A Pennsylvania couple was arrested earlier this month after their 13-year-old son was hospitalized twice in one week with severe episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
An affidavit said the boy has type 1 diabetis, autism, ADHD, and hypoglycemia unawareness and requires adult supervision over all aspects of his diabetes management, according to The Daily Voice.
But after two severe episodes of DKA within three days in September, doctors noticed a consistent poor oversight of the disease by his parents. They noted “baseline elevated sugars beyond what is appropriate,” along with the two hospitalizations which they attributed to “management of his diabetes or lack thereof.”
The boy’s parents, 36-year-old Meghan Diffendall and 41-year-old Anthony Diffendall, told investigators an insurance company denial prevented them from obtaining his long-acting insulin, so they used expired insulin after he was hospitalized on September 10.
The boy was sent home, and three days later was back in the hospital experiencing chest pain, vomiting, and abnormal breathing. Doctors found him in severe DKA with elevated potassium and put him into intensive care.
Dr. Daniel Hale, chief of pediatric endocrinology and diagetes at Penn State Children’s Hospital, said the boy had a third hospitalization in June.
In an affidavit, police wrote that only the boy’s father attended a diabetes education appointment the parents were asked to attend after the most recent hospitalization, WPMT reported. He reportedly told hospital staff that his wife “was home sleeping” because she “likes to sleep during the day and stay awake late into the night.”
The boy’s pediatrician said that records showed the parents had not refilled his long-term insulin since January.
“It is basically a miracle that the victim did not go into diabetic ketoacidosis many more times,” the doctor said, adding “it is medical opinion that there are concerns for medical neglect.”
The Diffendalls were arrested on November 14 and charged with one count each of endangering the welfare of children. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for November 26.
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[Featured image: Meghan and Anthony Diffendall/Lower Swatara Township Police Department]
