Oregon faith healing parents get six years in death of newborn

When sentencing the faith healing parents, Clackamas County Judge Robert Herndon told the distraught couple they could have easily kept their son alive by simply seeking appropriate medical care.

 

David Hickman, the couple's infant son, died in 2009 from a bacterial infection in his lungs. Born two months premature, weighing only 3 pounds and 5 ounces, David only lived for an agonizing nine hours. David, while slowly succumbing to the infection in the Hickman’s home, was surrounded by female church members who are considered midwives, although there is no evidence these unlicensed, supposed “midwives,” have any medical education.

 

The Hickman’s are the fourth couple from the church to be prosecuted in the last two years for failing to seek medical attention for a child. All but one parent was found guilty and sent to prison. The Hickman’s have received the harshest sentence to date among church parents who have allowed their children to die rather than seek appropriate medical attention.

 

Located in Oregon City, Oregon, The Followers of Christ church preaches faith-healing and rejects modern medicine in favor of prayer and other spiritual practices such as anointing the sick with oil. The church is notorious for allowing sick children to suffer and even die rather than seeking medical attention.  

 

Followers of Christ church members have a lengthy history of children dying from lack of medical care. The Oregon State Medical Examiner's office has estimated that in the past 30 years, more than 20 children of church members have died of preventable or curable conditions.

 

The Oregonian reports the Hickmans were each sentenced to 75 months in prison, the mandatory minimum under Oregon’s Measure 11 sentencing guidelines. In addition, Judge Herndon also gave the couple three years of probation.