Shock real life: My best friend faked her son’s birth…and death’

Mum-of-two Cynthia DiLascio was thrilled when she found out her best friend, Kaycee Lang, was pregnant with her first child.

She threw a baby shower and organised a hamper full of gifts for Kaycee and her husband Geoffrey. But a month later, she was heartbroken to hear that their little boy had died, at just five hours old.

However, after becoming suspicious over the details surrounding the tragedy, Cynthia turned detective and made the horrifying discovery that the couple had faked the entire pregnancy and death of their son – possibly in a heartless bid to rake in cash.

It’s claimed that Kaycee, 23, and Geoffrey, 27, lied about everything, making over $500 on a GoFundMe page, as well as receiving gifts from well-wishers. They’re even said to have shared pictures of a lifelike doll, claiming it was a photograph of their deceased child, and held a memorial service paid for by friends, family and strangers on the crowdfunding site.

Kaycee and Geoffrey have now been charged with fraud and theft by deception, and are due to appear in court later this year. Best friend Cynthia, 35, from Pennsylvania, USA, is still devastated by their lies.

Cynthia says, “It’s sick and twisted – even her own mother believed she had a grandchild.

“Kaycee was one of my best friends, but clearly, she’s not the person I thought she was.”

Cynthia became close with Kaycee four years ago. They met through their husbands, who worked together at a mine in Pennsylvania, USA.

Cynthia, who is a nursing assistant, says, “Kaycee and Geoff were always at our house. We’d have BBQs and watch films.

“I was Kaycee’s maid of honour at their wedding and my husband, Gary, was Geoffrey’s best man. My children, Jiovanni, 14, and Arianna, 12, were close to them too.”

When Kaycee announced her pregnancy in November 2018, Cynthia was thrilled for her. She says, “Kaycee said she was so excited to become a mum.

“We were always chatting about baby names and I even organised a gender reveal party for her – she gave me an envelope from her doctor with a blue card inside, so I bought a cake with blue icing, to show they were having a little boy.

“And I arranged her baby shower, too. I bought Kaycee a big hamper that I filled with everything I thought she’d need, like nappies, bottles, blankets, and babygrows.”

Cynthia says she had no reason to suspect her friend was lying. She says, “Kaycee didn’t have much of a bump, but she isn’t skinny. She was always saying how big she felt, and she posted a picture of her scan to Facebook.

“Then, two months before she was due, Kaycee and Geoff moved about an hour away from us, so it wasn’t as easy to see her. Around the same time, she sent a text saying her doctor had put her on bed rest because she had high blood pressure. I felt sorry for her.”

In July 2019, Cynthia says she received a message from Kaycee’s mum, asking Cynthia to call her. She revealed Kaycee had given birth to a baby named Easton Walt Lang – but he had sadly passed away shortly afterwards.

Cynthia says, “I was genuinely devastated and heartbroken for them. Kaycee’s mum said she’d been discharged the same day she gave birth. I remember thinking that was odd, and surely she wouldn’t have been discharged so quickly, but I put it to the back of my mind.

“I texted Kaycee, telling her I was there if she needed me. The next day, Geoff came over to our house. He was in floods of tears – it was horrendous to see our friend in so much pain.”

However, Cynthia couldn’t shake a niggling feeling that something didn’t add up.

Cynthia claims that, during a phone call, Kaycee explained to her what had happened – saying Easton’s breathing had become laboured. She then said that nurses took him away to be examined and, when they returned with him, nurses said he had fluid on his lungs and he’d be fine in a few hours.

But Easton took a turn for the worse. Nurses rushed him away again – when they returned, they said he’d died.

Cynthia says, “Her story just didn’t make any sense. If Easton did have fluid on his lungs, he’d have been closely monitored, not given back to Kaycee.

“I questioned her, but she had an answer for everything – she even named her doctor and the funeral home where he’d apparently been cremated.”

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Kaycee and Geoff put an obituary in the local newspaper, and set up a fundraiser page, asking for funds towards their child’s memorial service.

But there was something odd about this, too. She says, “The GoFundMe page included pictures of their supposed baby. But my friend, who makes lifelike dolls, called me. She said that the baby in the photos was actually a doll – she’d even got the same mould, and had made the same doll herself.”

Determined to find out if the pair were telling lies, Cynthia turned detective. She decided to call the funeral home, asking them for any confirmation of Easton’s cremation.

But Cynthia says the funeral home had no record of dealing with the death of a baby boy. She then called the hospital, who said the same thing.

On the morning of Easton’s memorial service, Cynthia says she texted her friend, asking for the truth. She says, “I did it via text, as I wanted a paper trail. I told Kaycee everything I knew, but she didn’t reply.

“I texted Geoff too, who denied everything – he called me a psycho and then blocked me. Kaycee’s mum called me too, hurling abuse.

“I didn’t go to the service. I couldn’t watch people mourn a child I knew had never existed. I heard they had an urn engraved with the baby’s initials, and even put some kind of ash inside.”

With her friends refusing to admit the truth, Cynthia says she had no choice but to go to the police. She says, “I thought the police would think I was crazy, but they took a statement and began an investigation.

“I’ve since learned the police found a baby doll in a closet at Kaycee and Geoff’s house.”

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Now, Kaycee and Geoffrey are due to appear in court charged with fraud and theft by deception. Cynthia says, “At first, I was so angry at them. There are people out there who go through the terrible pain of losing a child for real – what they did is so insulting to them.

“But now, I just feel so betrayed. I thought Kaycee was my best friend, but she told lie after lie. And for what? They were given gifts and money, but not enough to make any difference to their lives. Was it really worth it?

“Kaycee’s mum has since apologised to me – she’s just as hurt and upset as me. I haven’t heard from Kaycee or Geoff since, but I have no interest in speaking to them again anyway.

“I just hope they face up to what they’ve done. It’s sick.”

You can read more shocking real life stories in this week's magazine - out now.