Family heartbroken to learn their NICU videos are being used by scammers online: ‘It sent me spiraling’

A heartbroken mother was left “spiraling” after discovering a scammer had been impersonating her online — sharing photos and videos taken in the NICU of her late daughter while asking for donations to “save” her, according to a report.

Two days after Lexi and Joseph Copley’s 4-month-old daughter, Landry, died, Lexi received a message on TikTok alerting her to the imposter.

“I thought, there’s no way,” Lexi told 11 Alive News, later noting the shocking discovery “sent me spiraling.”

A quick search revealed another social media account with Lexi’s name, her baby’s face and her personal family photos — as well as a PayPal link requesting donations to “save” Landry.

“You’re taking something that was so vulnerable for he and I to do and share our child with the world for prayers,” the Georgia mom told the TV station. “And asking for money to save her life when she’s not even here anymore.”

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When Lexi was about 15 weeks pregnant, the couple received a difficult diagnosis. Their baby had a rare cloacal malformation, a bladder obstruction that affects 1 in 25,000 newborns.

The couple said they were given a poor prognosis, but refused to terminate the pregnancy, instead leaning on their faith and hoping for the best possible outcome.

“It was very hard on both of us,” Lexi told the outlet. “We kind of just prayed about it and we were like, God’s going to take care of us.”

As a way to cope, Lexi turned to TikTok and Facebook to post about her pregnancy struggles and the birth of her daughter. Looking to find community, she quickly gained tens of thousands of followers.

“The only way to get through it was to have people pray for us,” she said. “So I posted for the first time about what we were going through.”

“I probably would have been in a dark hole if I was just at home and it was just me and [Joseph],” she added. “But other people were rallying beside us. It helped.”

While many were wishing the couple well online, doctors warned them that their baby likely would not survive delivery, according to the report.

“They basically told us when she did come out that she would breathe, maybe not even cry, and that would be it,” Lexi told 11 Alive. “That’s what we were preparing for, if she even made it out alive.”

Lexi was admitted to the hospital at just 30 weeks and spent three weeks there before delivering baby Landry by C-section.

“I was dependent on God, like, please let my child come out breathing,” she said. “I just felt this overwhelming peace.”

Landry was brought from the NICU to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She was critically ill and on multiple medications, but once she was handed to her mother, her oxygen came up,” Lexi told the TV station.

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“They handed her to me and her oxygen just came up,” Lexi said. “They said she was dying…and she started doing better.”

Lexi continued to share updates online, including photos and videos taken in the NICU of baby Landry. After four months, she was set to go home from the hospital, until she suffered a pulmonary hemorrhage in late December and died.

“We didn’t understand,” Lexi said. “All the things that she had overcomea nd how many miracles we’d seen, and that happened.”

“It shattered us,” she told the news station through tears. “I can’t even put it into words.”

Two days later, Lexi discovered the TikTok impersonator who was asking followers for donations to help “save” her daughter, according to the report.

“I don’t want people to think that I’m out there scamming people for money,” she said. “We never asked for money. I would never do that.”

The grief-stricken mother immediately reported the account and urged her followers to do the same. Lexi filed a report with the Haralson County Sheriff's Office to help establish a paper trail, though there were limitations for what investigations could do to stop the online scam, since it was taking place online and was not being carried out by someone locally.

“These kinds of scams can be anywhere on the globe," Corporal Robin Hood told 11 Alive. "Once we find out it's out of the country, it's really hard for us to follow through with anything. It's always going to be out there and it's going to be impossible to stop."

As imposter accounts continued to pop up, Lexi said she wanted to raise awareness about the scams.

“I think anybody else would have just let it go, but I’m not going to let it go,” she said. “I just want it taken down.”

“Maybe they thought we were so sad that we were just going to give up,” she added. I”m in that hole of grief, but I know it’s our job to keep our baby’s name alive.”