Gypsy Rose Blanchard Compares Feeding Tube To An Umbilical Cord

In “My Time to Stand,” co-authored with Melissa Moore, Gypsy Rose Blanchard alleges that her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard—who medical professionals believe suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy—isolated her from their family to hide the fabricated medical conditions and treatments imposed on her.

Dee Dee successfully deceived medical professionals, family members, and the public into believing that Gypsy suffered from a range of serious health conditions, including leukemia, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, and other chronic illnesses. She is also accused of falsely claiming that Gypsy had developmental delays, ensuring her complete dependence on her mother.

According to Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the repercussions of Dee Dee Blanchard’s fabrications also included the removal of her teeth and salivary glands, the use of a wheelchair, and the insertion of a feeding tube.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard was forced by her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, to have a feeding tube inserted as part of the fabricated medical conditions imposed on her. Dee Dee claimed that Gypsy had trouble swallowing and digesting food, which required a feeding tube for nutrition. However, it was later deemed that this was entirely unnecessary, as Gypsy did not have any of the medical issues her mother alleged.

“That feeding tube kept me connected to my mother the way an umbilical cord does,” Gypsy revealed in her memoir. The tube was part of Dee Dee’s broader scheme of medical deception, which allegedly included unnecessary medications, surgeries, and treatments designed to maintain the appearance of chronic illnesses.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard revealed that she underwent approximately 30 different medical procedures at her mother’s insistence. These included multiple surgeries on her eyes, legs, and throat.

Additionally, Dee Dee forced the removal of Gypsy’s salivary glands, further contributing to the unnecessary and invasive treatments she endured. "You have been cut open. You had parts taken out of you. You got hacked up. You got poisoned," psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw said in 2017. "Your childhood was stolen from you. Your adolescence was stolen from you."

Gypsy Rose Blanchard shared with Dr. Phil McGraw that she is actively working on forgiving both her mother and herself as part of her healing journey.

"You are very conflicted right now. I mean, you feel guilty on one hand and very exploited on another," Dr. Phil said at the time. "That is because both things are true. You were terribly victimized. You were tortured as a child year after year after year.

"It's just a perfect storm of bad circumstance and bad psyche," he continued. "I think that is why they were willing to make a plea deal with you instead of dropping the hammer on you."

To maintain her web of deception, Dee Dee Blanchard allegedly falsified Gypsy’s birth certificate to make her appear younger and consulted with at least 150 doctors over the years, according to ABC News. When Gypsy questioned her health, Dee Dee allegedly responded with fabricated explanations to keep her under control.

“I would voice concerns, being like, ‘I really don’t feel like I need this,’ and she would get really, really upset with me and start manipulating me,” Gypsy told PEOPLE Magazine a few years back. “Obviously I knew that I could walk and didn’t need a feeding tube, but everything else was a really big confusion for me. Whenever I’d question it my mother would say I’d had a seizure the night before and didn’t remember. There was always an excuse.”

Gypsy Rose Blanchard was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the murder of her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard. After serving 85% of her sentence, Gypsy, now 33, was granted parole and released from prison on December 28. She has since expressed hopes of becoming an advocate for individuals in abusive relationships.

“I want to make sure that people in abusive relationships do not resort to murder,” Gypsy told PEOPLE Magazine. “It may seem like every avenue is closed off, but there is always another way. Do anything, but don’t take this course of action.”