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Kentucky mom nearly ‘fainted’ after learning of son’s unusual $4,200 Amazon purchase

Ryan Brennan05/11/25

Kids don’t just say the darndest things — they buy the darndest things, too. 

That’s what one Kentucky mother, Holly LaFavers, is learning after her 8-year-old son, Liam, ordered 30 boxes of Dum Dums — approximately 70,000 lollipops — off her Amazon account.

In an interview with NBC News, LaFavers said she “just about fainted” when she made the discovery.

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"I had just gotten paid, and so when I looked at my bank account and it was in the red, I just immediately panicked," LaFavers said while talking to “Good Morning America.” 

"And then looked to see what was causing that, and I saw the $4,200 charge to Amazon,” she continued,” and so immediately looked over at Amazon [to] see what had happened."

LaFavers said her son, who lives with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), likes to “window shop” on Amazon, but knows he’s not allowed to order anything. 

And while the incident made LaFavers “upset,” she later learned that her son had good intentions. 

“He told me that he wanted to have a carnival, and he was ordering the Dum-Dums as prizes for his carnival,” LaFavers said, per NBC News. “Again, he was being friendly, he was being kind to his friends.”

Discovering the order was one thing, but getting Amazon to refund it was a challenge in and of itself. 

LaFavers told GMA that she was initially directed, by Amazon, to reject the delivery upon arrival so they can refund the order. But before she knew it, she was staring at 22 boxes of Dum Dums on her porch. 

"Liam went outside to ride his scooter and started screaming, 'My suckers are here,'" she said, per GMA.

While she was unable to reject the first delivery, she was able to intercept a second delivery including the eight remaining boxes of lollipops. 

LaFavers turned to social media to get rid of Dum Dums

dum dums lollipops different flavors
Jmcanally / Shutterstock.com

With 22 boxes of Dum Dums in her possession, LaFavers turned to Facebook for help. 

For $130 per box, LaFavers started selling the Dum Dums to family members, friends and others in her community. In the caption, she clarified that Amazon still wasn’t refunding her for the order. 

“The driver never knocked or rang the doorbell so now they will not take them back,” she wrote in the post.

Within two hours, LaFavers had sold every single box. Even local doctor’s offices and banks stepped in to purchase a box. 

"My friends and family in Somerset truly stepped up… and they were able to help," she said, per GMA. "They understood that it wasn't anything malicious, and that I was an honest person. That's amazing."

Not long after her story went viral, she received a phone call from Amazon and they granted her refund.

"We're glad we were able to work directly with this customer to turn a sticky situation into something sweet,” Amazon wrote in a statement, shared by ABC News. 

LaFavers is using her story to raise awareness about FASD

fetal alcohol spectrum disorder fasd
Pepermpron / Shutterstock.com

While talking to GMA, LaFavers revealed that she had adopted Liam when he was 2 and 1/2. 

He was diagnosed with FASD, “a group of conditions that can occur in a person exposed to alcohol before birth,” per the CDC, less than two years later. 

"These kids go undiagnosed because it's not as well known,” LaFavers told GMA of the disease. 

An estimated 1% to 5% of U.S. first graders have FASD, according to a National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). 

People with FASD may have difficulty with learning, memory, understanding or following directions, maintaining attention, controlling emotions, communicating and performing daily life skills. 

In her interview with GMA, LaFaver said her son doesn’t entirely understand what he did. 

"He knows I've not let him open any of the boxes,” she said. “He clearly saw me upset on Sunday…but he doesn't really understand that [by] buying all of that, the money came out of my account."

To avoid another catastrophe, LaFavers told NBC News that she will be changing settings on her phone. 

As for her advice to fellow parents, LaFavers said, “Don’t panic.” 

“And I panicked, I can say now that I'm on the other side of it, don't panic," she told GMA. "Everything will eventually work out. Just have faith that everything will be OK, because it will be fine.” 

ALSO ON MOD MOMS CLUB: Stay-at-home mom goes viral for weekly invoice she sends her husband 

“And make sure you lock your phone,” she added. 

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