A Survivor’s Journey

Speaker 1 True Story Media.

Speaker 1 If you just can't get enough of me in your ears, first of all, thank you. I have a job because of you.
And secondly, did you know that I have a new audiobook out this year?

Speaker 1 The Mother Next Door, which I co-authored with Detective Mike Weber, is available in all formats wherever books are sold.

Speaker 1 It's a deep dive into three of Mike's most impactful Munchausen by proxy cases, and I think you'll love it. Here's a sample.

Speaker 2 When Susan logged in, what she discovered shocked her to the marrow of her bones.

Speaker 2 Though the recent insurance records contained pages and pages of information about Sophia, there was nothing about Hope.

Speaker 2 Susan dug deeper and looked back through years of records. There wasn't a single entry about Hope's cancer treatment.

Speaker 2 For eight years, the Putcher family had lived with a devastating fear that their beloved daughter and sister was battling terminal cancer. For months, they'd been preparing for her death.

Speaker 2 But in that moment, a new horror was dawning. For nearly a decade, Hope had been lying.

Speaker 1 On this season of Nobody Should Believe Me, we are following the story of Joe Hope.

Speaker 3 Hi, mom.

Speaker 4 It's Joe. I hope you can hear me.

Speaker 1 Joe is a survivor of Munchhausen by proxy and grew up in a small town where everyone seemed to know that something was wrong at home.

Speaker 5 I know I talked to my mom about it and was like, we need to get her out of there, blah, blah, blah. And I know at one point I was over and we were like, we need to record your mom.

Speaker 3 My overall impression was that she very much wanted an audience for her good parenting when she wasn't present as a parent.

Speaker 1 Now as an adult, Joe is trying to put the pieces back together and reconnect with the people who helped them survive.

Speaker 3 I hate that you had to do all of that and obviously I'm like forever grateful.

Speaker 3 I know things could have been good at home but I don't think we talked a lot about exactly what was going on because that would be pretty classic of a child of an alcoholic.

Speaker 1 But even during a national television appearance, Joe's mom stuck to her story.

Speaker 7 I never took my daughter to

Speaker 7 any doctor for a reason other than she was sick.

Speaker 7 I never laid a hand on my child.

Speaker 7 She never even got a spanking.

Speaker 1 But as Joe will discover, that's not how anyone remembers it.

Speaker 6 Mom's favorite phrase growing up is, I brought you into this world. I can take you out.
There's nobody that can stop me.

Speaker 6 She would brag to people that she hit me so hard my nose bleed.

Speaker 1 And the system that was supposed to protect Joe did nothing.

Speaker 8 I filed reports because I'm a mandated reporter and nothing would happen. I always just thought, like, if that much is going on and they know I'm seeing it, what am I not seeing?

Speaker 1 Now, after everything, Joe searches for healing on the other side.

Speaker 4 And I love you so much. I just had to have boundaries of all

Speaker 4 to take care of myself, too, you know.

Speaker 6 Joe is silly and thoughtful

Speaker 3 and

Speaker 6 loves to dance. I hope that they get stability and peace financially and emotionally.

Speaker 4 Today, I feel more hopeful, but I'm just trying to hold on to

Speaker 4 baby steps and baby progress and figure out little shifts that I can continue to make no matter my physical state.

Speaker 4 So, hopefully, I can continue to do that.

Speaker 1 Season four of Nobody Should Believe Me drops June 20th, wherever you get your podcasts.