Because Dee Dee is dead, it’s impossible to diagnose her” (Michelle Dean, 2016)
The documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017) states: “According to medical records, Dee Dee brought Gypsy to local hospitals over 100 times between 2005 and 2014.”
Gypsy herself offers a similar number in Gypsy’s Revenge (2018): “I’ve probably seen over a hundred doctors in my life.”
The repeated use of the number ‘100’ serves a clear narrative purpose- supporting the claim that Dee Dee suffered from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
In reality, the available medical records suggest a considerably lower figure.
ABC News took this even further in a January 4, 2018 report: “Medical records reviewed by ABC News show that Gypsy was treated by at least 150 different doctors through the years.”
Yet in 23 years of medical documentation, not one physician ever recorded that a visit was unnecessary.
Nor did any note that a surgery or procedure was unwarranted.
In Mother Knows Best (2017), Dr. Phil tells Gypsy: “You got cut open. You got parts taken out of you. You got hacked up. You got poisoned. Your childhood was stolen from you. Your adolescence was stolen from you. Your teen years were stolen from you.”
Gypsy, visibly uneasy, still responded, “I know.”
A win on the lottery’s a win, right.
Dr. Phil’s framing of the events was extreme, especially considering the reality of Gypsy’s medical history.
When asked about surgeries, Gypsy replied: “So many… I think 30, more, because I had multiple eye muscle surgeries, multiple leg surgeries, multiple throat surgeries.”
The record shows otherwise:
No leg surgeries were ever performed.
One surgery was conducted to remove her bilateral submandibular glands.
A single thigh biopsy was carried out, which proved key to diagnosing and treating her chromosome disorder.
Botox treatments involved injections, not surgery.
Most of Gypsy’s procedures were limited to eye surgeries and dental work, with only a handful of other medically necessary invasive interventions.
In early 2005 alone, Dee Dee brought Gypsy to emergency departments for conditions including asthma, allergies, upper respiratory infections, chronic cough, and sore throats.
On April 20, 2005, for example, Gypsy was diagnosed with pneumonia, hypokalemia (low potassium), and dehydration.
While Dee Dee’s past included forging a cheque and, as a teenager, owning ‘three or four books about witchcraft,’ she could hardly conjure a lung infection out of thin air.
As Gypsy herself admitted in Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017): “She (Dee Dee) was overprotective.”
Perhaps so, but in the case of untreated pneumonia, overprotection can be life-saving.
Mommy Dead and Dearest premiered on May 16, 2017.
Dr. Phil’s prison interview with Gypsy followed in November 2017.
It was, by all accounts, a busy year for Gypsy Rose Blanchard. While incarcerated – and enjoying the public fascination that came with successfully deceiving much of the nation – Gypsy devoted considerable time to corresponding with men she referred to as her “pen pals.” She would later claim to have had more than 200 such correspondents.
Two of these letters, both dated May 5, 2017 and written to a fellow incarcerated felon, surfaced for sale on eBay in February 2024.
The content of these letters speaks for itself.
Therapy during incarceration?
That was not a priority. Gypsy was far more focused on cultivating relationships and, ultimately, finding a boyfriend.
This.
This is Gypsy Rose Blanchard – unfiltered.
(Source: Toddie1skip).
Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana on August 23rd, 2005, claiming nearly 2,000 lives and displacing thousands, including Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
There has long been speculation that Dee Dee used Katrina as a convenient excuse to leave Louisiana, away from familiar doctors and prying eyes, rather than as an actual act of survival. However, a FOIA request shared by Mayra.r71 in June 2025 confirms that Dee Dee and Gypsy were indeed probable victims of the disaster.
Following Dee Dee’s murder, Missouri police contacted the Slidell Police Department to determine if the pair had been impacted. Sergeant Simon confirmed that the apartment building where they lived was evacuated, and residents, including Dee Dee and Gypsy, were transported out of the area.
Years later, when Dee Dee and Gypsy were living in Missouri, Dee Dee offered to house Rod and his family during a hurricane warning in Louisiana.
There is no evidence that Rod extended the same courtesy, or any outreach at all, when Dee Dee and his “sick” daughter were displaced by Katrina.
Gypsy recalls: “She (Dee Dee) blindfolded me, but I looked, and I still have nightmares of what I saw.” (The Killer Thorn of Gypsy Rose, 2019)
Given Gypsy’s flair for dramatics, ‘blindfolded’ may have been as simple as a hand over the eyes rather than an actual pillowcase tied in place.
When the evacuation order came, Dee Dee and Gypsy made the congested 4–5 hour drive to the Louisiana Superdome, intended to house up to 10,000 evacuees but ultimately sheltering around 15,000.
