Case Files 16: Mom and Dad
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What is the focus of this episode?
True Story Media. Just a quick reminder that my new book, The Mother Next Door, Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy, is on sale right now wherever books are sold. The book was an Amazon editor's pick for nonfiction, and the Seattle Times called it a riveting deep dive into MVP. And if you are an audiobook lover and you like hearing my voice, which I'm assuming you do since you're listening here, You should know that I narrate the audio book as well. If you have already read the book, which I know so many of you have, thank you so much. Please let me know your thoughts and questions at helloandnobodieshouldbelieveme.com and we will bring my co-author, Detective Mike Weber, on for a little book Q&A and post-retirement tell-all special. Thanks for your support. So if we could just start by getting a slate from you. So I'm Mike and I'm Andrea's dad.
So I talk to you or talk to the camera? No, you talk to me. I talk to you, okay. Four years ago, I set out on the journey of making this show. I came here because I had a story to tell. And I'd recently realized that my family's bizarre and horrifying saga wasn't actually a one in a million story. Instead, it sounded nearly identical to all of these other stories of families experiencing Munchausen by proxy, and it's this powerful shared experience that fuels the show to this day. I've talked about my sister Megan Carter's case periodically throughout the show, namely in the first and second seasons, episodes that I'll link to in the show notes. But my history follows me on this road, and it takes a new shape with each new case I learn about. As my understanding of Munchausen by proxy deepens, so does my understanding of my past, of myself, and especially of my family.
I'm Andrea Dunlop's father. Been her father for a long time. In fact, ever since she was born. And so that's who I am. That's who I'm here today to discuss with my daughter some topics that relate to the challenge we have in our family with Munchausen's and also to help complement my daughter on the wonderful work she's done in bringing this very difficult subject matter to a wider audience with the objective of helping people who have suffered from this and revealing some of the difficulties we went through as a family And it's very difficult to discuss, and I'd much prefer not to do it. But the value of doing it, I think, to explain to other parents who can see signs of this happening at an early age will, I think, make a big difference.
Aw, Dad. Season 5 brought me back to my sister's case, because, if you don't know, she was a part of Sophie Hartman's legal team, so Megan plays a role in this story. But I also wanted to explore the parallels between the two families, the Hartmans and the Dunlops, and the divergence, ultimately, in our two paths. Both were upper-middle-class families who grew up in idyllic suburban settings. Megan and Sophie were both gifted children of long-married parents, given every material advantage one could hope for in this world, and yet somehow managed to portray themselves as constant victims. I've always been close with my parents, and I've always admired how they handled the situation with Megan, but it's only as I've encountered all of these other stories, Sophie's in particular, that I've really understood their emotional courage. My parents and I have talked about what happened with Megan in depth many times over the years.
But this is the first time either of them have ever talked about my sister publicly. My dad is, in all ways, a big man. He's a successful entrepreneur and a 6'3 former rugby player. And in case you can't tell, he's British. And if you think he gets a lot of mileage out of that accent, you'd be right. He's an indefatigable optimist and irrepressibly outgoing. He collects friends everywhere he goes. Airplanes, restaurants, his UPS delivery guy. My dad is chatting them up. But even though my dad loves to talk, now you know where I get it, I didn't think he'd ever want to talk about this. Through the years, especially as I've become a parent myself, I've come to a deeper appreciation of what it must have cost my parents to accept who my sister is.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the focus of this episode?
0:04–9:30
2
What early signs of Munchausen by Proxy did Megan show?
9:30–17:55
3
How did Andrea's parents respond to Megan's behavior?
17:55–29:24
4
What led to the intervention regarding Megan?
29:24–34:15
5
How has Andrea's understanding of her family history evolved?
34:15–35:18
6
What parallels exist between Megan and other cases discussed?
35:18–43:09
7
What role did Andrea's mom play in seeking help for Megan?
43:09–46:24
8
How do the Dunlops reflect on their family's journey?
46:24–52:21