FROSTPROOF, FL — A Frostproof woman who publicly claimed she was battling cancer, received thousands of dollars in community support, and inspired numerous fundraisers has now admitted she never had the disease. Our team began investigating the matter after being approached by multiple individuals familiar with the situation who raised concerns about Leslie Lewis Wilbanks’ cancer claims and provided information that prompted our investigation.
Leslie Lewis Wilbanks, a member of Frostproof Church of God who also participated in the church’s Vacation Bible School program last summer, posted a public apology stating, “I don’t have cancer,” and asked for forgiveness. In the same post, Wilbanks said she was seeking treatment at a mental health facility and attributed her actions to changes in her mental health medications.
The admission came after months of public posts in which Wilbanks and her husband, Aaron Wilbanks, told family, friends, and members of their church that she had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
In late November 2025, Wilbanks posted in a Facebook support group for Brukinsa (zanubrutinib), stating she had recently started the medication following a cancer diagnosis and asking others about potential side effects.
Three weeks later, on Dec. 9, she wrote that she was being treated for Stage III Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma with Brukinsa and asked whether anyone else was taking the medication for lymphoma.
On Jan. 10, 2026, her husband, Aaron Wilbanks, announced on Facebook that his wife had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after testing to become a kidney donor for a fellow church member. He wrote that she had begun oral chemotherapy and would undergo additional PET scans and possibly another biopsy.
As the months progressed, members of the community rallied around the family. A GoFundMe campaign was launched seeking donations for medical bills, medications, travel expenses, and everyday living costs. The fundraiser also directed supporters to contribute through Cash App and PayPal.
In one GoFundMe update, Wilbanks wrote that her husband had missed work while caring for her and attending his own medical appointments. She also claimed she was “finishing this last stretch of nasty chemo” and thanked supporters, stating that donations had helped cover an MRI for her husband, her medications, and groceries for the family.
Support also extended well beyond online donations. According to individuals familiar with the matter, fellow church members organized multiple fundraising events, including benefit dinners, silent auctions, car washes, raffles, T-shirt and bracelet sales, and grocery deliveries through Walmart. Church members also told us that Wilbanks shaved her head during the period she claimed to be undergoing cancer treatment.
One community fundraiser reportedly generated approximately $8,000 in donations, according to individuals involved in organizing the event.
On Friday, June 26, Wilbanks publicly acknowledged that she never had cancer after scrutiny led to her confession. “I don’t have cancer,” she wrote in her public Facebook post before apologizing to her family, friends, supporters, and church community.
We reached out to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for comment regarding the matter. As of publication, the Sheriff’s Office had not responded.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT WITNESSES
