A Gold Coast woman who allegedly faked cancer and pocketed thousands of dollars in donations from the community is set to face court.
Olivia Ward was working at a Mudgeeraba after-hours childcare centre in February last year when the 27-year-old told her colleagues she had terminal cancer, her former boss Phil Mazey claims.
“She shaved her head, my staff would go pick her up from appointments,” Mazey told 9News.
“It was a very believable story.”
The community rallied around Ward and held a fundraiser at a local school.
“One of the young girls that she used to look after smashed open her piggy bank and came and gave the money,” Mazey claims.
All up, it’s alleged $18,000 was raised and given to Ward.
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Chadd Small said he donated $2500 to the fundraiser, which he claims he raised after losing his own sister to cancer a few months earlier.
“That money was to go to other people who were in a similar situation to my sister, to hopefully help their end-of-life journey,” he said.
Police now allege Ward’s terminal cancer was fake and the donations weren’t hers to take.
“I never would have guessed in a million years that she didn’t have cancer,” Small said.
When asked by 9News about the allegations, Ward responded: “I have no comment.”
Ward will face court next week.
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