Parents convinced son, 13, he had terminal brain cancer
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A cruel mum and dad who convinced their 13-year-old son he had terminal brain cancer so they could steal money from kind-hearted strangers are behind bars.
Robert Long, 47, and Ginny Irovando, 34, told friends they needed help with "medical expenses" for their boy.
They launched a Gofundme page with updates on his condition.
For eight months the boy thought he was going to die, say police in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
There was even a T-shirt fundraiser launched at his school while Long and Irovando would post bogus updates on his cancer diagnosis on Facebook.
It's understood they had told the boy and friends that he was not expected to live past Christmas.
On December 28, the mother posted: "Well its three days past Christmas and he is doing okay. "
(Image: Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office)
(Image: Collect Unknown)
"He still has his good and bad days, but we are some blessed and happy parents knowing he has come this far.
“When the doctors told us that he didn’t think he would be with us on Christmas it crushed our hearts.
"All I can say is that everyone that told us that you can’t always believe what the doctor says, well that is true.
"There is only one person that knows when it’s [name redacted]’s time to go and that is GOD.
"Every day that we have him with us we thank God for [letting] us be his mommy and daddy one more day.
"Please keep the prayers coming; they are working."
But it was all a scam to solicit money from the local community.
The crackpot scheme unravelled when a school counsellor heard what was happening and tipped off cops.
An investigation was launched and it emerged the boy has no brain tumours at all.
The couple were arrested on Thursday and have been charged with one count of child abuse and nine counts of fraud, the Miami Herald reports.
Children's services have removed the child and another sibling from the family's home and both are now in foster care.