel is playing in Heaven with my little girl, Jessica. Jessica died at 6 days old, on Dec 7, 2006. Please look at the MissFoundation.org when you are ready. I dont know where you live, but I am in AZ. Please feel free to email me when you want. The MISS Foundation has been a huge help to me, my husband and my survung daughter. Please keep in touch. I am sorry you are a part of this group no one ever wants to be a part of....