It is here that some claim Gypsy’s ‘cancer’ narrative began, possibly as a ticket out of the miserable Superdome conditions.
Medical records we’ve reviewed, dating from May 2000, already note ‘acute lymphocytic leukemia’ and ‘leukemia’ as reported by Dee Dee.
In a 2015 crime scene photo, ‘Faltemans anemia’ is listed – a nonexistent condition – that might be a mangled reference to Fanconi anemia, in a document likely scribed by Dee Dee.
By 2007, records state ‘Remission 10 years,’ suggesting Gypsy could still have been in remission during Katrina.
Oddly, leukemia references in her records appear only in 2007 documents; earlier records may have been lost in the hurricane.
An NBC News report from September 15, 2015, described the Superdome as ‘anything but a safe haven,’ with little food or water, no electricity or air conditioning, and reports of violence and assault. In this environment, ‘cancer’ could easily become a fast-pass out of danger. Some accounts claim it wasn’t Dee Dee but rather 14-year-old Gypsy who told a news reporter inside the Superdome she had both cancer and leukemia and urgently needed chemotherapy. We have not been able to locate that report. (Source: The Good Wives’ Network).
Gypsy later reflected: “Honestly, I didn’t really know what cancer was, but I was going through so many medications and surgeries that I didn’t question it.” (The Prison Confessions, 2024)
One might expect a 14-year-old to at least ask questions about such a diagnosis.
Dr. Janet Gordon, who traveled from Missouri to Louisiana on a mission trip, met Dee Dee and Gypsy at the Superdome. After speaking with them, she helped arrange for their relocation to a special needs shelter in northern New Orleans.
Meanwhile, Rod and Kristy Blanchard claimed they “looked for ’em” during Katrina.
As Kristy told 20/20 (Gypsy Rose: The Next Act, 2024): “Looked for ’em. Trying to find ’em. Because we didn’t know where they were.”
In reality, this ‘search’ consisted of watching televised news coverage, hoping to spot them in a crowd of 15,000 displaced people, rather than physically attempting to locate them.
Others braved the conditions to find their loved ones.
Rod and Kristy weren’t amongst them
At the New Orleans shelter, a disturbing photo was taken of 14-year-old Gypsy: naked, crammed into a sink, her head shaved, smiling.
It is unsettling not just for the image itself, but because Gypsy appears comfortable in the situation.
If such a photo of your daughter appeared online after 11 years of no physical contact, what would you do?
In Rod Blanchard’s case, history suggests the answer: nothing.
Mercy Children’s Hospital in Kansas arranged for Dee Dee and Gypsy to be airlifted out of Louisiana by Angel Flight, a non-profit organisation providing free air transportation for people in need of medical care, for those who are financially distressed, or for individuals in a time-critical, non-emergency situation due to their medical condition.
Dee Dee and Gypsy would continue to use Angel Flight in the years that followed for Gypsy’s medical evaluations, treatments, and even for trips to attend conventions.
From the shelter, Dee Dee and Gypsy transferred to Hope Lodge for a two-month stay. (Source: The Good Wives’ Network).
Hope Lodge is a 46-room facility offering free housing and meals to cancer patients, whether newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment, or in remission , and their carers. Hope Lodge itself does not provide treatment; it exists solely as accommodation for those receiving it elsewhere.
Placement at Hope Lodge is strictly referral-only, generally from a doctor. In Gypsy’s case, the referral came from her dentist, notably, a cancer-specialising dentist, who confirmed to Hope Lodge that Gypsy was receiving treatment for a suspected cancer-related condition.
If that statement was knowingly false, it would be a staggering breach of professional ethics.
Once there, Dee Dee told staff that Gypsy didn’t require active cancer treatment because she was ‘in remission,’ which does align with notes in Gypsy’s medical records.
Still, the fact they were even accepted speaks volumes: Gypsy’s alleged leukemia/cancer/remission status was likely presented, and believed, at the time.
Did Dee Dee, Gypsy, or both fabricate a cancer diagnosis as a ticket out of the Superdome?
Without access to Gypsy’s earlier medical records, we cannot say with certainty.
But what is beyond question is that her supposed medical conditions opened doors and fast-tracked their evacuation:
Prioritised for departure.
Airlifted out.
Free accommodation.
Free meals.
Free helicopter rides.
A homeless single mother with a genuinely ill child, stranded with no support, would have noticed the advantages of being perceived as having a sick child. But make no mistake, Gypsy would have noticed too.
And once they left Louisiana, the grifting began in earnest.
A news report dated 19th September 2005 (seen below) lists Gypsy’s age as 12, referring to her as ‘the special one.’
A second report, published in the St. John’s Hospital magazine Healthy People in 2005, records her age correctly as 14.
