CNN: Parents charged in death of diabetic daughter

[MiniMe]

WESTON, Wisconsin (AP) -- Two parents who prayed as their 11-year-old daughter died of untreated diabetes were charged Monday with second-degree reckless homicide.

Family and friends had urged Dale and Leilani Neumann to get help for their daughter, but the father considered the illness "a test of faith" and the mother never considered taking the girl to the doctor because she thought her daughter was under a "spiritual attack," the criminal complaint said.

{...snip}

Randall Wormgoor, a friend of the Neumanns, told police that Dale Neumann led Bible studies at his business, Monkey Mo Coffee Shop, and believed physical illness was due to sin, curable by prayer and by asking for forgiveness from God, the complaint said.
{...snip}

The family does not belong to an organized religion or faith, Leilani Neumann has said.Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said the parents once belonged to the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church but later became what he called religious "isolationists" involved in a prayer group of five people.
"They have gone out on their own," he said. "... They have a very narrow view of Scripture and I would say not many people hold to that narrow of view."

more at http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/28/prayer.death.ap/index.html

_edited to add link_____________________________

imho this is carrying the faith thing too far. Jehova's Witnesses go to doctors, they just don't take blood products. That child had no choice in the matter. And these are the anti-choice people I'm sure.

[gateley]

1. I bet you're absolutely right about

them being anti-choice.

I can't imagine how frightened people must be of a "loving God" to feel to embrace beliefs like these.

So sad.

[malaise]

12. Sometimes people pray because they have no money

for anything else.
And yes I'm an atheist.

[angstlessk]

14. he owned his own business, I don't think it was about money, though I agree

just like Obama said, some embrace guns and religion cause they have very little else!

[BlooInBloo]

2. Good. Fucking religion won't be happy until everybody's dead.

For reals - that's the whole point of religion.

[MiniMe]

3. Yup. Did it ever occur to them that God gave us the ability to learn and use medicine?

Oh, my daughter is in a coma, but it will go away if we pray hard enough. :banghead:

[Mad_Dem_X]

26. That's how I look at it

God gives some of us the ability to become doctors, nurses and surgeons so we can help each other.

[timtom]

13. There are a lot of different opinions on this thread.

All of them are valid and heartfelt reactions.

Except this one.

[Bright Eyes]

4. Throw the book at them.

You want to kill yourself by not seeking medical attention? Fine. But don't subject your kids to that.

[caligirl]

5. speaking as the mom of a diabetic son, remove those two from the gene pool.

[blondeatlast]

18. Yep. The symptoms the daughter had are sheer misery. I went through them for a very, very short time

maybe half a day--before my mom took me to the ER (I had a routime check-up scheduled that day). This was way back in the day before the symptoms were widely publicized. I'm still here 40 years later.

I may have nightmares tonight. :scared:

[Skink]

6. Universal healh care might help.

And a stream of doctors that say oh btw get tested for diabetes.

[MiniMe]

7. Unfortunately, I don't think that would help in this case

The kid was home schooled, and never went to the doctor. So I don't think health care would have mattered one way or the other. The mother is out of her mind. The dad wanted to take her to the doctor, and the mom said no.

[truedelphi]

8. The family had health insurance, I think it was said during news reports

On the matter. They jsut chose to not use the health insurance.

[BlooInBloo]

9. That makes it even all the more galling. Someone else who DIDN'T have insurance also died somewhere.

[angstlessk]

15. why in the hell did they pay for insurance if they did not believe in medicine???

was it just for them and maybe it was not a 'family' policy??

[truedelphi]

23. Maybe they were one of the lucky few who get all health ins costs paid

Through the employer.

The poor little girl. This is horribly tragically sad.

I was brought up inside a religious ghetto of Catholicism - but at least we were taught that God gave us brains with which to investigate the world, develop science and use medicine.

Some aspects of modern Evangelicism or Fundamentalism are truly monstrous.

[Bluebear]

11. They had insurance, they chose to pray away her diabetes.

[cynatnite]

16. The family had gawd for their health insurance coverage n/t

[orleans]

10. how sad. shame on those parents who didn't/wouldn't parent. n/t

[blondeatlast]

17. A particularly miserable way to die--at least until the coma comes.

Killer thirst, constant need for the bathroom, unheard of nausea.

I had all these symptoms when I was diagnosed at the age of 7--but my parents never hesitated to take me to the ER.

Murderers. Sorry, but I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

[LynneSin]

20. Murders who should have their child-bearing rights taken away from them

We don't need their genes contaminating our pool anymore!

[blondeatlast]

22. That girl suffered a LOT before succombing to the coma. Diabetic ketoacidosis is miserable

to experience and horrifying to observe.

These are sick mofos if they could watch that happen and not take action.

[sinkingfeeling]

19. Good. People should be free to believe whatever they want until their belief interferes with somebod...

else's right to live.

[blondeatlast]

21. What SIN did that precious 11 year old possible commit to condemn her to such a miserable death

(and oh, yes, diabetic ketoacidosis is horrible until you succomb to the coma)?

Fuck them all to hell. Maybe my saying that is why I'm "condemned" to IDD. I couldn't care less. Take that mom out of the gene pool, please. :mad:

[AlCzervik]

24. it would be one thing if they had diabetes and chose not to treat it but they

have a responsibility to take care of their child.

i have no sympathy for these idiots.

[MiniMe]

25. Exactly. They are responsible for the death, no 2 ways about it.

If the parents had it and decided to pray it away, fine. The child didn't have a choice. And because she was home schooled, she was pretty much hidden away from other people.

[blondeatlast]

28. And she died a rather slow, tortured death as well.

I've been in diabetic ketoacidosis due to infection a few times and always sought treatment immediately, but until it was treated and controlled it was awful as hell.

EXTREME thirst, like nothing one can imagine without experiencing it, drifting in and out of consciousness, unbelievable hunger--then an inability to eat a thing, severe nausea.

That so-called "sinner" daughter was TORTURED before she died, while those cruel, imbeciolic parents watched.

I never wish damnation on anyone, but sometimes, it's the ultimate test of my faith not to do so, like it is in this case. :mad:

[MiniMe]

29. I'm diabetic, but so far I've never been in ketoacidosis

Thank God, and knock on wood. I'm sorry you went through that, it sounds absolutely awful. I guess that is one reason that this story really pisses me off. Demons weren't to blame, the parents were. I guess you could blame the girl's pancreas, but its not her fault either. The only ones the girl had to depend on were her parents, and they let her down.

[Dorian Gray]

27. What they did was criminal

They allowed their daughter to die. It's awful. I'm glad that they've been charged.