Woman apologizes for pregnancy hoax

CHICAGO (AP) — A suburban Chicago woman has apologized for an Internet hoax in which she claimed to be pregnant with a terminally ill child, saying the story that attracted nearly a million hits her Web site stemmed from "unresolved pain" she couldn't handle alone.

Rebeccah Beushausen, 26, of Mokena, wove a tale for about two months about being an unmarried mother who chose to carry her child to term rather than have an abortion because of her deep Christian faith.

Beushausen posted a lengthy apology on her blog Sunday, saying she had lost pregnancies in the past.

"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," Beushausen wrote.

She had said her baby was diagnosed with Trisomy 13 syndrome, a chromosomal defect that can cause severe mental retardation and death. Followers promised to pray for her and her baby, April Rose, and sent letters and gifts to a post office box she listed online.

But when she wrote about the child's birth and posted photos last week, one reader recognized the baby as a lifelike doll.