In October 2005, the St. John’s Hospital team moved Dee Dee and Gypsy into a house the hospital owned in Aurora, Missouri, fully furnished with donations from the local community.
A KY3 news crew filmed the move-in day, interviewing both mother and daughter (video below).
Dee Dee described the move as ‘a blessing in disguise. It took something like a hurricane to make us have a happy ending.’
One might argue it also took the word cancer.
And a hurricane.
Gypsy, sitting in her wheelchair, gushed: “It is the perfect town, the perfect place… It’s beautiful. And it’s happy. And it’s full of love.”
Dee Dee, meanwhile, declared: “They couldn’t drag me back to Louisiana kicking and screaming. I’m here to stay. We’re home.”
At the end of the segment, Dee Dee is filmed receiving the keys to the house, and then, moments later, “Here’s the keys to the car that was donated.”
In the footage, Gypsy looks about ten years old.
In reality, she was fourteen, and counting.
Following Hurricane Katrina, Dee Dee needed a home and personal effects for Gypsy, just as thousands of other displaced people did.
She also needed access to doctors and hospitals for Gypsy’s health conditions, again, as did many others.
If all of this was based on Gypsy’s legitimate health conditions, then yes, Dee Dee went about it in a reasonable way to secure care and stability for her daughter. But if Dee Dee and/or Gypsy knowingly used a false cancer claim to obtain benefits or services they were not entitled to, that’s not Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, that’s medical fraud.
In her 2015 police interview with Detective Stan Hancock, 23-year-old Gypsy began to realise, toward the end, that he had seen through the multiple lies she had told. She was in trouble, and she knew it. Her response?
“Please I’m not able to be in jail. I have a lot of medical needs.” (Gypsy’s Police Interview, 2015)
With that in mind, the idea of her saying, “Please, I need to get out of the Superdome. I have leukemia and cancer,” is not exactly far-fetched.
Once settled in Aurora, Dee Dee filmed a beaming Gypsy hurling herself from a railing outside the rent-free home into the snow, adjusting her legs as she landed to mimic paralysis. In that footage (seen below right), Gypsy does not appear to be someone reluctantly ‘forced’ to play disabled. She looks far more like someone who had studied exactly how to appear disabled.
In her 2024 ‘memoir’- the one she allegedly didn’t write, and certainly didn’t fact-check – Gypsy claims:
“My mother never let me outside. There was never a moment through the day when Mama would ever say, ‘Let’s get outside and get some sun on our face.’ Never.” (Source: ‘My Time To Stand’).
Oh really?
Really?
Behold the images below.
Sun.
Face.
When Dee Dee and Gypsy arrived in Missouri in 2005, they already had a familiar face waiting for them: Gypsy’s primary care physician from Louisiana, Dr. Beckerman, who was also practicing in Missouri at the time. He would continue treating Gypsy there, maintaining the doctor-patient relationship he’d had for much of her life.
In 2009, Dr. Beckerman even wrote a feature about Dee Dee and Gypsy for Treasures, a Mercy Children’s Hospital publication, calling them his ‘favourite mother-daughter patients’ (see below).
It has been claimed that Dee Dee and Gypsy spent time with Dr. Beckerman outside of his professional role, even dining at his home. This has fuelled speculation about a possible romantic connection between him and Dee Dee.
We don’t subscribe to that theory, but given this case’s history, nothing can be ruled out until it is ruled out.
Some go further, claiming Dr. Beckerman is actually Gypsy’s biological father.
Yes, Gypsy does bear a passing resemblance to him, but there is zero evidence to support that claim.
When we turn to the medical records, however, red flags begin do appear. Despite calling them his ‘favourite mother-daughter patients,’ Dr. Beckerman recorded Gypsy’s age incorrectly in the majority of his notes.
You’d think that a doctor who had treated a child for most of her life would know her correct age.
This repeated inaccuracy has led some to suggest that Dr. Beckerman may have been complicit in Dee Dee’s alleged fraud.
While we wouldn’t go that far without proof, it’s clear there’s something about his role in this story that doesn’t sit quite right.
On 26 September 2005, Dee Dee and Gypsy met Dr. Robert Steele, Gypsy’s new primary care physician. Steele is… well, let’s just say ‘complex.’
He’s also never met a camera lens he didn’t like.
In one of his many media appearances, Dr. Steele recalled asking Dee Dee for Gypsy’s medical records.
According to him, Dee Dee claimed they had been lost in Hurricane Katrina, which he framed as suspicious.
Because, of course, it’s unthinkable that paperwork could be destroyed in a Category 5 storm that flattened homes and wiped out entire neighbourhoods.
Oh, really, Doctor?
