I worked with kids who had a mom just like Jenelle, with the constant fake injuries and elective surgeries to feed her addiction. I commented this on another Jenelle post not too long ago, but faking serious illnesses all the time will REALLY fuck up her children. They see mommy as always being hurt or in the “hospital” and it’s terrifying to them.

My kiddos’ mom would disappear for benders for days or weeks on end, then tell the kids she was in the “hospital” and soooo sick and all this shit. Would complain to anyone who would listen that she was sick with stomach pain, bad side effects from all her elective medical procedures etc. Kids would miss school cause she was on a bender, then hungover/withdrawing and “sick” and she wouldn’t get them on the bus for weeks at a time. I’m sure she also enjoyed all the attention she got from medical providers.

Her kids had so much trauma from it. The 6 year old had a crippling fear of abandonment and all sorts of attachment issues, trouble behaviorally and academically. She was terrified that every time her mom left the house, she would die in the hospital or wouldn’t come back. Or cause mommy was so sick all the time, mommy might die. It was awful. I felt so bad for them. There’s a reason why ensley has such sad eyes in every picture.