I was the other victim of 'Britain's most evil mother': Lisa Hayden-Johnson tricked doctors into thinking her son had a litany of life-threatening illnesses - now his older sister speaks out...

Laura Johnson, now 27, came forward this week to reveal she was another victim of her mother, Lisa Hayden-Johnson, who once gained national acclaim for supposedly caring for her severely ill younger brother, Matthew. The case, which became known as the story of “Britain’s most evil mother,” saw Hayden-Johnson convicted in 2010 for fabricating medical conditions for both her children and misleading healthcare professionals. Now, more than a decade later, Laura is speaking out about the extent of her mother’s deception, including allegations that she was falsely diagnosed with seizures and subjected to unnecessary treatment. Hayden-Johnson, who was dubbed the country’s most devoted parent, was frequently seen in public with Matthew, who was portrayed as suffering from multiple severe illnesses such as cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and allergies. She appeared on television shows like GMTV with Fiona Phillips and The X Factor with Simon Cowell, and even had breakfast with former Prime Minister Tony Blair. Matthew was awarded the Children of Courage Award by Camilla, then the Duchess of Cornwall. However, behind closed doors, the situation was vastly different. Laura, who was six at the time, noticed inconsistencies between Matthew’s condition in public and at home. “Out in public he would be really poorly,” Laura recalled during an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail. “Then we’d get home and he would be normal. We’d play outside together, eat normal food together. He didn’t need the wheelchair or the oxygen. It didn’t make any sense to me.” These observations led her to question the validity of the medical claims surrounding her brother. A two-year police investigation eventually uncovered the truth. Doctors had been misled by fabricated test results and false symptoms, leading them to treat Matthew for years under the belief he was seriously ill. In January 2010, Hayden-Johnson was sentenced to three years in prison at Exeter Crown Court after admitting to child cruelty and perverting the course of justice. She was released in 2011, but the damage to her children’s lives continued. Laura recently began reviewing her own medical records and found troubling evidence suggesting she too may have been a target of her mother’s deceit. “She was claiming I was having seizures and I was being put on very strong medication for it until I was six or seven,” Laura explained. “I was attending lots of appointments. There is mention of safeguarding concerns.” Despite these claims, she has no recollection of experiencing seizures and has not had any since childhood. Further revelations emerged when Laura spoke to family members and learned that her mother had lied about having a twin who died in utero. This added to the growing list of deceptions that shaped her early life. Attempts to reconcile with Hayden-Johnson after her release from prison ended in further heartbreak for Laura and Matthew, who are now 25 and 27 respectively. To bring attention to the psychological toll of being a victim of fabricated illness, Laura and Matthew participated in a three-part Channel 4 documentary titled Love You To Death, which aired this week. The program aimed to highlight the experience of living through Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a term now replaced by “fabricated or induced illness” (FII), referring to situations where a caregiver invents or induces symptoms in someone else to gain attention or sympathy. During the documentary, Hayden-Johnson, partially obscured from view, denied wrongdoing and expressed regret over pleading guilty. “How can I be Britain’s most evil mother?” she asked. “I just did my best, that’s all I did.” Her statements reflect a deep-seated denial of her actions despite the legal consequences she faced. Laura continues to grapple with the aftermath of her mother’s manipulations, seeking closure and understanding of the impact these deceptions had on her life. As she delves deeper into her past, she remains determined to ensure others recognize the signs of FII and seek help before falling victim to similar manipulation.