Two parents in Minnesota could face jail time after they allegedly tried to save their dying son with prayers instead of taking him to a hospital.
Authorities charged Timothy and Sarah Johnson last week with child neglect over the March 2015 death of their adopted son Seth. The 7-year-old came down with pancreatitis and acute sepsis, but the parents opted to treat him themselves because they had “issues going to doctors” and were concerned about the medications they would prescribe, according to news station KMSP.
Based on their own research, the couple instead diagnosed Seth with post-traumatic disorder, a brain injury and fetal alcohol syndrome.
“The parents admitted to police that his behavior had changed, that he wasn’t sleeping, was throwing himself down stairs and was taking hours to eat Yet, they refused to do what most parents would have done and take him to a doctor,” Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a statement.
In March, Seth was left in the care of his 16-year-old brother at their Plymouth, Minnesota home, while his parents headed out of town for a wedding.
When they were away for the weekend, their older son called to say that Seth would not talk or eat. The Johnsons claim they planned to leave to attend to their son, but then received another call that he had managed to eat some cheerios.
Upon returning that evening, they found Seth laying on the floor. However, they did not immediately seek medical attention and decided to pray for his recovery, according to authorities.
The couple told authorities they planned to wait until morning to make a decision about contacting doctors, but the next day they found Seth unresponsive and covered in vomit.
Timothy then performed CPR on his son, while Sarah contacted 911. Paramedics arrived to the scene, where they pronounced him dead.
An autopsy has not been completed, but the 7-year-old was found to have bruising all over his body and two large lesions on his back.
“We cannot comprehend how a parent would leave a very sick seven-year-old to the care of a 16-year-old so they can go away for a weekend,” Freeman said in statement. “Nor can we comprehend how the parents refused to come home Sunday morning to care for their sick child when they were notified of his serious condition. Nor can we comprehend why the parents did not call an ambulance Sunday night to immediately obtain medical help when they finally got home.”
The couple has been charged with neglect of a child resulting in substantial physical harm, which is a misdemeanor.
“The Johnsons, of course, are presumed innocent. But we are going to use all of our resources to prove them guilty of neglect of a child resulting in substantial physical harm and ask for the strongest penalty allowed under the statute and sentencing guidelines,” Freeman said.
Soon after Seth’s death, a YouCaring page was created to raise money for funeral costs. The page has since been deleted.
“This fund was created to help ease the financial burdens associated with the funeral costs and leave from work so that Tim and Sarah can focus on getting their family through this difficult time,” the page said.