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Gypsy Rose Blanchard, born in 1991, was a victim to at home abuse by her mother. Her story is different from others relating to abuse at home. Dee Dee Blanchard, mother to Gypsy, was convinced Gypsy was constantly suffering from medical issues. Dee Dee wanted to be a caretaker to Gypsy and always took immediate action to whatever “illness” her daughter had. Gypsy had none of these illnesses though.
Starting as a baby, Dee Dee claimed Gypsy suffered from sleep apnea. This was the start to many claims of illnesses Dee Dee believed Gypsy had, though Gypsy showed no signs of having them. At eight years old, Dee Dee told doctors Gypsy suffered from leukemia and muscular dystrophy. Dee Dee shaved Gypsy’s head to make it seem like she suffered from cancer. Dee said that Gypsy required a wheelchair and feeding tube. If a doctor did not believe Dee Dee, she would go see another one. Dee Dee had also convinced Gypsy’s father that Gypsy suffered from a chromosomal disorder that led to all her health conditions. As Gypsy was growing up Dee Dee convinced doctors that Gypsy suffered with seizures, hearing and vision impairments, and asthma. Gypsy slept with a breathing machine and constantly took pain medications prescribed by doctors. People were convinced that Dee Dee was always being a good mother to Gypsy and getting her the help she needed.
Not only did Gypsy take medications, she also had multiple medical procedures done that her mother said were absolutely necessary. Gypsy had her salivary glands removed on her eyes to help with her “vision impairment”. Also, because of all the medications her teeth started rotting so Dee Dee had Gypsy’s teeth removed. To continue having these medical procedures done, Dee Dee lied about Gypsy’s age and even tried to change her birth certificate to keep her as a minor. Dee Dee did not let Gypsy attend school and told people that Gypsy had the mental age equivalent to a seven year old. She also kept Gypsy quiet in public places because Gypsy knew there would be consequences at home such as being restricted from eating.
Doctors believe that the reason Dee Dee kept putting Gypsy through unnecessary medical treatments is because Dee Dee had a mental illness called Munchausen syndrome caused by proxy. This leads a parent to believe they must be a caretaker and makes up fake symptoms for their child. It is also a form of child abuse. At twenty three years old, Gypsy had enough and arranged for her online boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, to murder her mom. Gypsy went to jail for eight years and was released December 28, 2023, at age thirty-two.
Image courtesy of Flickr.
