Authorities have revealed that a Texas mother, known on TikTok for sharing her daughter’s illnesses with her thousands of followers, is suspected of medically mistreating her child in a case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. In an arrest warrant filed on July 11, Jessica Gasser, 27, was taken into custody for lying about her daughter’s medical history, resulting in the unnecessary drawing of her blood 28 times for a fasting study. The Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office has urged anyone who had contact with Gasser via text, email, or social media, where she went by the name MedicalMamaJess, to come forward.
The arrest warrant provides evidence of multiple reports from medical staff expressing concerns about Gasser falsifying her daughter’s medical history, doctor shopping for a specific diagnosis and medication, and withholding formula from her feeding tube. Munchausen by proxy is a psychological disorder primarily affecting mothers who seek attention by exaggerating or fabricating their child’s symptoms. Gasser has taken down all her social media accounts, but authorities have managed to preserve them, including her TikTok account with over 24,000 followers, where she frequently posted videos of her daughter in medical settings and shared details about her condition.
Gasser also operated a successful Etsy business called EnchantedTubieTapes, selling custom-designed tape to secure feeding tubes and other medical devices. Despite Gasser being informed by doctors that her child no longer required medical treatment, she organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for a trip to the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. The campaign has since been removed, and GoFundMe confirmed that all donors have been refunded. Internet searches found on Gasser’s phone included queries about police access to social media and search histories, as well as information on Munchausen by proxy and countries offering asylum from Child Protective Services.
Concerns about Gasser’s care for her child arose when the child failed to gain weight, leading to the use of a feeding tube. A nurse became suspicious that Gasser was not providing enough calories to her child, which prompted a report to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Another doctor reported that Gasser had been interfering with the child’s feeding bag, preventing the formula from reaching the tube. Following the removal of the child from Gasser’s care, she began eating without the tube, gained weight, and was successfully weaned off medication that had caused her adrenal gland to malfunction. The child is now described as thriving.
It remains unclear whether Gasser has been formally charged or if a court date has been set. The Tarrant County district attorney deferred inquiries to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, which has not provided information on the case’s status. Tarrant County officials have been lobbying for laws against medical child abuse, and recently, a committee approved a bill that would criminalize misrepresentation of medical history to obtain unnecessary treatment for a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual. Named Alyssa’s Law after Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn’s foster daughter, this legislation would be a groundbreaking step in combating medical child abuse in the U.S.
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