Abigail’s mother, a 30-year-old Rachel Joy Piland, and her husband, 36-year-old Joshua Barry Piland, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Their child, Abigail, died after her parents refused medical help for her.
Abigail Piland was born about 9:50 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 6, at the Pilands' home, in Lansing, Michigan. A midwife and her assistant helped with the delivery. The midwife, who had previously helped deliver two of Rachel Piland's children, expressed no concerns about the child's health when she and the assistant left around midnight. On Feb. 7, when midwife saw the baby, she appeared jaundiced, and the midwife advised Rachel Piland to take the child to a pediatrician or an emergency room.
"Rachel declined to seek any medical treatment for Abigail, stating God makes no mistakes," Lansing Police Detective Peter Scaccia said. "She indicated to the midwife that the baby was fine."
On the morning of Feb. 9, the mother and daughter noticed blood coming out of Abigail's nose, and that the baby wasn't eating or breathing well, her skin color wasn’t normal. Rebecca Kerr, Rachel’s mother, wanted to call for help but Rachel didn’t allow her to do so.
"They then brought Abigail upstairs to pray for her. Joshua continued to massage Abigail, attempting to get her good air. Both Josh and (Rachel) reached out to friends and fellow church members to come to their home and pray for Abigail’s resurrection, but never called the police.” When police later arrived at the home they "went upstairs and found a baby that had passed away and three other people praying for it," Scaccia said.
Dr. Patrick Hansma conducted an autopsy and found that Abigail died from unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia and kernicterus that are both conditions related to jaundice and treatable. "He said if treated, most likely she would've been alive," the detective testified.
The Pilands appear to have been involved with a Lansing-based bible school called ‘Faith Tech Ministries,’ which describes itself online as nondenominational but similar to other “full gospel” or “Pentecostal” organizations.
The husband and wife were each charged with a single count of involuntary manslaughter and released after posting $75,000 bond on Sept. 21. Their next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5 in Lansing's 54A District Court. They face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Those cases where religion beliefs led to someone’s death should be treated carefully and people who let their children die without even trying to help them must be handed the maximum sentence. That’s the only way to stop these avoidable tragedies.
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