10 Mothers Who Faked Their Children's Illnesses: Disturbing Stories of Munchausen by Proxy

Munchausen by Proxy is a disturbing form of abuse.

It happens where a caregiver, often a mother, fabricates or induces illness in someone under their care to gain attention and sympathy for themselves. 

Here are some chilling cases of mothers who were convicted of this form of abuse:

Dee Dee Blanchard

 

Dee Dee Blanchard was a devoted single mom who appeared to be a tireless caregiver to her wheelchair-bound daughter, Gypsy. 

The community in Springfield, Missouri, was moved by Gypsy's brave battles against leukemia, muscular dystrophy, and other illnesses her mother claimed she had. 

However, the truth was exposed in June 2015, when Dee Dee's lifeless body was found. 

Gypsy, who was actually a healthy 23-year-old capable of walking, had been forced to live a life of lies. 

Desperate to escape her mother's control, she killed Dee Dee and was later sentenced to 10 years in prison for murder. 

Gypsy's boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, was also implicated and faced trial as an accomplice.

You can learn more about Dee Blanchard here

Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter, Gypsy

Lacey Spears

 

Lacey Spears, from Chestnut Ridge, New York, shared her son Garnett's mysterious health struggles on social media, gaining a following and sympathy. 

Prosecutors, however, claimed she caused his illness by secretly feeding him excessive amounts of salt through a feeding tube. 

Garnett tragically died on January 23, 2014, at the age of 5, due to extremely high sodium levels. 

Lacey was convicted of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in 2015.

You can learn more about Lacey Spears crimes here

Lacey Spears and her son Garnett

Blanca Montano

Arizona mother Blanca Montano allegedly sought attention from the father of her children. 

In 2013, she was found guilty of child abuse.

Authorities accused her of contaminating her infant daughter's IV lines with fecal matter, leading to severe bacterial infections. 

These infections ceased when Montano was restricted from contact with her daughter. 

A hidden camera installed in the hospital room caught Montano in the act, leading to her conviction.

You can learn more about Blanca Montano here

Blanca Montano

Tanya Reid

In 1984, Tanya Reid’s 9-month-old daughter, Morgan, tragically passed away.

Initially, her death was believed to be due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). 

When Reid’s second child, Brandon, was born, he suffered frequent apneas and seizures, but only in Tanya’s presence. 

Investigations into Morgan’s autopsy revealed brain damage indicative of shaking. 

Reid, who had gained recognition for supposedly saving another child's life, was ultimately convicted of felony abuse of her son and murder of her daughter. 

Although her murder conviction was later overturned, the felony abuse charge remained.

You  can learn more details about Tanya Reid here.

Hope Ybarra

  

Hope Ybarra, a mother of three from Fort Worth, Texas, fabricated stories about her recurring cancer.

As a result, she gained sympathy and financial support. 

She also claimed her children were suffering from severe illnesses, which were later proven false. 

Ybarra was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2010 for causing bodily harm to her youngest daughter.

She exposed her to dangerous pathogens stolen from her workplace, resulting in anaphylactic shock.

You can learn more about Hope Ybarra here

Hope Ybarra

Marybeth Tinning

Between 1972 and 1985, all nine of Marybeth Tinning's children died, eight of them under suspicious conditions. 

Tinning was eventually convicted of smothering her 4-month-old daughter, Tami Lynne, in 1985. 

She was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. 

During her parole hearings, Tinning admitted, “I just — I don’t think I had the capabilities of being a good mother at all.” 

Despite numerous attempts at parole, she was only released in August 2018.

You can learn more about Marybeth Tinning here

Marybeth Tinning

Kathy Bush 

Kathy Bush, a Florida mother of three, was convicted in 1999 for aggravated child abuse and fraud.

This was after she deliberately made her daughter Jennifer severely ill. 

By age 7, Jennifer had undergone over 40 surgical procedures and had been hospitalized more than 200 times. 

After being placed in foster care, her health dramatically improved. 

Kathy served a three-year prison term. 

However, in 2015, Jennifer, now an adult, defended her mother, claiming she was never abused.

You can learn more about Kathy Bush here

Kathy Bush

Lisa Hayden-Johnson

British mother Lisa Hayden-Johnson claimed her son suffered from severe medical conditions.

This included diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and cerebral palsy. 

These claims brought her charity support and even a courage award from the Prime Minister. 

Her deceit unraveled when a doctor’s suspicion led to a police investigation, which revealed her son was healthy and could walk without assistance. 

Lisa pleaded guilty to child cruelty and perverting the course of justice in 2009.

You can see more details about Lisa Hayden-Johnson here

Lisa Hayden-Johnson

Leslie Wilfred  

In 2008, Leslie Wilfred falsely claimed she had given birth to stillborn twins and staged their funeral, despite having had her tubes tied years earlier. 

She also fabricated illnesses for her other children.

She convinced others that her son needed a liver transplant and that her daughter was dying of leukemia. 

Wilfred was convicted of child cruelty and theft by deception for soliciting donations from her sympathetic neighbors. 

She was sentenced to eight years in prison.

You can learn more details about Lesley Wilfred here

Leslie Wilfred and family

Rachel Kinsella

Rachel Kinsella, a Missouri mother, manipulated doctors in two different cities to stockpile medications, which she used to poison her 9-year-old son, Patrick. 

After being hospitalized with seizures and hallucinations caused by his mother's actions, Patrick’s condition worsened over 10 months. 

Prosecutors argued that Kinsella “manufactured illnesses” to gain sympathy. 

She was found guilty in March 2017 of first-degree assault and child endangerment and received a 25-year prison sentence.

You can see more details about Rachel Kinsella here

These cases reveal a shocking pattern of abuse where mothers exploited their children's health for personal gain, ultimately causing severe harm or even death.