Here’s the inconvenient detail Dr. Steele leaves out: Dee Dee actually signed a consent form allowing him to request those Louisiana records. If she were trying to hide them, that would be a curious move.
And when Dr. Steele finally did make a request, on 4 April 2007, he only asked for five years’ worth of records.
Why not all of them?
Perhaps because he already knew many had been destroyed in Katrina.
Then there’s the feeding tube issue. Dr. Steele has criticised Dee Dee for Gypsy’s ‘unnecessary’ feeding tube in interviews, conveniently omitting the fact that he was her provider when the replacement was ordered, and approved.
This, from the same doctor who treated Gypsy for two years without noting a single suspicion of abuse in her file.
Yet somehow, years later, he pops up in The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard to push the Munchausen by Proxy angle (fee undisclosed, but one can guess).
In 2009, Dr. Steele even documented a ‘marked improvement’ in Gypsy’s epilepsy, an improvement reported by Dee Dee.
Yes, that same supposedly sadistic mother.
Also missing from Dr. Steele’s media soundbites: the fact that doctors considered genetic testing for Gypsy in 2007, and that he received her chromosome disorder diagnosis in 2013.
Minor details, obviously.
Whatever pulled Steele out from behind his stethoscope and into the spotlight, it might have been better left there.
In 2007, Steele referred Gypsy to Dr. Bernardo Flasterstein, a paediatric neurologist.
Flasterstein, too, found the lack of pre-Katrina records ‘suspicious’, because, apparently, the concept of a hurricane destroying files is a radical one.
Even better, he later claimed he hadn’t seen certain medical records… that he clearly had.
Pick a chair, Bernie.
In the 18 August 2006 edition of The Springfield News-Leader, ’12-year-old’ Gypsy is listed as a contestant in a Dr Pepper vending machine art competition, the eligible ages being 6 to 12.
In reality, Gypsy was 15.
Fast forward to 21 August 2007, when Dee Dee and Gypsy turn up for a neurological assessment with Dr. Bernardo Flasterstein.
Flasterstein would later say: “Because there were no records to be obtained or requested, I had to base, trust, and rely on what the mother told me at the time.” (Gypsy’s Revenge, 2018)
Really?
No records at all?
That’s interesting, because this same Dr. Flasterstein also claimed: “I managed to talk to one of her previous providers. She specifically remembers ‘GypsyRose’ and mentioned that her previous neurologist clearly reported the fact that ‘GypsyRose’ does not have muscular dystrophy.” (Gypsy’s Revenge, 2018).
So, no records, but plenty of conveniently specific medical history relayed over the phone.
Oh, really?
And here’s the best part: On 4 April 2007, Dee Dee had already signed an authorisation form allowing Dr. Steele to request Gypsy’s Louisiana medical records.
By 18 April 2007, a copy of Gypsy’s biopsy report (and other records) had been faxed to Steele’s office.
Which means that by the time Dr. Flasterstein saw Gypsy in August 2007, the very records he claims didn’t exist were sitting in her medical file.
It’s almost as if the ‘mysterious missing records’ narrative plays better on TV than “I didn’t read the chart.”
On 6 November 2007, Dee Dee and Gypsy returned to Dr. Flasterstein to discuss the results of his neurological assessment.
Dr. Flasterstein, on camera, recalled: “The volume of her (Gypsy’s) muscles were normal, they were well sized and her reflexes were normal, meaning that it kind of didn’t make sense that she would not be able to walk. So she was referred to have an MRI of the spine to see if there could be anything that I’m missing, and it was completely normal. So I told mum, ‘I don’t see any reason why she shouldn’t be able to stand up and walk’. She was mad. She said, ‘That’s not true, she cannot walk, that’s the fact’. And said she’s not coming back. When her reaction was not as expected, I said that I have a suspicion that this is not real, this is fabricated or exaggerated. That’s when I said this is suspicious of Munchausen By Proxy. So my duty was to tell the paediatrician in my report.” (Gypsy’s Revenge, 2018)
More suspicious, perhaps, is a doctor claiming there were ‘no records to be obtained’ when records had already been obtained.
His own test results also reveal findings that, for some reason, didn’t make it into his media soundbites.
The report notes: “While the muscle tone seems to be slightly decreased, the muscle mass seems normal.”
Slightly decreased muscle tone is known as hypotonia, a condition that can cause mobility issues, poor reflexes, and joint laxity.
It is associated with neurological disorders like muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (which Dee Dee said her own mother had).
It is also a feature of Gypsy’s chromosome disorder. Why this relevant medical fact went unmentioned on television remains a mystery.
The MRI results also read: “Her brain MRI, cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines were essentially normal. There was a very small syrinx in the mid and distal thoracic cord.”
