The son of a woman once branded Britain's "most evil mum" has revealed he still bears physical scars from unnecessary surgeries he was forced to undergo as a child. Matthew Hayden-Johnson, now 25, described how his mother, Lisa Hayden-Johnson, fabricated illnesses for him from the age of four, including cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, diabetes, and food allergies, in a bid to gain publicity and money as the mother of "Britain's sickest boy."
As part of the deception, Hayden-Johnson placed her son in a wheelchair, connected him to an oxygen tank, and met notable figures such as Queen Camilla, Sir Tony Blair, and Simon Cowell. Her elaborate scheme unraveled when health workers and school staff raised concerns with police, leading to her imprisonment for over three years in 2010. Matthew stated that one of the surgeries he endured, the implantation of a feeding tube, required general anesthetic and left him with lasting scars.
Matthew has questioned how his mother's fabrications went unnoticed by medical professionals for so long. "I think with medical professionals there is a lot of confusion as to why things weren't picked up quicker," he told ITV's This Morning. "Because I went through quite a lot of surgeries for example and [operated on] without clear signs of the need to operate."
Despite enduring six and a half years of unnecessary medical treatment, Matthew expressed disappointment rather than anger over the prolonged duration of his ordeal. He believes the deception could have been uncovered much sooner. He has since cut ties with his mother, a decision solidified after witnessing how his sister, Laura, was treated.
Matthew claims his mother has not taken full accountability for her actions. "You will see in the documentary that she doesn't take almost any accountability for her actions," he said. He also noted that while his mother has spoken of rekindling their relationship, it would be on his terms, calling it a difficult decision to maintain daily.
One key piece of evidence that exposed Hayden-Johnson's deception involved a medical machine used to measure glucose levels. Authorities provided her with a new machine that had tracking capabilities, revealing that she had repeatedly retested readings to align with her fabricated illness claims. "The reading that showed the illness was the one that she'd used rather than the ones that were perhaps true," Matthew explained.
A new Channel 4 documentary, "Love You To Death," explores Matthew's ordeal. The program features interviews with Hayden-Johnson, Laura, doctors, police, and relatives. During the film, Hayden-Johnson asserts that she was "only guilty of putting [her] son first" and does not regret her actions. Laura, who suffers from complex PTSD as a result of her experiences, including nightmares featuring sounds of Matthew's feeding tubes being changed, stated, "I can still hear him screaming."
During the period of deception, Hayden-Johnson received free tickets, cash donations, benefits, and even lobbied for Matthew to receive a national bravery award. She subjected him to 325 medical encounters, including nine general anesthetics for procedures like feeding tube insertion. Matthew was also made to use a wheelchair to school despite being able to run, wear sunglasses for sun intolerance claims, and his bedroom was filled with medical supplies.
Hayden-Johnson was arrested when Matthew was six, following concerns raised by health professionals and school staff. She initially falsely reported a rape but later confessed to child cruelty and perverting the course of justice. Holiday videos discovered by police showed Matthew running and eating normally on a cruise ship. He was initially placed with foster carers before moving to Sheffield to live with his father, who had also been deceived by his wife. Matthew now works in finance, and Laura, who has complex PTSD, works in childcare.
Upon sentencing, Judge Stephen Wildblood described Hayden-Johnson as "cruel, manipulative, perverse, disordered and pitiful." Devon and Cornwall Police characterized her as a "cruel, manipulative, evil mother who constantly lied." Her case is a notable example of Factitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA), a form of child abuse where a caregiver fabricates or induces illness in a child.