Dean didn't know that his mom was suffering from factitious disorder. As a young child, he believed everything his mother said, and so he thought that he was sick. Because of this, he never walked or tried to walk. He spent the majority of his life in a wheelchair, believing that he was unable to walk. As he grew up, he became increasingly anxious and fearful due to his "illnesses". He was very dependent on his mother and he would do anything she told him. 