Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

WESTON, Wis. â?? An 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes, police said Tuesday.

Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said Madeline Neumann died Sunday.

"She got sicker and sicker until she was dead," he said.

Vergin said an autopsy determined the girl died from diabetic ketoacidosis, an ailment that left her with too little insulin in her body, and she had probably been ill for about 30 days, suffering symptoms like nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness.

The girl's parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, attributed the death to "apparently they didn't have enough faith," the police chief said.

They believed the key to healing "was it was better to keep praying. Call more people to help pray," he said.

The mother believes the girl could still be resurrected, the police chief said.

Telephone messages left at the Neumann home by The Associated Press were not immediately returned.

The family does not attend an organized church or participate in an organized religion, Vergin said. "They have a little Bible study of a few people."

The parents told investigators their daughter last saw a doctor when she was 3 to get some shots, Vergin said. The girl had attended public school during the first semester but didn't return for the second semester.

Officers went to the home after one of the girl's relatives in California called police to check on her, Vergin said. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

The relative was fearful the girl was "extremely ill, dire," Vergin said.

The girl has three siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 16, the police chief said.

"They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see."

The girl's death remains under investigation and the findings will be forwarded to the district attorney to review for possible charges, the chief said.

The family operates a coffee shop in Weston, which is a suburb of Wausau, Vergin said.

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WTF!? This is the bullshit that makes me proud to be an Atheist. These parents should be locked up behind bars. Or better yet, beaten and thrown in a ditch.
:mad:

we've seen the battle of religion vs. science

now maybe we can see the battle of religion vs. common sense in the courts, common sense being seeing a doctor

I really love how the police left the other kids with the parents.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rebgirl420

The girl has three siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 16, the police chief said.

"They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see."

---

Wow. No signs of abuse, excluding the obvious negligent homicide and complete lack of common sense as parents.

Religion sucks.

:mad:

Thats like Bob Marley,When he hurt his foot and it got infected,He just said he believed god would take care of him.

This is a great example of how the 'religious use' argument is/will be really hard to apply. If we allow cannabis use only for religious reasons, rather than a general and complete decrim for ALL people, we'd also have to allow faith-healing of minors [read: child abuse by gross negligence]. Which is obviously tragic in its application. That's sad. That family needs to be made aware that no, that is NOT okay, and that they should expect monthly wellness checks by DSS if they don't pull their heads out of their tight fundamentalist asses.

I don't really have a problem with this. If its because of religious reasons then so be it. Its sad but its called religious freedom. Even though I'm an athiest. I use to be a Jehovah's Witness and we didn't believe in blood transfusions or registering to vote. It doesn't make much sense when you get older but it is religious freedom guaranteed by our constitution.

I think that protection of minors is pretty important. If you're 18 or over, sure go ahead and refuse medical treatment. But it's unfair for parents to put their minor children at risk.
I believe in being able to choose ones own faith, rather than being forced to live under the rules of a faith that is imposed upon you. IMHO, that is what true religious freedom is about.

These people shopuld now begin to pray that they don't get brought up on charges and have theri kids taken away. And the rest of us can begin to pray that those remaining kids are safe.

Every couple of years you hear about something like this, and often charges are brought. Religious freedom does not extend to allowing child endangerment.

Damm thats fucked up.. The parents should be locked up for neglect, they should have taken here to a hospital instead.. This prayin to heal ppl crap does NOT work...

Stupidity has many faces, this time it was religion.........next time who knows?