‘Essentially’ does not mean ‘completely,’ and ‘minimal’ does not mean ‘non-existent.’ A syrinx can grow and damage the spinal cord over time, causing pain, weakness, and stiffness.
Another omission from his media commentary: The EEG results showed: “Spike and wave on the right central temporal area.”
That pattern indicates a seizure disorder, such as epilepsy.
Gypsy was prescribed Keppra 500mg.
Again, no mention of this in Gypsy’s Revenge.
Why?
Perhaps because none of these facts reinforced the tidy Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy narrative.
When asked why he didn’t report his concerns to police or child services, Dr. Flasterstein said Gypsy wasn’t being ‘neglected’ but ‘overtreated,’ and that he didn’t think anyone would believe him anyway.
Neglected?
Gypsy?
Are you kidding?
The ‘precious princess’, neglected?
Apparently, Dee Dee’s persuasive skills were so formidable that even trained professionals felt powerless.
Instead, Dr. Flasterstein noted his suspicion in a report to Dr. Steele, effectively filing it away rather than acting.
Dr. Marc Feldman later remarked:
“He needed to pick up the phone and call child services.” (Gypsy’s Revenge, 2018)
A fair point, although, given Feldman himself diagnosed a murder victim he’d never met with Munchausen by Proxy, perhaps the moral high ground here is rather crowded.
On 1st September 2009, Dr. Steele recorded in Gypsy’s file:
“The mother tells me that Gypsy has 2 syrinx at levels C7 and C8 … I have no imaging to confirm this.”
Yet Dr. Flasterstein’s 2007 assessment documented a syrinx in the mid and distal thoracic cord.
In the end, even some of Gypsy’s own doctors seemed willing to let Dee Dee take the fall.
During one of Gypsy’s post-prison appearances (Nick Viall 2014), she was asked, “Do you feel that there are people in the medical community that should be held accountable for what happened to you?”
Without missing a beat, Gypsy replied, “Of course.”
She then lamented that there was no report or follow-up on any suspicions doctors may have had: “They didn’t do anything about it.”
According to Gypsy, the lack of action came down to one thing, money.
Her take?
Her ‘unnecessary’ medical care conveniently padded the pockets of health professionals.
Yes, Gypsy Rose Blanchard- who orchestrated her mother’s murder via a mentally challenged accomplice – wants us to know we live in a system that’s money hungry and selfish.
The irony is so thick you could spread it on toast.
She then revealed, “My dad and stepmom tried to look for an attorney that can take my case for a medical malpractice lawsuit, and I don’t think anyone wants to touch it. I’ve not been able to find one. That’s really surprising actually.”
Not missing a PR beat, Gypsy threw in a casual shout-out for potential lawyers: “I need some legal advice.” (Source: Nick Viall 2014, 8th January 2024).
Because, of course, a medical malpractice lawsuit with Gypsy’s name attached would attract public interest.
And public interest equals media coverage, equals more interviews, documentaries, and magazine spreads… which equals more cash for all involved.
What Gypsy doesn’t seem to grasp is that pursuing such a lawsuit would likely confirm her treatments were, in fact, medically necessary, effectively pulling the rug out from under the Munchausen by Proxy narrative that formed the basis of her plea deal.
Small wonder no lawyer wants to go near it.
Not even with a hazmat suit.
In her 2017 Dr Phil prison interview, Gypsy was asked, “Did you understand that you being sick was necessary to keep up what she (Dee Dee) built? Because you got a house from Habitat For Humanity, you got donations, you got different things from people for being sick. So that was a source of income for her, right?”
Gypsy replied, “It was, yes. And I had no idea that I was a part of that.” (Mother Knows Best, 2017).
We… politely disagree.
Dr Phil pressed: “You didn’t know that you were a cash cow?”
Gypsy’s answer: “No.”
And yet, much later in the same interview, she suddenly drops, “She (Dee Dee) used me as a cash cow.”
Convenient timing for a catchy soundbite.
Let’s be clear, Dee Dee exploited a broken system.
It’s not Dee Dee who milked Gypsy for profit.
It’s Gypsy, now, milking her dead mother’s murder.
Even Rod Blanchard, in a recent livestream, admitted that yes, it does look bad that Gypsy and his family are making money off Dee Dee’s death. His defense? “Lifetime want to pay money for it.”
Well, there’s the magic word: money.
Rod also complained about the backlash Gypsy gets, claiming it doesn’t bother him when people talk trash about her, but it hurts when ‘somebody says something that’s not true.’
Welcome to the club, Rod.
Pull up a chair.
