An Alton, Illinois, woman has been charged with the involuntary manslaughter of her teenaged daughter after hiding the child’s diabetes from the treating hospital. Amber Hampshire called 911 when her 14-year-old was unresponsive at home, and she died of diabetic ketoacidosis two days later.
The Daily Mail reports that Emily Ikue-Rose Hampshire passed on November 3 after dying as a result of her diabetes, which her mother concealed from the doctors at Cardinal Glennon Hospital.
“The charges allege that Amber unintentionally killed her daughter, Emily Ikue-Rose Hampshire, 14, who died on November 3 from, by committing acts which were likely to cause death or great bodily harm.”
Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons explains that the child’s medical condition was “entirely treatable” and called this case heartbreaking.
After a search of the home turned up the child’s insulin and syringes, a warrant was ordered for the mother’s arrest.
‘There is substantial evidence to show she intentionally concealed the disease.”
Gibbons added that the investigators do not believe that Hampshire withheld information due to a lack of insurance or financial concerns, but are still baffled as to why she would lie and refuse to turn over medical records.
“We have no reason to believe this was a cost or income issue in any way based on the information we have about the family. We’re all really trying to wrap our heads around why this would happen.”
The mother, Amber Hampshire, has turned herself in to police. https://t.co/nobP3oXTRA pic.twitter.com/WWCbUehrmJ
— Greg Jonsson ?? (@Jonssonville) December 28, 2018
Emily Hampshire was in “full cardiac arrest” when the EMTs arrived and never recovered, leaving her unable to communicate with the medical staff at the hospital.
“Zachary and Amber Hampshire reported to Alton Police officers and medical staff the Emily had been sick for the past couple of days with vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea prior to being found unresponsive on the morning of 11/01/18.”
According to the affidavit, Amber Hampshire told the hospital staff that Emily had been treated for pneumonia in the last year, and at that time, her sugars were high, but she didn’t require insulin then and has never been prescribed the medication.
“Amber was asked by Cardinal Glennon staff to authorize the release of medical records from St. Louis Children’s Hospital to Cardinal Glennon regarding that past treatment, but she (Amber) refused.”
Emily Hampshire died two days later.
After the child’s death, investigators were able to access Emily’s medical records where insulin was listed as a daily and required medication for the treatment of Type I Diabetes. A social worker involved in the investigation suggests that medical negligence could have been part of the mother’s motive.
