Woman Claims Quack Put Her Through Hell
FRANKLIN, Tenn. (CN) - A woman claims a "self-proclaimed" doctor wrongly diagnosed her with mercury toxicity, cancer and hepatitis C, and dragged her through a series of bizarre treatments that ended when the quack told the patient's skeptical brother that the tests did not work on him because he was "blocked by God." She sued Tamara Mariea, who owns and operates Internal Balance Inc., in Brentwood, Tenn.
Plaintiff Sarah Walters claims Mariea advertises on her Web that she has a Ph.D. and is a Biochemical Detoxification Specialist and Certified Electromagnetic Radiation Safety Advisor.
Walters claims that Mariea is not a medical doctor, but said upon seeing blood test results that Walters needed to go to her clinic immediately for a two-week detoxification program - for an advance fee of $8,900.
Before going to the clinic, Walters says, she followed Mariea's orders to visit a dentist "to have all her metal fillings removed from her mouth."
Upon reporting to Mariea's office, Walters says, "Defendant explained to Plaintiff that many of her problems were caused by electromagnetic radiation and Wi-Fi around her. Defendant and defendant's employees strongly recommended that Plaintiff buy a device made by Bio Pro, to prevent this radiation from entering her body, which Plaintiff did."
The complaint continues: "Bio Pro is a multi-level marketing company, currently under scrutiny as a pyramid company. Defendant, a 'member' of Bio Pro's multi-level marketing organization, receives funds from every sale, and from when anyone is in her 'down line' who sells these products. This fact was not disclosed to Plaintiff."
she also followed orders to buy a device that was supposed to prevent radiation and Wi-Fi from affecting her health and was later told she had cancerous cells in her liver, parasites, hepatitis C, and cirrhosis.
She claims Mariea told her she tested "'positive' for having cancerous cells in the liver." She also claimed "that toxins and poisons are removed from the body by ionic foot baths. Upon taking an ionic foot bath, black flakes appear in water. This and any other color change in the water Defendant claims are toxins from the liver, kidneys, endocrine system and lymphatic system."
During her stay at the "clinic," Walters says, she underwent procedures called "Clearings," laser therapy, coffee enemas, eyebrow waxings and was placed in an oxygen chamber for two hours a day.
She says that none of Mariea's diagnoses were correct. Before she discovered that, though, she says her left work in Las Vegas to help her through her alleged illnesses. Walters claims her brother and his friend asked Mariea to perform some of her "tests" on them to prove their validity, which included holding a Bible while Mariea unsuccessfully tried to push it down. When they did not work, she told them it was because they were "blocked by God" on account of their sexual orientation, according to the complaint.
Walters demands punitive damages for misrepresentation, consumer law violations and emotional distress. She is represented in Williamson County Court by Adam Dread With Durham & Dread of Nashville.