Nobody Should Believe Me

Latest Episodes:

Revisiting Season One: Sisters Surviving Mar 28, 2024

Show notes

During this look back at the 6th episode of our first season, we hear the story of twin sisters who survived Munchausen by Proxy at the hands of their foster mother. At the end of the episode, we get a visit from very special guest, Erica Blake (then Handt), one of the sisters we interviewed almost 3 years ago. Andrea reconnects with her to chat about life since that interview.

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As Andrea contemplates what the future looks like for survivors of Munchausen by Proxy, she gets an unexpected message from two young women who’ve lived it. After appearing with Marc Feldman on a podcast, Andrea hears from twin-sisters who survived MBP.

Liz and Erica Handt were taken from one terrifying situation to another when the foster mom who adopted them turns out to be abusive, telling the girls they had Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and dragging them from specialist to specialist. The twins' story is harrowing but ultimately hopeful as they're now thriving.

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Follow Andrea on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andredunlop

Buy Andrea's books here.

To support the show, go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe or subscribe on Apple Podcasts where you can get all episodes early and ad-free and access exclusive bonus content.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.

To learn more about Dr. Marc Feldman, visit Munchausen.com

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Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Revisiting Season One: Nobody Would Believe Me: Dads Part 2 Mar 21, 2024

Show notes

This is the 5th episode of our look back at season one of the show. We revisit Andrea's conversation with two more dads who were a part of Munchausen by Proxy cases. At the end of the episode, Andrea gives a brief update on one of the dads and shares her thoughts on how gender roles play into these cases and why such a high percentage of offenders are women.

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As we learn from Detective Mike Weber, the father in a Munchausen by Proxy case can be the most important ally--or the biggest obstacle--in protecting child victims from abuse. In part two of Andrea’s examination of the father’s role in MBP cases, Andrea speaks to “John”, a father devastated but the revelation that his ex-wife had subjected their son to unnecessary brain surgery. We also talk to Ryan Crawford, a man who found himself fighting for his son’s life against a disbelieving system.

Plus we get a stunning real-time update on one of our cases as “John” decides to come forward with his true identity. You can listen to the follow-up interview with him here.

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Follow Andrea on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andredunlop

Buy Andrea's books here.

To support the show, go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe or subscribe on Apple Podcasts where you can get all episodes early and ad-free and access exclusive bonus content.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.

To learn more about Dr. Marc Feldman, visit Munchausen.com

More about Ryan Crawford's story: https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2019/august/the-boy-who-stayed-sick/

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Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unabridged Conversation with Dr. Jessica Pryce Mar 19, 2024

Show notes

Andrea connects with Dr. Jessica Pryce, an expert on the frontlines of child wellfare work, research, and reform. She talks to Andrea about her book, Broken: Transforming Child Protective Services, the child welfare system as a whole, and how her work applies to the needs of children and families affected by Munchausen by Proxy.

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Learn more about Dr. Jessica Pryce here.

Purchase Broken: Transforming Child Protective Services here.

Follow Andrea on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andredunlop

Buy Andrea's books here.

To support the show, go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe or subscribe on Apple Podcasts where you can get all episodes early and ad-free and access exclusive bonus content.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.

To learn more about Dr. Marc Feldman, visit Munchausen.com

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Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Revisiting Season One: Nobody Would Believe Me: Dads Part 1 Mar 14, 2024

Show notes

During this re-aired episode, we revisit our conversation with 2 fathers affected by Munchausen by Proxy. At the end of the episode, we reconnect with George Hunnicut to discuss how life has been for him and his children after speaking to us on the show two years ago.

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As we learn from Detective Mike Weber, the father in a Munchausen by Proxy case can be the most important ally--or the biggest obstacle--in protecting child victims from abuse. We learn more about how Andrea’s own family became divided during the first investigation into her sister and we meet George Hunnicut, a veteran who discovered his young wife was abusing their infant son and found himself up against a system that had no idea what to do for him.

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Follow Andrea on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andredunlop

Buy Andrea's books here.

To support the show, go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe or subscribe on Apple Podcasts where you can get all episodes early and ad-free and access exclusive bonus content.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.

To learn more about Dr. Marc Feldman, visit Munchausen.com

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Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Revisiting Season One: What's in the Water in Tarrant County? Mar 07, 2024

Show notes

We take a look back at the third episode of the show. At the end of the episode, we catch up with Detective Mike Weber, friend of the show and expert in the investigation of Medical Child Abuse.

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Andrea speaks to Deanna Boyd, the crime reporter who broke the Hope Ybarra case and discovers that Hope's was one of many Munchausen By Proxy cases in Tarrant County that Deanna unearthed; all of which had flown under the radar. What's going on here? Why are there so many cases in this one area?

As Andrea interviews Deanna and meets with Detective Mike Weber, as well as Dr. Jayme Coffman and Dr. Karen Shultz--two doctors involved with the Ybarra and many other MBP cases--she makes a chilling discovery. It's not that there are so many cases in Tarrant County, it's just that they're catching them. If the systems meant to protect children were functioning, every county would look like Tarrant.

