Main: Blair and Taylor Edwards in court on Monday, Sept. 8 (KGW). Inset: The sign outside of the Followers of Christ church in Oregon City (KGW).
A married couple in Oregon will spend a month behind bars for allowing their newborn son to die shortly after he was born, choosing to treat the infant”s medical condition with prayers and olive oil rather than any form of modern medicine. 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 over the death of Hayden Edwards, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
The sentence was handed down after Blair and Taylor Edwards both pleaded guilty to felony first-degree criminal mistreatment.
In addition to their incarceration, the couple will also be required to serve five years of supervised release. During that time, they will be required to follow specific guidelines regarding medical care for their four living children.
The Edwards are members of the Followers of Christ church, which employs a strict interpretation of biblical scripture, rejecting medical care in favor of prayer and other faith-healing methods based on the belief that death is God’s will. Church members who visited the dying infant also anointed him with olive oil, a fact prosecutors highlighted during Monday’s hearing.
“They hoped that within the hands of God, he would be OK,” Deputy District Attorney Russell Amos said, according to a report from Oregon Public Broadcasting. “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.”
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Hayden started showing signs of illness less than two days after he was born on June 24. The boy struggled to breathe, he lost color in his face, and he stopped eating, among other symptoms, Portland, Oregon, CBS affiliate KOIN reported.
A subsequent autopsy reportedly determined that Hayden’s cause of death was acute bilirubin encephalopathy due to hyperbilirubinemia, which results from a buildup of bilirubin in the brain. The medical examiner could not definitively determine if treatment would have saved Hayden’s life, Portland NBC affiliate KGW reported.
“He 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. Religion is no defense for child neglect, abuse, and in some cases, homicide,” a county prosecutor reportedly 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 addressed the court, expressing sorrow for what happened to their son and regret for failing to get him proper medical treatment. Blair Edwards emphasized that he and his wife now encourage other members of the Followers of Christ to seek medical care for their families when 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 said, according to OPB.
