2-year-old Boy Under 10 Pounds, Near Death, Found In Home

[Whisper]

NO NAMES YET

MOSES LAKE —
Grant County detectives are investigating a suspected case of child abuse or neglect after discovering in a home a 2-year-old boy near death who weighed less than 10 pounds – 24 pounds under normal weight. The child is hospitalized on life support.

A Grant County sheriff's spokesman said Friday that deputies, paramedics and firefighters were called at about 1 p.m. Wednesday to a residential home near Moses Lake.
“Responders found a 2-year-old boy, who appeared extremely malnourished, with no heartbeat," the sheriff's office said. “Firefighters gave CPR, and paramedics were able to get the boy’s heart beating again. He was taken to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake and then flown … to Providence-Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he remains on life support."

When he was admitted to the hospital, the boy weighed less than 10 pounds, the sheriff's spokesman said. In comparison, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the average weight range of a 2-year-old boy in the United States is 34 to 48 pounds.

Detectives served a search warrant on the home Wednesday night and gathered several pieces of evidence. Four other children who live at the home, a 14-year-old boy and three girls ages 10, 7 and 4, are now in the custody of Child Protective Services, the sheriff's office said.[...]

http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-2yea...,6813768.story

[...]
The toddler is on life support at Providence-Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, authorities said.

Grant County sheriff’s deputies were called to the boy’s home around 1 p.m. Wednesday along paramedics and EMTs from Grant Fire District 5 and AMR. When they got there, they found the boy, who appeared extremely malnourished, with no heartbeat, said Kyle Foreman, a Grant County spokesman.

Emergency responders performed CPR and got the boy’s heart beating again. He was taken to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake, then flown to Sacred Heart.

When he was admitted, the boy weighed less than 10 pounds, Foreman said. The average weight range for a 2-year-old boy in the United States is 34 to 48 pounds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Sheriff’s detectives served a search warrant on the home Wednesday night and gathered several pieces of evidence, Foreman said.

Detectives weren’t able to interview the child’s parents until Thursday afternoon, because early “there was no reason to detain the parents and they were allowed to go in the ambulance with their child,” Foreman told the Herald.[...]

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2012/0...#storylink=cpy

Moses Lake boy on life support at Spokane hospital
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/201...kane-hospital/

[Whisper]

Because of public outrage they arent naming parents or showing home

[AngelFire]

I fucking hate people, evil people that is...

[cubby]

"There was no reason to detain the parents and they were allowed to go in the ambulance with the baby". (Paraphrased cause my computer can't be arsed to do the reply with quote thingie.)

WHAT!? Who the hell else would be responsible for this poor baby only weighing 10 lbs if not his parents? If they were there and in charge of feeding and taking care of him? Sounds like this might be a twisty one. Interesting thing to say.

[HijabiGirl]

A 2 yr old weighing less than 10 pounds. I can't even form a mental picture of what this looks like. :(

[sgr1966]

OMG!!!!!! Two of my kids weighed 9 and a half pounds at birth.

[Aena]

My son weighed 9 lbs 2 oz at birth, he is now 8 and he is a huge kid. I keep picturing my grandson who is almost 2 right now weighing less than 10 lbs and I can't even picture it. Oh and there was no reason to detain the parents and they were allowed to go in the ambulance with their child,” Foreman told the Herald. that fucktard should have kept his mouth shut about that, because that is probably one of the dumbest statements I have ever heard....you see a 2 year old like that and there is no reason to detain the parents, who do they think was starving the kid, the neighbors?

[Whisper]

My son weighed 9 lbs 2 oz at birth, he is now 8 and he is a huge kid. I keep picturing my grandson who is almost 2 right now weighing less than 10 lbs and I can't even picture it. Oh and there was no reason to detain the parents and they were allowed to go in the ambulance with their child,” Foreman told the Herald. that fucktard should have kept his mouth shut about that, because that is probably one of the dumbest statements I have ever heard....you see a 2 year old like that and there is no reason to detain the parents, who do they think was starving the kid, the neighbors?

this little boy actually weighs 9.9 lbs its in the video

[LadyCygnet]

Parents who care freak the fuck out when their kids are underweight and/or failing to gain weight. My four year old is just a few ounces shy of 30 pounds, and she's 39 inches tall. I feed her peanut butter, ice cream, chips, any food that she's willing to eat. I check in with the WIC office once every quarter to weigh and measure her, and we see her doctor twice a year to make sure she is growing correctly. Her father is 6'1" and 120 pounds dripping wet, so it may be something she inherited from him. She's also autistic and active as a hummingbird, so that may be part of it, too. What makes it worse is that I'm 5'5.5" and weigh more than I care to admit, so I feel absolutely awful when I go anywhere with my daughter sometimes. I'm always afraid that people think I'm starving her while I'm gorging myself.

