Nursing student Chanda Thie deceived school and charity by faking terminal illness

A nursing student has been accused of lying about having terminal brain cancer to her friends and community college, allegedly leading to her getting preferential treatment.

Chanda Thie, 31, told staff at Ivy Tech Community College in Richmond, Indiana that she was dying from glioblastoma, an aggressive, deadly brain cancer, in 2008, according to a civil complaint.

It led to the school to create a nursing scholarship for other students in her name, and she was also allegedly placed on a fast track to complete her degree, claiming it was her dying wish to be a nurse.

As friends were fooled by her lies, one allegedly bathed and dressed her and pushed her in a wheelchair, according to the complaint which was reported in the Indianapolis Star Press.

She allegedly tricked them by never moving her right arm in public, and claiming she had a device for IV access under a bandage on her chest, as well as a catheter under an arm bandage.

In yet more bizarre behaviour, she allegedly visited her former teachers to say goodbye before she died - leading one to write a eulogy - and she also allegedly attacked a care giver with a toilet lid.

Thie was hired as a nurse at Indiana University Health bone marrow transplant unit in Indianapolis pending her gaining a nursing license in 2008.

But the complaint in the Indiana attoey general's office claims Thie is unfit to practice due to addiction of drugs or alcohol, mental disability and the illegal possession of a catheter.

School: She attended Ivy Tech, which set up a scholarship to honor her after the 'diagnosis'

The complaint is now seeking disciplinary sanctions, such as suspension, revocation or probation, but it unclear whether she is still working at IU Health.

It comes after she told the attoey general's office in 2011 and 2012 that she was hospitalized for an overdose, depression and suicidal thoughts but later retued to work, the Star Press reported.

Despite the allegations, Ivy Tech spokesman Jeffery Fanter insisted that Thie was never fast-tracked or given preferential treatment due to her claims.

He added that the scholarship was set up on the request of a staff member, but that it was cancelled when it emerged she had lied about her condition.

The donations raised were then given to other nursing scholarships, he said.

 

'Fake': Thie's lies also allegedly led her to be bathed and dressed by a friend. She claimed she could not move her right arm, and that she was wearing catheters and IV access beneath bandages

'Workplace': She reportedly worked at IU Health, pictured, but the civil complaint claims she is unfit to practice due to addiction, mental disability and the lies she told her friends and administrators

The Mayo Clinic added that someone is at greater risk of faking an illness if they suffer from low self esteem and the experience of being cared for during a childhood illness.

Other factors could be the loss of a loved one, working in healthcare or the unfulfilled ambition to work within the health field, the Star reported.

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive type of brain cancer, and needs to be treated with radiation and chemotherapy.

The median survival rate with treatment is 15 months, but without it, sufferers can die within three.