A married couple in Oregon will serve a month in prison for letting their newborn son to die shortly after birth, opting to treat the infant’s medical condition with prayers and olive oil rather than modern treatment.
According to court records acquired by Law&Crime, Clackamas County Circuit Judge Michael Wetzel on Monday ordered Blair Edwards, 37, and Taylor Edwards, 32, to serve 30 days in a state correctional facility for Hayden Edwards’ death.
Blair and Taylor Edwards pleaded guilty to felony first-degree criminal abuse and were sentenced accordingly.
In addition to jail, the couple will have to serve five years of supervised release. During that period, they must adhere to particular medical care criteria for their four living children.
The Edwards are members of the Followers of Christ church, which takes a rigorous interpretation of biblical scripture and rejects medical care in favor of prayer and other faith-healing methods, believing that death is God’s destiny.
Church members who visited the dying infant also anointed him with olive oil, prosecutors emphasized at Monday’s trial.
“They hoped that within the hands of God, he would be OK,” Deputy District Attorney Russell Amos said, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. “The state would argue that God gave us the brains and intelligence to generate high-quality medical care and science. Nonetheless, they placed their hopes in olive oil.”
Hayden began showing symptoms of sickness less than two days after his birth on June 24. The kid battled to breathe, lost color in his face, and stopped eating, among other symptoms, according to Portland, Oregon-based CBS station KOIN.
Hayden died of acute bilirubin encephalopathy caused by hyperbilirubinemia, which occurs when bilirubin accumulates in the brain.
According to Portland NBC affiliate KGW, the medical examiner was unable to decide clearly if Hayden’s life could have been spared by therapy.
“He was surrounded in a bedroom by individuals who cared deeply about him, but those same people sat there for over five hours, refusing to do anything to aid that small child.
“Religion is no defense for child neglect, abuse, and, in some cases, homicide,” a county prosecutor allegedly told the court. “Even though we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their failure to act caused the death of young Hayden, we believe that the probability is high that if they had taken that child to the hospital, Hayden would be here today with them.”
The couple also spoke in court, expressing their sadness for what happened to their son and regret for failing to provide him sufficient medical care. Blair Edwards stated that he and his wife now advise other members of the Followers of Christ to seek medical care for their families as needed.
“We cannot enforce our perspective on others in our community, however, we desire that these words will be considered, including by those in our community, that the death of our son Hayden has provided this recognition that medical care for the purpose of preserving life is a value that we understand is important,” Blair Edwards claimed, according to OPB.
