OREGON CITY, Ore. (WKRC) – A mother and father were sentenced to 30 days in prison after “they did nothing” to help their dying 2-day-old child but praying and anointing him with olive oil.
Parents Blair, 37, and Taylor Edwards, 32, had their fourth child on June 24, 2023, according to court documents and police statements obtained by local outlet Oregon Live. The child, Hayden, started showing alarming signs of illness just 36 hours after being born.
The child stopped eating at around 6:15 a.m. on June 26, according to court records reviewed by OPB. Hours later, the child’s lips started to turn blue and his breathing became strained.
Despite the severity of the issue, the family refused to take the child to the hospital and instead anointed him with olive oil. He stopped breathing in the afternoon, but Taylor used cold water to get him to breathe again. 30 minutes later, at 3:05 p.m., the child stopped breathing and could not be resuscitated.
The family’s refusal of medical attention reportedly stemmed from their membership to the Followers of Christ Church, a sect of Christianity based in Oregon that emphasizes the power of religion over medicine, per the outlet. Prosecutors said in a hearing on Monday that in the past 30 years, at least 21 children died due to members not seeking out adequate medical care.
“They hoped that within the hands of God, he would be OK,” said Deputy District Attorney Russell Amos. “The state would suggest that within the hands of God, that God gave us the intellect and intelligence to produce high end medical treatment and science. And nonetheless, they put their hopes in olive oil.”
Amos said the child “was surrounded in a bedroom by people who loved him very much, but it’s those same people who sat there for over five hours and refused to do anything to help that young child, that helped that young baby.”
“That is why they’re here,” Amos said. “They did nothing to save that child.”
Blair said in court that he regretted not seeking medical aid, and encouraged other members of the congregation to not make the same mistake.
“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 said.
Blair and Taylor were both convicted of first-degree criminal mistreatment on Monday and sentenced to 30 days in jail.
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