Dark Deception Uncovered at Children’s Cancer Charity

A prominent charity, once lauded for granting wishes to children battling cancer, has been exposed for a shocking deception that misled thousands of supporters, including celebrities. The organization, Believe In Magic, founded in 2010 by 16-year-old Megan Bhari and her mother Jean O’Brien, claimed Megan was suffering from a brain tumor. This narrative, amplified by celebrity endorsements, allowed the charity to garner significant support and funding.

Celebrity Backing and Grand Events

Believe In Magic enjoyed widespread popularity, with pop stars like Louis Tomlinson actively promoting the charity. Tomlinson even hosted a high-profile Cinderella Ball in London. The charity’s events were held in prestigious locations, including Hamleys toy store, Downing Street, and Buckingham Palace. The public and celebrity patrons, moved by Megan’s supposed illness, were eager to contribute and offer support.

Parents’ Growing Suspicions

However, a closer examination by parents who had personally experienced the devastating effects of childhood cancer began to raise serious questions. Nick Bird and Joanna Ashcroft, both parents who had lost children to aggressive pediatric cancers, noticed inconsistencies in the charity’s appeals. Ashcroft elaborated, “My red flag was because of my experience with my son. I always felt that we were very unlucky that the treatment that we really wanted was in America. And it always felt when you saw an appeal that it was usually always neuroblastoma. So when I saw that Megan had appealed a few times to go to America and she didn’t have neuroblastoma, I was interested because it was unusual.”

Bird shared similar concerns, stating, “Me and Jo were thinking things independently. This happened within our community, our children both went through very aggressive paediatric cancer, my son died as did our friend’s son. We’re not keyboard warriors trying to find out something the police might have missed, but when Meg’s appeal came about then me and friends would discuss the language that was used and the types of things that were being said that seemed very exaggerated and didn’t chime with our experiences.”

The Truth Behind the Appeals

Following a pattern of fundraising, a new appeal emerged in 2015, seeking £120,000 for Megan’s life-saving emergency treatment in America. Bird and Ashcroft, convinced a pattern was emerging, decided to investigate further. Their suspicions were confirmed when the funds were raised, and the mother-daughter pair traveled to America, not for medical treatment, but for a trip to Disneyland. Bird expressed his shock, recounting, “I’m not sure I ever thought I was completely and utterly right. We never suggested that Megan didn’t have anything wrong with her. For me, it was what they were purporting to say online was not true. It could be grossly exaggerated for all sorts of reasons.”

Charity Commission Investigation and Financial Mismanagement

In 2017, the UK Charity Commission launched a formal investigation into Believe In Magic. The inquiry uncovered severe financial mismanagement, including evidence of Jean O’Brien transferring charity funds into her personal bank account. Over £100,000 was found to be missing. Despite these findings, O’Brien and Bhari maintained a strong base of supporters who reportedly turned on Bird and Ashcroft, subjecting them to vitriolic attacks.

Autopsy Reveals No Tumor, Concludes Induced Illness

Megan Bhari passed away in 2018. Jean O’Brien continued to assert that a brain tumor was the cause of her daughter’s death. However, a post-mortem examination revealed no evidence of a brain tumor; Megan’s brain was found to be normal. The autopsy concluded that her death was due to acute cardiac arrhythmia, exacerbated by fatty liver disease.

A subsequent review by Kingston Social Services in 2022 classified Megan Bhari as a victim of Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII), commonly known as Munchausen by Proxy. Nick Bird commented on the findings, stating, “It was only post Megan’s death that we really started to find out that we were correct and had those things not happened, had the inquest not happened, then the narrative today would have been very different.”

Calls for Justice

Joanna Ashcroft is now advocating for legal action against Jean O’Brien. “She got away with it,” Ashcroft stated. “I definitely tried my hardest to get the Charity Commission, the police, action fraud, then the police again to investigate. As of yet, she hasn’t faced any justice, but in an ideal world, for me, she would.”

Attempts to obtain a comment from Jean O’Brien have been unsuccessful. The full story is detailed in a new documentary series, “The Mother Of All Cons,” which premiered on BBC Two.