The difference, though, is that my daughter is growing, happy, and active, and I'm doing my damnedest to ensure that she continues to gain both height and weight. She's gained two pounds and an inch in the past two months, and I couldn't be happier. If her growth slows or she loses weight, you can bet your ass I'll be on the phone with her pediatrician pronto to find out what we can do to bulk her back up.

The bottom line is that these parents should have been pestering their pediatrician as often as possible to find out WHY their child was so dangerously underweight, if they honestly cared about him. Then again, if they honestly cared about him, he probably wouldn't be so dangerously underweight. There's NO excuse for a two year old to be ten pounds and have no heartbeat. The lack of nutrition will most likely mentally impair him for life, since birth to about two years old is a time for crucial brain growth and NOT a time to be skimping on calories or not feeding the kiddo whenever he's hungry. They have four other kids, and the stories didn't mention anything about those four being malnourished, so I'd be interested in knowing why the ball got dropped on keeping this child at a healthy weight or getting help to bring his weight up BEFORE it made his heart stop beating.

[Tundratot]

My kids were both very light weight (and fairly short) when they were toddlers. They grew according to the charts until they got their feet under them and then they just stopped gaining. All their energy was expended in moving around. The doctors would look at them and say things like, "Well, they're not malnourished".

[Whisper]

No updates anywhere on this
But they said lastnight for the parents protection they werent releasing names

[HeatherHabilatory]

I can't even imagine what that looks like.

[LadyCygnet]

I can't even imagine what that looks like.

Probably a baby skeleton covered in skin that bunches and sags with a bloated belly like those kids in those commercials about starving kids in Africa. At 9.9 pounds, that kid is skin, bones, and shrunken organs.

(Sorry for giving you a mental image.)

[Whisper]

No more updates released until tuesday they said

UPDATE:
MOSES LAKE, Wash. - Grant County officials say the two year old boy who was brought to sacred heart weighing less than ten pounds is still on life support. Sheriff's Detectives continue to investigate the child abuse case, but did say that the boy's siblings, a 14-year old boy, a 10-year old girl, a 7-year old girl and a 4-year old girl show no signs of external wounds or traumatic injuries. No signs of abuse were detected in the siblings, only the extreme malnourishment of the 2-year old boy.

The siblings remain in custody of Child Protective Services.

Previous Coverage:
MOSES LAKE, Wash. – A two-year-old Moses Lake, Washington, boy is on life support, after he was found without a heartbeat, and weighing less than 10 pounds.

Firefighters and paramedics were called to his rural home, about 7 miles northwest of Moses Lake, around 1 p.m. Wednesday by someone inside the house. They arrived to find the boy had stopped breathing and was in cardiac arrest. His mother had been performing CPR. Paramedics continued to work on the boy, and after using a defibrillator, revived him. It's not clear how long the boy's heart had been stopped prior to their arrival.

[...]
It was hospital staff in Moses Lake who first suspected child abuse or neglect, and called the Grant County Sheriff's Office. A search warrant was served at the home Wednesday evening, but we're told nothing ‘terribly unusual' was found. The family is said to live in a nice neighborhood, and reportedly has the means to feed their children.

Grant County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman did not immediately know if they'd been called to the family's home in the past, nor could he speak about the health of the couple's other four children. The couple had five children in total: a 14-year-old boy, three girls ages 10, 7, and 4, and this little 2-year-old boy. As a precaution, their other four children have been taken out of the home and are now in the custody of Child Protective Services.

Now, the entire three-person Grant County major crimes team is working on this case. Foreman said pictures of the boy show he's emaciated, and the shocking and heartbreaking photos have affected even the investigators. One veteran, with 23 years experience in law enforcement, says this is the worst case of child abuse he's ever seen.

The family's name is not yet being released – both for their privacy and protection. Foreman emphasized no charges have yet been filed as detectives work to build their case, and he asks the public for patience.

"They watch TV every week, they watch Law and Order, they see that a case starts at 8:00 and it's all wrapped up by 9:00 and someone's going to jail, and that's just not the case in real life," he said. "We need time to interview people, we need time to build a case, and if charges need to be filed, it takes time to do that."