On November 15th, 2018, at Nick’s trial, Gypsy testified that she and Dee Dee gained “financial, attention, charity” advantages from her being in a wheelchair. When asked why, Gypsy explained, “Because people felt sorry for me.”
And what was it those people did?
“They believed the lie. They believed the fraud.”
On that point, at least, we can agree.
In the summer of 2007, Dee Dee and Gypsy managed to land themselves on the front page once again, this time in Wingspan, the quarterly publication of the Angel Flight organisation.
The headline?
“Angel Flight passenger and Hurricane Katrina survivor must travel long distance for lifesaving care.”
The article presented ’12-year-old’ Gypsy as bravely battling both muscular dystrophy and leukemia.
Small hitch, 12-year-old Gypsy was actually 15.
References to Gypsy’s leukemia are only found in her 2007 medical files, nowhere else. But the Wingspan article also notes that Gypsy was a guest speaker at the AFC Heroes of the Heart Celebration in May.
In that event’s own coverage, the ‘guest speaker’ is recorded as being 13.
Impressive.
Two events, two ages, neither of them correct.
On April 18th, 2007, Gypsy’s medical records note a new diagnosis: ASBD, a bowel-related condition. The records also note ‘good stool control.’
Translation: she didn’t need diapers. (We’ll get to that diaper saga later.)
By May 2007, nearly-16-year-old Gypsy was crowned Child of the Year by The Oley Foundation, a nonprofit for people living with home IV nutrition or tube feeding.
The foundation believed she was 12.
She and Dee Dee appeared on stage at the event in Cape Cod, Florida, where Gypsy. seated in her wheelchair, performed Angels Among Us to a large, emotional audience.
The Oley Foundation has since quietly removed Gypsy from its list of past recipients.
And on September 14th, 2007, Gypsy told an eye doctor how much she loved whale-watching in Cape Cod.
Yes. Gypsy, the girl who claims she wasn’t allowed to speak during doctor’s appointments, was suddenly brimming with conversation.
There’s one medical procedure Gypsy has yet to spotlight in her endless retelling of events; Dee Dee’s proactive crusade against skin cancer.
On May 10th, 2008, Gypsy was seen at Children’s Mercy Hospital after concerns raised by Dee Dee – and backed by a referral from Dr. Steele – led to mole mapping.
For the uninitiated, mole mapping is only performed when moles or lesions are considered potentially suspicious for melanoma.
Several follow-up appointments later, on December 20th, 2011, Gypsy underwent a skin biopsy.
One week later, December 27th, she returned to have the stitches removed.
The mole-monitoring saga continued on November 25th, 2013, with photographic documentation for mole mapping.
No further appointments are recorded after that.
Well played, Dee Dee.
Fast-forward to Gypsy’s 2024 Conversations On The Eve Of Freedom (though ‘eve’ is a generous term), which includes a hand-drawn sketch of all her supposed ‘scars’, the ones she claims to be deeply ‘self-conscious’ about.
The implication is that the drawing was intended for her then-husband, Ryan Anderson, whose home doubled as her parole address; she left him for another man within three months of release.
In this sketch, four ‘scar’ markings appear to correspond with the earlier mole-related biopsy.
Curiously, the medical diagram and Gypsy’s artistic interpretation don’t exactly match, but regardless, what was the alternative? Skin cancer?
As for the intent of the drawing, it reads less like a private gesture to a spouse and more like a calculated pitch for public sympathy, especially since it was released mere weeks before her early and undeserved freedom.
And for someone so allegedly self-conscious about these scars, she seems to display them with remarkable frequency.
To be clear, we mean her scars, not her bazookas, but the confusion is understandable.
In July 2007, Dee Dee reached out to the Songs of Love Foundation, a charity that creates personalized songs for children and young adults facing “difficult medical challenges.”
This request birthed Gypsy Rose Blanchard, a song as excruciating to hear as it is revealing.
In June 2015, the songwriter contacted blogger Megan J. Pack, who was covering the case in the immediate aftermath of Dee Dee’s death. According to him, Dee Dee’s profile sheet for Gypsy listed her “difficulties” as: paraplegia, muscular dystrophy, hearing impairment, epilepsy, and vision impairment.
He explained, “The ‘Medicine of Music’ is very powerful in the difficult lives of these kids. Having their own song boosts their self-esteem and helps them get through painful and invasive medical procedures” (M.J. Pack, Thought Catalogue, 2015).
It’s possible the song was a birthday gift for Dee Dee’s ‘precious one.’
The songwriter says he has no regrets, claiming Gypsy ‘needed it more than we knew, and for reasons none of us ever dreamed about.’
Golly gee.
Even Third Floor John got swept up in the Gypsy mythology.
