OLIVE oil and prayers could not save a dying baby.
When a couple’s two-day-old baby, Hayden Edwards, stopped eating and turned blue, an Oregon couple relied on untraditional healing methods to save their child.
Blair and Taylor Edwards have been sentenced to 30 days in jail[/caption]
Blair and Taylor Edwards watched their infant son go blue and did not provide him medical care[/caption]
Originally, the couple was convicted on one first-degree felony charge for criminal mistreatment, according to Clackamas County.
Now, Blair and Taylor Edwards have received a shock sentence of only 30 days in jail and five years of supervised probation that requires them to get medical care for their four remaining children.
It was noted by the medical examiner that the punishment could have been worse if they had been able to prove that Hayden could have been saved.
“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,” said Deputy District Attorney Russell Amos at their sentencing, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting.
“And nonetheless, they put their hopes in olive oil.”
Blair read a statement in court acknowledging he and his wife “should have reached out for medical care when Hayden went into distress.”
“We do understand that medical intervention can be necessary to preserve and enhance life,” he said, per local NBC news affiliate KGW.
“We accept the need to have our children have the necessary medical care for well-being and health.”
MOMENT OF DEATH
Both Blair and Taylor are members of the Followers of Christ church.
Followers of Christ church, a small Christian denomination, do not believe in modern medicine, which is what resulted in Hayden’s death.
Baby Hayden was born on June 24, 2023, appearing healthy and thriving.
According to investigators, he continued to feed normally until the morning of June 26.
His last feeding took place at approximately 6:15 a.m.
Four hours later, the infant’s lips turned blue and he began showing signs of serious respiratory distress.
How to evaluate when to seek medical care
- Breathing difficulties: Trouble breathing with skin or lips appearing blue or gray
- High fever: A fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
- Serious injury: Deep cuts, severe burns, a suspected broken bone, and head injury
- Severe allergic reaction: Swelling of the face or throat
- Signs of dehydration: Infrequent urination, dry or sticky mouth, no tears when crying, sunken eyes, or extreme drowsiness
- Unusual behavior: Lethargy, confusion, difficulty waking up, or sudden changes in behavior
- Other serious symptoms: Seizures, heavy bleeding that doesn’t stop, severe headache or chest pain, coughing or throwing up blood, or a rash that looks like red/purple freckles
More information can be found at Mayo Clinic and St.Louis Children’s Hospital.
Family members noted that he became idle and struggled to breathe, but no medical help was sought.
Instead, Blair and Taylor Edwards turned to their religious practices.
Around an hour after relatives were summoned to pray over the baby and smeared him with olive oil, witnesses told investigators that they attempted to comfort the child as his condition got worse.
By the afternoon, Hayden’s breathing had stopped altogether.
Family members tried to revive him with cold cloths and body rubs, but their efforts failed.
At 3:05 p.m., Hayden was pronounced dead inside the family’s home.
CHURCH NEGLECTS MEDICAL CARE
The Christ Church in Oregon has a history of not providing medical care and had been brought to court 6 times before Hayden’s death.
In 2008, 15-month-old Ava Worthington died from pneumonia and a blood infection, as reported by Oregon Live; her parents never called 911.
Ava’s dad, Carl Worthington, got two months in jail while her mom, Raylene Worthington, walked free.
The parents are reported by CBS to have given Ava oil, wine and they even fasted and prayed over the girl three times in the 24 hours.
That same year, 15-year-old Neil Beagley died, according to his parents he did not want medicine. Neil had a urinary blockage which made him ill. His parents, Jeffrey and Marci Beagley were jailed for 16 months.
The Edwards parents are part of the Followers of Christ Church which has a history of refusing medical care to children[/caption]
A year later, a newborn baby boy lived just nine hours after being born premature and weighing barely three pounds.
The baby needed neonatal intensive care, and his parents, Shannon and Dale Hickman, refused.
They were convicted and sentenced to more than six years in prison.
In 2010, baby Alayna Wyland developed a massive growth across her face, threatening her eye, per ABC News.
Instead of doctors, her parents prayed.
Authorities stepped in, saving her sight and jailing her parents, Rebecca and Timothy Wyland, for 90 days.
By 2017, twin girls born at home to Sarah and Travis Mitchell struggled to breathe, according to Oregon Live.
One baby, Ginnifer, turned blue and died while relatives used oil on her, similar to the method used by Hayden’s parents.
Police forced the Mitchells to get hospital care for the surviving twin, who lived after 11 days in intensive care.
The Mitchells later got 80 months in prison.
