The 'pregnant mummy blogger' whose terminally ill baby was exposed as a lie.

In 2009, when 'mummy bloggers' were having their moment, a community of online readers flocked to the heartbreaking story of baby April Rose. 

April's mother – known only as 'B' – was young, single, and pregnant with a terminally ill baby. It was a baby she'd chosen to carry to term, rather than terminate, due to her deep Christian faith. 

April Rose had Trisomy 13 syndrome, B said via her blog, which is a chromosomal defect that can cause severe intellectual disability and death. Baby April would likely die shortly after her birth. 

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B named her unborn baby April Rose based on the month she was due. 

Her blog posts were poignant and heartfelt, describing her inner turmoil, and the added trauma caused by her family's lack of support and a church who disowned her when she fell pregnant. 

She shared the impact of her turbulent relationship with April's father, and her determination to maintain her Christianity despite it all. She shared doctor's appointments and pictures of her ultrasounds, providing regular updates on baby April's measurements, movements and heart rate. 

Within months, almost a million readers had flocked to the site. They came from all walks of life. Some were parents of sick and dying children, others staunch Christians; others were simply drawn to the real-life tragedy. 

Many of her followers promised to pray for her and her baby. But prayers can only do so much, and before long, B, started asking for more, posting a PO Box to which her readers could send gifts or money. She also began posting ads to her blog. 

Coming unstuck.

As baby April's due date approached, things became weird, drawing suspicion from some readers. She chopped and changed due dates and hospital visits before announcing she planned to deliver her terminally ill baby at home, rather than at the hospital. 

Around two weeks after the due date, B declared she was in labour, providing hourly updates, culminating in the baby's birth and subsequent emergency trip to the hospital. 

But it was the photo of baby April that sent the wheels in motion for B's undoing. 

The photo was not of a baby, but a life-like collectable doll. Unfortunately for B, one of her readers made similar dolls and recognised it right away. 

Online sleuths eventually identified B as Rebeccah Beushausen. The story was picked up by multiple news sites, prompting Beushausen to take down her blog and social networking sites. 

Beushausen told media outlets she became "addicted" to the emotional support she received, adding she "didn't know how to stop".

Days later, Beushausen republished her blog to share a lengthy apology with her readers, claiming she had lost several babies while pregnant in the past, and began writing the blog as "therapy". 

"I lied and I am not trying to hide that, nor am I trying to minimise it," she claimed in the post. 

"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. I have suffered this type of loss, more than once, to varying degrees, and while the circumstances and the times vary... the pain is very constant," she wrote.

She also confirmed her faith was genuine. 

"I am a Christian and while I wrote many of my posts under dishonest contexts, the God I shared with all of you and wrote about is still God; the Creator of life, Father and Savior. I hope to regain my relationship back with Him, fully, myself."

Beushausen revealed she only received a handful of presents that she intended to donate, and her advertisements weren't live long enough to generate any money. Since she didn't profit substantially from the blog, police left it alone. 

But while she didn't make money from her readers, many felt emotionally scammed.

Though years have passed since the scam occurred, many who followed Beushausen still wonder why she really did what she did – and where she is today.

Feature Image: Stock image from Getty.