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My Mum Lied About My Brother’s Illnesses | Love You To Death

Channel 4 Documentaries

421,366 views

Contains references to child cruelty, mental health, sexual assault and self-harm.

Was Lisa Hayden-Johnson’s son Matthew really Britain's sickest child? Doctors, police and family members tell their story behind the shocking deception.

Young Matthew’s health problems worry medics and his mum Lisa. But when doctors’ efforts to improve Matthew’s condition don’t work, suspicions are raised and the police are called in to investigate. (EP1)

00:00 Intro
01:39 Brixham, Devon
04:35 Lisa's son, Matthew
10:36 'Buggy boy' and the newspapers
24:17 Appearing on national TV
33:44 My mum and the deception

First shown: 19 Aug 2026

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20 Comments

@Channel4Documentaries Creator 1 month ago Pinned

Watch part two of Love You To Death here: https://youtu.be/Pl4EF5XVubI

@damedeviant1388 1 month ago

She’s still lying. To this day. No emotion whatsoever. What a psycho.

@skinz138 1 month ago

The woman is still sitting there lying like she went to the great Ormond street appointment…

@southparkfirefly 1 month ago

You can see it still hurts the carpenter when he remembers the happy face of the little boy.

@SarahLouise1388 1 month ago

Gypsy Rose vibes.

She still thinks she’s done nothing wrong.

@iloverae 1 month ago

I’m so happy Matthew is still alive! I thought he had passed away!

@hjc9114 1 month ago

She was found guilty of benefit fraud but what about the money wasted from the NHS which could have been used to treat children who were really sick?

@bejo-108 4 weeks ago

The mother is in total denial. She is dangerous.

@mrFubuhawk 1 month ago

HOW! HOW do you harm your own child! I’ll never ever understand that concept. You want the very best for your babies, in absolutely everything. This sickens me.

@simsruby 1 month ago

I'm a Mum of a 25 weeker, full time oxygen, tube fed until 3 and a well known face on the ward her entire life so far. Why would anybody want this pain and medical trauma for their child? Absolutely disgraceful.

@gulalatas9163 1 month ago

Typical narcissist..she is desperate to prove herself right cause for narcissists,nothing else matters.they are always right,they have to be always right

@francescawilliams8177 1 month ago

I hope everyone in her so called community sees this and recognises her

@KatieSpriggs-t3i 1 month ago

How is she still sat here as if she’s not in the wrong?! 😳

@naturalworldrelaxation6992 1 month ago

It's scary the lack of remorse and complete failure to admit any wrongdoing.

@gigiLucy1970 1 month ago

That mother is sick in the head, lying and hurting her poor baby

@HannahRuthHopkinson 1 month ago

The way little Matthew shot up that ramp to collect his award though..😮
He deserved it, but NOT for the reasons we originally thought...
No,this reward was for putting up with an abusive weird woman for a mum who gained attention by desperately trying to make out her little boy is sick when he wasn't.
Those poor kids , this is truly appalling 😢

@w_o_tmarksman2002 1 month ago

I don't want my whole face because i live in a small community and want to keep living my life.

Shows her full face in video and picture formats

Deserved, nothing she said in this made me believe she was innocent in this.

@Anonymous0048 1 month ago

What stands out to me is the medical professionals agreeing to so many things without being able to see an actual illness in the child. The mum is ill and wrong but how do professional Doctors allow themselves to be convinced that a healthy child desperately needs an oxygen tank at home and a feeding tube and all the medicines he was taking. I find them extremely responsible for a lot of this.

@PositiveRaincloud 1 month ago

Pathological liar. Very dangerous, because I think even she believes it.

@Giggi101 1 month ago

She is a fantasist with no insight, even now. I think this is probably much more common than we realise, especially seeing how the medical professionals involved pandered to her and ignored all the signs. I hope both kids are doing well, they seem to be lovely caring people.