Her daughter was, in essence, a hostage, and I think we can understand the crime that occurred subsequently in terms of a hostage trying to gain escape.' Gypsy is 'not happy' that Dee Dee is deadĪs Gypsy's medical records documented the abuse she'd been subjected to, her lawyer was able to arrange a plea deal for the charges she faced in Dee Dee's death in 2016, Gypsy pled guilty to second-degree murder. Marc Feldman, an expert in Munchausen syndrome by proxy, said of Gypsy's life and actions, 'The control was total in the same sense that the control of a kidnapped victim sometimes is total. When they were out in public, Dee Dee constantly held Gypsy's hand, squeezing it when she wanted her daughter to be quiet.ĭr. Though Gypsy was of normal intelligence, Dee Dee told everyone her daughter had a mental age of seven. The fact was that Gypsy had spent her entire life being controlled and monitored by her mother. When Gypsy was old enough to talk, Dee Dee instructed her not to volunteer information during their appointments - she was always the one relating Gypsy's fake medical history. Dee Dee was also charming and seemed devoted to her daughter. She'd had some nurse's training, so she could accurately describe symptoms, and she sometimes gave Gypsy medication to mimic certain conditions. And many caregivers went along with what Dee Dee wanted. Medical tests often showed inconclusive or contradictory results regarding Gypsy's diagnoses, but Dee Dee would stop seeing any doctors who questioned her daughter's ailments. Dee Dee appeared to be a charming, devoted mother, so people believed her Experts believe Dee Dee had a mental illness known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy (also called factitious disorder imposed on another), which made her fabricate her daughter's ill health in order to receive attention and sympathy for taking care of a sick child. Her head was bald only because her mother shaved off her hair. Yet the truth was that Gypsy could walk, didn't need a feeding tube and did not have cancer. When Gypsy's teeth rotted - perhaps due to her medications, missing salivary glands or neglect - they were pulled out.

She also went through multiple surgeries, including procedures on her eyes and removal of her salivary glands.

Due to Dee Dee's actions, Gypsy was prescribed a litany of medications and had to sleep using a breathing machine.

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