Foreman didn't know if the boy had any other visible signs of abuse, like bruising or scars, but said everyone working on the case is praying for his recovery.

"Any time a child has something bad happen to them, that sparks outrage in people," Foreman said. "But we need the public's help to be patient and allow the detectives to do their jobs."

As the investigation continues, the search warrant and other information surrounding the boy's family is expected to be released Tuesday.

http://www.khq.com/story/18345306/tw...-investigation

[Dakota Valkyrie]

I'm wondering if they aren't being so cautious in releasing information because the parents are claiming some sort of medical condition is to blame. Even if there is, there may still have a case of neglect but authorities need to back it up.

[Whisper]

I'm wondering if they aren't being so cautious in releasing information because the parents are claiming some sort of medical condition is to blame. Even if there is, there may still have a case of neglect but authorities need to back it up.

On a video I saw lastnight cops said the public outcry and threats police have already heard about made them decide to not give names
OR even allow news crews to know addy of house b/c they are literally afraid of a lynch mob mentality
People want to harm them already
And they dont want anyone to recognize the house

[Whisper]

It may turn out to be medical b/c.
but I dont know

On Saturday morning, Kyle Foreman said that the other four children were in good condition and were with CPS. He also said that none of the five children had an sign of physical injury, such as bruising.

MOSES LAKE, Wash. -
A Moses Lake two-year-old airlifted to Spokane is on life support as Grant County detectives are investigating a suspected case of child neglect that one detective called the worst case of neglect he'd ever seen.

[...]
One of the detectives investigating the case calls it the worst case of child neglect he'd ever seen.
A CPS worker on this case says it's the worse they've seen in 23 years; most newborns weigh as much as this two-year-old boy.

[...]
No arrests have been made yet as Kyle Foreman says detectives need to take their time on this investigation and are asking for the public's investigation.

"We need the public's help on this too, and the help that we need is this, please be patient with us while we conduct this investigation, anytime a child has something bad happen to them that sparks outrage in people and we need the public's help to be patient and allow the detectives to do their jobs," Foreman said.

Questions have been raised as to why the boy's parents haven't been arrested. Foreman said the parents left for Spokane to be with their son before deputies knew any abuse was suspected. Since then they've searched the home, interviewed the parents and are building a case for child abuse charges.

On Saturday morning, Kyle Foreman said that the other four children were in good condition and were with CPS. He also said that none of the five children had an sign of physical injury, such as bruising.
[....]

http://www.kxly.com/news/spokane-new...d/-/index.html

[CbabyRKO]

...if this was becoz of a medical condition then shouldn't there be some kind of proof? Medical records doctors visits anything to prove that this child had a condition that caused them to not gain weight like a normal child.
My buhbuh was 5lbs 15oz at birth but looking at him now you wouldn't believe it. At 2 ppl thought he was much older than he was he's becoz he's tall and built like a baby linebacker.
There is no reasonable excuse for something like this. 4 other kids living in the home and this baby was the only one subjected to such horrid abuse. The only condition I see here is child abuse and the only cure should be the same abuse the meted out against this baby.
I hope he makes it I'm tired of dead babies and the fuckers who brought them into this world only to treat them like they are disposable after they are born.

[Silvahalo]

My 4 1/2 yo boy is 31 lbs, and shorter than the avg. 4yo boy.
He's an extremely particular eater but otherwise is very healthy for what he does eat.

This child being the youngest was singled out for a reason. My guess is he may very well have a medical issue that would require attentive care. The parents found it to much work so let him starve. Of course, that's pure speculation. No matter, there is no reason, none to let a child go hungry and starve. What a viciously cruel thing to do to along with his siblings being cared for, eating in front of him.

A starving child from Africa is what this 2yo boy would look like.
Breaks my heart. Hope little one recovers in every way.


^{2 year old Fatuma Hillow...she weighs less than 10 lbs here.}

[Dakota Valkyrie]

...if this was becoz of a medical condition then shouldn't there be some kind of proof? Medical records doctors visits anything to prove that this child had a condition that caused them to not gain weight like a normal child...

Yes, no, maybe.

Take these two cases here on D'D:
http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/s...rved-her-child
http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/s...-Baby-Syndrome

Medical folks accused people of all sorts of things and it proved not to be true. Not that this may be what's happening in this case, only that the authorities DO need to check it out if allegations are made.If there is no medical proof, I say have at them. There just is NO indication in this case of what way it is going. Certainly a 10lb 2yo is cause for concern.

