What started as a mother sitting by her daughter’s hospital bedside quickly spiraled into one of the most disturbing child abuse cases in recent memory.
Behind the scenes, Brittany Phillips wasn’t a devoted mom at all—she was actively poisoning her healthy daughter to make her appear sick, all in a desperate bid for attention.
The Online Search That Sparked a Nightmare
In August 2011, Phillips was seen in a hospital with her three-year-old daughter Alyssa, who appeared dangerously ill.
But while sitting by her bedside at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, Brittany was googling terms like “poop in IV line” and “pee in veins.”
Her twisted inspiration came from a true crime forum, where she read about a mother in Austin who had poisoned her own child.
Just hours later, Alyssa suffered a serious blood infection that nearly killed her—a result of her mother putting feces into her IV or feeding tube.
A Pattern of Abuse Hidden in Plain Sight
It turned out that this wasn’t an isolated incident.
For three years, Phillips had been intentionally starving her daughter and forcing her to eat through a feeding tube she didn’t even need.
She convinced doctors to perform unnecessary surgeries and made multiple hospital visits, painting Alyssa as chronically ill.
When friends and family raised concerns, Phillips skillfully dodged suspicions—until that fateful day in August when things began to unravel.
Family Concerns Begin to Surface
A family party weeks earlier had raised red flags.
Bill and Laura Waybourn, relatives of Phillips, noticed Alyssa was wearing leg restraints yet was moving around just fine.
She wasn’t allowed to eat but scarfed down cake when no one was looking.
Laura, who worked for Child Protective Services, sensed something was seriously wrong.
Hospital Staff Catch On
At the hospital, doctors became alarmed. Phillips kept trying to stop Alyssa from eating and falsely claimed she had a fever.
She even demanded blood tests, which revealed a deadly infection—triggering hospital staff to isolate the child and place her under surveillance.
Miraculously, under constant watch, Alyssa’s health rapidly improved.
Her recovery was so dramatic that doctors were stunned.
The Investigation Gains Momentum
Retired Tarrant County investigator Mike Weber took over the case and quickly identified it as classic Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a rare but horrific form of abuse where a caregiver fakes or induces illness in someone under their care.
With years of experience, Weber began piecing together Phillips’ disturbing online trail.
He discovered that she had not only researched how to make her daughter sick, but also used online communities to feed her addiction to attention.
Digital Clues and a Suspicious Death
Her laptop provided critical evidence. Weber found records of medical conditions that didn’t match Alyssa’s actual diagnoses.
One especially chilling clue? A nasal feeding tube that no doctor ever inserted. Investigators believe Phillips did it herself.
Even more disturbing, suspicion fell on the sudden death of Phillips’ own mother, Melinda, who had rapidly declined after Brittany moved in to care for her.
Despite family concerns and no autopsy, the case was never reopened.
Alyssa’s Brave Recovery and Testimony
Removed from her mother’s care, Alyssa quickly began to thrive.
She gained weight, ditched the feeding tube, and walked without the odd gait she’d been coached into.
The Waybourns adopted her and worked to help her heal, though trauma lingered.
Eventually, Alyssa bravely took the stand at just seven years old, showing the jury the scars her mother had left on her.
The Court Case and Unfinished Justice
Despite Alyssa’s testimony, the jury couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict, leading to a mistrial.
Phillips later pleaded guilty to causing serious bodily injury and received a five-year sentence.
While it wasn’t full justice, it was rare progress in a type of abuse that’s often overlooked.
The Legacy of Alyssa’s Strength
Now 17, Alyssa is a thriving teen who loves martial arts and music.
She’s also advocating for change, having testified to Texas lawmakers in favor of a bill called Alyssa’s Law—an effort to create a specific criminal statute for medical child abuse.
Freedom From the Past
In April 2022, a few years after her release, Brittany Phillips was found dead of an apparent overdose.
When the Waybourns told Alyssa, she cried briefly, then returned from her room with powerful words: “I’m free. I’m free at last.”
Her story is no longer just one of survival—it’s one of hope, justice, and a future forged from unthinkable trauma.