Terrible as it is to the ears, the song stands as a musical monument to Dee Dee’s tireless devotion to her only (and thoroughly unpleasant) child.
By October 26th, 2009, the local press was back on the Gypsy beat, this time during a Halloween trip to Dickerson Zoo.
‘Gypsy Rose, 12, also known as ‘Snow White’’ was reportedly having the time of her life.
The event included spooky displays, such as a scene from Where the Wild Things Are.
The real ‘wild thing’ wasn’t in costume.
It went by the name ‘Snow White.’
And it was 18 years old.
An 8th October 2007 medical record notes that Gypsy is “living in a shelter pending Habitat For Humanity Home built in Springfield, MO community.”
By March 2008, the house is complete, and Dee Dee and Gypsy move into their brand-new, disabled-adapted home, a home Dee Dee had helped to build.
A 2008 TV news report shows a beaming Dee Dee and Gypsy as a team of first responders unload boxes and furniture into 2103 West Volunteer Way, Springfield, Missouri, the house where Dee Dee would spend the rest of her life.
The voiceover explains: “With no home and Gypsy-Rose battling both muscular dystrophy and leukaemia, the St. John’s Aurora team went to work securing this rent-free home for the family and cleaning it up.”
On camera, Gypsy recalls: “I remember my mother gave me this little glass house and she said, ‘One day this will be real,’ and now it finally is. It just proves that happy endings are not just in fairy tales, they’re real.”
She gushes about the jacuzzi tub ‘meant to help with my muscles,’ the ramp for ‘getting up and down by myself,’ reachable light switches, and wide doorways for her wheelchair.
A performance worthy of a Golden Globe, at age sixteen.
The Springfield News-Leader, 16th March 2008, describes Gypsy, now thirteen, clad in furry Winnie the Pooh slippers, reading a prepared speech alongside Dee Dee.
Gypsy waxed lyrical about how she and her mother were ‘a pair of shoes. Never good without the other.’
Dee Dee, the paper notes, had contributed 300 hours of ‘sweat equity’ to help build the home.
Gypsy’s own contribution to the construction effort remains undocumented, perhaps she was at home perfecting that speech.
Neighbours were allegedly equally taken in.
Aleah Woodmansee described Gypsy as ‘one of the happiest people I had ever met… and yet she was the most sick I had ever met at the same time.’
Kimberly Blanchard painted Dee Dee as the perfect mother: “This was her child. She knew she was sick. She was just going to love her unconditionally, until she couldn’t any more.”
Kimberly’s husband David recalled, “Every time we saw them, they were always happy and go lucky and wanted to help.”
One Golden Globe isn’t enough for the teenage ‘victim’ of relentless abuse.
Make it two.
Meanwhile, back in Cut Off, Louisiana – 700 miles from Springfield and 1,400 miles from the 2017 Mommy Dead and Dearest premiere, which Rod and Kristy both attended – there was still no sign of either making the journey to see Gypsy.
Rod recalls that once Dee Dee left Louisiana, “She’s telling me she’s got cancer. She’s shaving her head. Taking pictures of both of them shaving their heads.” (If Rod really had photos of Dee Dee shaving Gypsy’s head, it’s hard to imagine Kristy resisting the urge to shop them to TMZ.)
Rod continued, “So that was pretty elaborate—to go from chromosome disorder, now she’s got cancer. I couldn’t fathom that the chromosome disorder had anything to do with cancer.” (The Killer Thorn of Gypsy Rose, 2019).
For the record, some chromosomal abnormalities can, in fact, contribute to cancer.
Believing his ‘much loved and greatly missed’ daughter had cancer, Rod, by his own account, immediately … did not get in the car.
Kristy, speaking about Dee Dee’s actions, told Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017): “You’re supposed to love and protect your children, how could you do this to your child? I still don’t understand why you put your child through this.”
The ‘you’ here was very much aimed at Dee Dee, not Rod.
Kristy also said, “Her leukaemia, her Mic-Key button—we didn’t think she would live a long life… there was so much that when people would ask me, ‘What’s wrong with Gypsy?’ I’d say the lists are shorter of what she doesn’t have,” before laughing (The Killer Thorn of Gypsy Rose, 2019).
Yet despite believing this, Kristy – also a parent – encouraged Rod to head off to Springfield … except she didn’t.
When reporters spoke to Rod’s neighbours after Gypsy’s arrest, none were aware that he had any children other than Kristy’s.
They know now.
A screenshot taken shortly after Dee Dee’s 2015 murder shows the ‘Snowgypsy Blanchard’ Facebook page filled with updates about Gypsy’s endless hospital visits, surgeries, and test results, plus photos of her pre- and post-op, and even posts about her being in pain.
