My husband, Mike, has Type 1 diabetes, and in the period leading up to his diagnosis, he was so ill that it was frightening.  He had lost over 20 pounds, his feet were numb, and his vision was blurred.  I told him many times to go to the doctor, but Mike was stubborn.   He was also 31-years-old, and capable of making his own decisions.  When he was ready, Mike sought treatment.  Now he is fine. Madeline Kara Neumann, the Wisconsin child who was left to die of untreated Type 1 diabetes on the floor of her home last year while her parents tried to heal her through prayer, was not as lucky.

I know faith is a powerful thing, but as a parent, and as someone who has seen up close how devastating the symptoms of untreated diabetes are, I can’t begin to understand how Dale and Leilani Neumann avoided seeking medical assistance for their child.  Nor can I understand the lenient sentence handed to them this week by Judge Vincent Howard.  The truth is, the entire story disturbs me so deeply I find it difficult to write about, but Catherine Price wrote a piece that says the same thing I would.