Munchausen by Proxy
A classic case of Munchausen by Proxy:
Left to Right: Dee Dee Blanchard (mother), Gypsy Rose Blanchard (daughter)
For those that don’t know, Dee Dee Blanchard suffered from Munchausen by proxy, meaning she forced her daughter Gypsy to ‘suffer from multiple illness’. Some of these illness included muscular dystrophy, brain damage, epilepsy, leukaemia, sugar allergy, Gypsy was tube fed, the list goes on...
Before living in the house seen in this photograph, Dee Dee and Gypsy lived in Slidell; however, hurricane Katrina forced them to flee from their home. This led to Home for Humanities building Dee Dee and Gypsy a home in Missouri, which was suitable for all of Gypsy’s ‘needs’, fitted with a wheelchair ramp, a suitable bathroom for a disabled person’s use etc... Throughout their time in the home, Gypsy would undergo treatments, such as surgeries, and also acquire a lot of prescription medication, which is now known she did not need. Ultimately, both Dee Dee and Gypsy had a lot of people fooled, but why did Gypsy not speak out?
Well...
Someone who is suffering with Munchausen by proxy is known to be very manipulative and controlling (Rand, 1990). As it is now known, Gypsy would try and find an escape from her mother by going on the internet and finding people to talk to. This was strictly forbidden by Dee Dee, maybe this was her was of keeping Gypsy young and vulnerable to the world. Gypsy went on to eventually meet Nicholas Godejohn.
In short, Nicholas Godejohn and Gypsy Rose Blanchard planned and carried out the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard one night whilst she was sleeping in their Missouri home. Godejohn had stabbed Dee Dee multiple times in the back, which has led to her death. This could suggest that Gypsy felt trapped, that there was no other way out of her situation - obviously there is no condoning murder.
So, how did Dee Dee manage to convince so many people?
Well, she would always be wherever Gypsy was, there was no way that Gypsy could have slipped out of character. Even during hospital treatment or appointments, Gypsy would never be seen on her own, Dee Dee would always make sure she was present and keeping a close eye on exactly what the health care professionals were doing. Again, those with Munchausen by proxy can be very manipulating, and although a child may present as fine during a hospital visit, it does not always mean they are find every other hour of the day.
What are the symptoms of Munchausen by proxy?
- Attention-seeking behaviour
- Trying to appear as if they are sacrificing themselves for the greater good of another person
- Overly involved with medical scenarios
(Healthline: Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/munchausen-syndrome-by-proxy)
Could Dee Dee have been given any treatment?
In short, maybe - however, those with Munchausen by proxy don’t usually see that there is a problem. If ever they did admit to having a problem, some form of counselling would be an option for them.
*** - This was written purely out of interest in the area, any information written can be found online. Thank you :)
References:
Rand, D. C. (1990). Munchausen syndrome by proxy: Integration of classic and contemporary types. Issues in child abuse accusations, 2(2), 83-89.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Dee_Dee_Blanchard#Move_to_Missouri
