A 12-year-old girl is dead days after getting “life-threatening” injuries that her parents treated with smoothies and vitamins. Miranda Sipps, a student at Jourdanton Junior High School in Texas, passed away in the hospital on August 12th after her mother sought help when the preteen experienced respiratory distress.
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Denise Balbaneda, the girl’s mother, and her stepfather, Gerald Gonzalez, 40, were arrested for not seeking medical assistance sooner for the girl, who remained “mentally and physically incapacitated and unresponsive” for four days, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff David Soward stated during a press conference that the pair refrained from sounding the alarm earlier because they wanted to avoid drawing attention to the girl’s condition. However, reports indicate that he did not disclose any specifics regarding Miranda’s injuries or their cause.
That night, authorities encountered the mother on the road as she was heading to the hospital, prompting EMS to swiftly transport Miranda to Methodist Hospital. Despite the medical staff’s vigorous efforts to provide treatment, they were unable to save her, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office initiated an investigation after detectives confirmed that the preteen sustained “serious life-threatening” injuries last Thursday evening.
The parents delayed calling 911 despite their child being mentally and physically incapacitated. Help was only sought after the child experienced respiratory distress, as reported by the sheriff’s department.
A Texas Sheriff Details How a 12-Year-Old Girl with Grave Injuries Was Treated with Smoothies
Before her death, the mother and stepfather reportedly provided the girl with smoothies and vitamins despite her unresponsiveness, according to Sheriff Soward, as reported by My San Antonio. He also mentioned that the couple may have attempted to administer oxygen to her at some point.
“Basically they thought they could nurse her back to health. We do not think they wanted the attention that this would draw if the little girl was injured,” Soward explained. “Which is strangely ironic, but that was their line of thinking,” he continued.
The 12-year-old could only “flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit over a four-day period,” Soward added.
He also claimed that although the call for help originated from their home, the mother departed with the child before authorities arrived, as she was unwilling to allow law enforcement into the house. Soward did not provide details regarding how Sipps was injured. However, he did mention that she did not have any broken bones.
The investigation is still in progress as authorities await the completion of the final autopsy report.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to cover the funeral expenses of 12-year-old Miranda Sipps. The fundraiser has raised $7,379 of its $15,000 goal at the time of this writing.