Rod and Kristy were both Facebook friends with the page.
So were Dee Dee’s siblings, Bobby Pitre, and Rod’s sister Celeste.
Not one of them, despite having a front-row seat to Gypsy’s supposed medical decline, made the trip to see her.
Rod also had his own Facebook page at the time.
It contained no public expressions of grief about his daughter’s alleged cancer, and only one post mentioning her – February 2014: “Dylan and Gypsy, Love yall !!!” to which ‘Snowgypsy Blanchard’ replied: “LOVE Y’ALL SOOO VERY MUCH.”
Rod’s profile disappeared shortly after Dee Dee’s death, perhaps because it didn’t fit the soon-to-be adopted image of a concerned father.
Possibly.
But it was more likely related to all the women Rod was secretly interacting with, and having online romances with.
‘Pimp Juice’ prison emails coming soon!
Kristy, on the other hand, posted prolifically after Dee Dee’s death.
On 27th August 2015, she wrote that she didn’t know Gypsy could walk.
In another post, she confirmed she did.
When Dee Dee and Gypsy were first reported missing, Kimberley Blanchard created the Praying For Dee Dee And Gypsy Facebook page, likely encouraged by her husband David, to rally support.
After Dee Dee’s body was found, it quickly featured a GoFundMe link ‘to help finance Dee Dee’s funeral costs.’
Kristy was an active member.
When group members began asking awkward questions about Kristy’s sudden interest in Gypsy or the fundraising effort, they found themselves blocked and the group swiftly transformed from ‘public’ to ‘closed’ to ‘secret.’
One small aside: a recent TikTok by Kristy, pinned to the top of her account, pulled over 400,000 views… and just over 3,000 likes.
Every view, of course, adds to her revenue.
Avoid the tempation.
Just saying.
In November 2008, Dee Dee and Gypsy attended a horse mural dedication service, where Gypsy was photographed for a Springfield News-Leader article (26th November, 2008) about her participation in equestrian therapy.
Equestrian therapies are even mentioned in a 2017 medical report, so we may be looking at a rare moment where Gypsy was allowed to share something truthful about her life.
Rod Blanchard described Dee Dee and Gypsy’s life as being “full of free stuff, I guess. Fun stuff.” (The Killer Thorn of Gypsy Rose, 2019).
It’s an oddly dismissive way to refer to the small joys a devoted mother managed to scrape together for her child after losing everything in Hurricane Katrina.
What did you provide, Rod. Either before or after the storm?
The answer is simple.
Nothing.
Rod did, however, stumble onto the truth when he said, “They were able to take advantage of piggybacking on her (Gypsy) medical condition.”
They.
Not just Dee Dee.
On 8th June 2015, just before Nicholas Godejohn set out on the Greyhound bus that would bring him to Springfield, Gypsy messaged him: “You might think I’m spoiled by how my room looks — a closet full of name brand clothes.”
And she wasn’t wrong.
Dee Dee had indeed made sure her daughter’s world was filled with comfort, colour, and care.
Most parents give extra attention when a child is unwell, a warm blanket, a favourite show, soup, a hug.
Dee Dee made it her life’s work.
She also likely compensated for the emotional gap left by Rod’s absence, giving Gypsy the focused attention she saw him giving Kristy’s children.
But when that much love and indulgence is poured into someone who never has to worry about their own survival, the result can be entitlement, selfishness, impulsivity, and a deep reliance on others.
Those traits don’t appear overnight, they’re cultivated over years, and they don’t just come from one parent.
Dr. Marc Feldman once said Dee Dee’s ‘goals were primarily to get attention, get sympathy, get plaudits as this amazing mother of the year’ (Law & Crime, 14th November, 2018).
The reality is simpler: the benefits that came along with those ‘plaudits’, the donations, the experiences, went directly to her daughter, not herself.
Dee Dee didn’t collect designer handbags or take beach vacations.
She wasn’t eating at Michelin-star restaurants or slipping away to spas.
She was building a life for Gypsy.
Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott was right when he spoke in 2015 of an ‘appearance of a long financial fraud scheme’ after Dee Dee’s death.
But what there is not, is proof of medical abuse or unnecessary treatments that would meet the standard for Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.
Gypsy has claimed, “As I was growing up I wanted more independence and that just wasn’t okay with her.” (Gypsy’s Revenge, 2018).
The truth?
Dee Dee wasn’t against Gypsy growing up.
She was against Dan.
When asked if she thought her mother loved her, Gypsy said: “I think she loved me in her own way… but I don’t think that she too much cared for whenever I grow up.”
This is simply not borne out by her actions.
Dee Dee’s love was constant.
It continued until her last breath.
Dan, however, was not welcome.
Who’s Dan?