Andrea can only guess as to what truly went on behind the scenes in her own family's case, but she begins to grasp what the systems involved--CPS, the police, the doctors--are up against and why so many cases are destined to fail. Meanwhile, Andrea continues her maddening back-and-forth with Hope.

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Follow Andrea on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andredunlop

Buy Andrea's books here.

To support the show, go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe or subscribe on Apple Podcasts where you can get all episodes early and ad-free and access exclusive bonus content.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.

To learn more about Dr. Marc Feldman, visit Munchausen.com

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Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Revisiting Season One: Who is Hope? Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

We take a look back at the second episode of the show. Stay tuned to hear Andrea share the story of how the show almost didn't air and what she learned from it.

To learn more details about Andrea's sister's case, check out "Megan".

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We delve deeper into the story of Hope Ybarra, a young mother whose family discovers she’s been faking her eight-year-long battle with terminal cancer and begins to suspect her own health isn’t all she’s lying about. We talk more to Hope’s family and her ex-husband Fabian Ybarra about their efforts to unravel Hope’s many sinister deceptions.

We meet Detective Mike Weber, who was responsible for investigating Hope Ybarra, an early foray into what would become the main focus of his career: Munchausen by Proxy.

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Follow Andrea on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea's books here.

To support the show, go to Patreon.com/NobodyShouldBelieveMe or subscribe on Apple Podcasts where you can get all episodes early and ad-free and access exclusive bonus content.

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit MunchausenSupport.com

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines can be downloaded here.

To learn more about Dr. Marc Feldman, visit Munchausen.com

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Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Revisiting Season One: Sisters Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

We're going back to the beginning with an extended version of our very first episode! Be sure to stay tuned until the end for a special postscript with Andrea as she gives a behind-the-scenes look at how this show began.

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We meet accomplished novelist and loving mother Andrea Dunlop as she embarks on a journey to understand the series of events that tore her family apart. We learn that her older sister has been investigated twice for Munchausen by Proxy abuse, which inspired Andrea to learn everything she could about this complex and misunderstood issue. We see Andrea become captivated by the story of Hope Ybarra and go along with her to meet Hope’s father, sister, and brother: the first people Andrea has ever spoken to who’ve actually lived through a case. But can anything prepare Andrea for the truth?

Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

If you have a story about medical child abuse that you are ready to share you can tag @andreadunlop, email hello@nobodyshouldbelieveme.com or leave us a voicemail at (484) 768-0266

Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unabridged interview with Patrick (son of Dr. Sally Smith) Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

In this bonus episode you’ll hear host Andrea Dunlop's full interview with Dr. Sally Smith’s son, Patrick. They discuss the impact of the slanted and sensationalized media coverage of Dr. Sally Smith’s work on him and his family. Patrick shares his pride in his mother's career as well as fears over the impact of the media coverage and the verdict in the Kowalski case.

The full unbridged interview with Dr. Sally Smith will be available to subscribers.

In the meantime, we are hard at work on season 4, stay tuned and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Munchausen Support accepts donations and volunteers at www.munchausensupport.com

Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

If you have a story about medical child abuse that you are ready to share you can tag @andreadunlop, email hello@nobodyshouldbelieveme.com or leave us a voicemail at (484) 768-0266

Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unbridged interview with Ethen Shapiro Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

In this bonus episode you’ll hear host Andrea Dunlop's full interview with Ethen Shapiro, lead attorney for John Hopkins All Childrens Hospital. Shapiro offers shocking insights into the trial and the media coverage of the Kowalski case, as well as what’s next for the defense team.

We are hard at work on season 4, stay tuned and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Munchausen Support accepts donations and volunteers at www.munchausensupport.com

Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

If you have a story about medical child abuse that you are ready to share you can tag @andreadunlop, email hello@nobodyshouldbelieveme.com or leave us a voicemail at (484) 768-0266

Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unbridged interview with Detective Mike Weber Jan 25, 2024

Show notes

In this bonus episode you’ll hear host Andrea Dunlop's full interview with friend of the show Detective Mike Weber.

Mike—who wrote the FBI guidelines on investigating medical child abuse—digs into the police report about Maya Kowalski and helps Andrea put it in context, revealing the serious and disturbing nature of the case.

NOTE: We recorded this interview in September before the Kowalski v Johns Hopkins All Childrens trial, so information revealed during the trial will not be reflected.

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More about Mike Weber: https://mikeweberconsulting.com/

Munchausen Support accepts donations and volunteers at www.munchausensupport.com

Click here to view our sponsors. Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!

If you have a story about medical child abuse that you are ready to share you can tag @andreadunlop, email hello@nobodyshouldbelieveme.com or leave us a voicemail at (484) 768-0266

Follow host Andrea Dunlop on Instagram for behind-the-scenes photos: @andreadunlop

Buy Andrea’s books here.

Download the APSAC's practice guidelines here.

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Note: This episode contains sensitive content related to child abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices