By TalesFromFlorida.com
JACKSONVILLE, FL—When the Moody family hired a home health nurse to care for their beloved veteran father, they expected a trained professional. What they got instead? A dude who apparently thought “playing nurse” was just like playing Operation—except with real-life consequences.
The “Nurse” Who Wasn’t
Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Kensworth Moody needed round-the-clock care, so his family hired a man from BrightStar Care who claimed to be a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Turns out, the only thing he was licensed in was making stuff up.
Surveillance footage later revealed that when Moody started struggling to breathe, the “nurse” just stood there like a confused contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?—except instead of lifelines, he had zero medical knowledge.
“He Was Just Vibing to Loud Music While My Dad Died”
Kendra Moody, the veteran’s daughter, woke up to blaring music coming from her dad’s room—because nothing says “professional medical care” like drowning out a dying man’s gasps with a sick beat.
When she checked the camera, she saw the “nurse” staring at the oxygen monitor like it was written in hieroglyphics. By the time she rushed in, her father was already gone. The “nurse” hadn’t called 911—because apparently, he was too busy not knowing what to do.
The Ultimate Catfish: Nurse Edition
Sandra Moody, the veteran’s wife (and an actual nurse), quickly realized something was off. She did some Facebook detective work—because nothing exposes fraudsters faster than social media—and discovered the “nurse” had stolen the identity of a real LPN named Darez Whigham.
Whigham, who actually went to nursing school, was understandably horrified. “It’s scary,” he said, probably while side-eyeing every job applicant from now on.
BrightStar Care: More Like DimStar Care
The investigation revealed that BrightStar Care had some questionable hiring practices. The customer coordinator had a warrant for fraud, and the director of nursing was facing shooting charges. So, basically, the place was run like a Florida Man convention.
When reporters called franchise owner Suresh Pandurangam for comment, he hung up—which is Florida-speak for “I regret all my life choices.”
VA: “Oops, Our Bad”
The Moodys were connected to BrightStar through the VA, which has since kicked the franchise out of its network. The VA’s official statement? “We don’t recommend home health agencies, but maybe we should start.”
Justice? More Like Just-Why
Despite the fake nurse literally impersonating a medical professional and possibly contributing to a man’s death, no arrests have been made. Because in Florida, you can get in more trouble for stealing an alligator than for pretending to be a nurse.
The Moodys are now left wondering: How many other families hired this guy, thinking he was legit? And more importantly—why is this not a Lifetime movie yet?
Stay tuned, Florida. The only thing wilder than this story is whatever’s happening next.