A medical condition? A medical condition with neglect? Or flat out neglect? I couldn't see it in initial reports and that's why I didn't make a post on it in the first place. Until there's charges it's nothing but speculation. And if there is a medical reason, it has no place in a shaming forum.

[CbabyRKO]

@Dakota Valkyrie
Since when did we start getting homework here on the DD? lol. I read both stories tho even the write up Imp did once she found out the whole truth about Erin Markes and it brought a tear to my eye. So I shall concede that there could be more to this story than is being reported given that there are 4 other healthy kids in the home.
I just idk...I'll shut up for now til more info is released.
At least a damn report from a doctor or pediatrician saying that the baby had some kind of medical condition. Hell I'll take the police saying they saw medical equipment meds anything while they did a prelim search. Le sigh.
Ill health is better than intentional abuse and neglect so maybe the baby was just sick.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Don't get me wrong, @CbabyRKO. I think something is up but I do find it odd that authorities are being so quiet. While it's not odd to have a period of time before arrests are made, it is far more common to see them made right away. I wonder what is so complicated that so much investigating needs to be done? A 10lb 2yo shouldn't be that hard to identify as being neglected (at minimum). There were other kids involved that would be fully capable of saying what was happening in the home. Both parents going in the ambulance with the child seems odd if they were so uncaring that they let a child starve. Just too many weird things about this but I expect that it won't be long for charges to come if there is a case for neglect/abuse.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

OMG! How could they not see or think this was normal? What were (or weren't) they feeding this poor kid?

The search warrant reveals the child's mother is Michelle Staats. A search of the address reveals a Robert Staats also lives at the home. Detectives combed through their home last week for evidence. Detectives pulled some medicine bottles and other evidence from the home.

Documents say the family may have been using naturopath provider for the 2-year-old boy.

The search warrant says that the child had "a body core temperature of 89 degrees, a weak pulse, and blood loss from the rectum...The child had no muscle tone, no hair, and it was apparent that the child suffered sever malnutrition. It was also obvious that the child could not even have sat up on his own for sometime."

The search warrant also stated that the boy had no medical history on file. The mother had mentioned that she had consulted with a Chinese herbal provider in the San Francisco area.
[...]

To date, no arrests have been made.

http://www.krem.com/news/local/Searc...151558175.html

Read the Search Warrant: http://images.bimedia.net/documents/...t_Redacted.pdf

[cubby]

What the Fuck??

A Naturopath and a Chinese Herbalist? So mama thinks something is wrong with baby but she thinks that he can be cured thru starvation?

Ummmm NO!

[LadyCygnet]

Documents say the family may have been using naturopath provider for the 2-year-old boy.

The search warrant says that the child had "a body core temperature of 89 degrees, a weak pulse, and blood loss from the rectum...The child had no muscle tone, no hair, and it was apparent that the child suffered sever malnutrition. It was also obvious that the child could not even have sat up on his own for sometime."

The search warrant also stated that the boy had no medical history on file. The mother had mentioned that she had consulted with a Chinese herbal provider in the San Francisco area.

*clenches teeth*

That is NOT how you help a child who is failing to thrive.

Modern Western medicine has a pretty good track record for helping children who are not growing appropriately, and regular visits with a pediatrician would have most likely resolved whatever is impairing the child's growth by now.

With all of my struggles to keep my daughter growing and gaining appropriately, this sort of thing just really pisses me off. Sorry if it offends anyone.

[cubby]

Doesn't offend me. I had one of those failure to thrive babies. He was born 7 lbs 14 oz, good size but at 1 year he only weighed 19 lbs. He was extremely active. He's 5-4 and 165 lbs and 32 years old now, still a little on the small side, but healthy, Doctors can help if you call them.

[Jerri Blank]

This says more but it isn't really more than DV already posted, but there is a picture of the father at the link
(I didn't know if it would be cool to post it here since he hasn't been arrested but I totally want to)

More on suspected child abuse case
Boy, 2, still in critical condition

MOSES LAKE - A 2-year-old boy remains in critical condition despite weighing 10 pounds when hospitalized last week due to suspected child abuse or neglect.

Authorities released more information regarding the case, including a search warrant for a home on Shorecrest Drive Northeast. The boy was reportedly living there with his parents and four siblings - a 14-year-old boy and three girls ages 10, 7 and 4, who are now in the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS).

Deputies and paramedics were called to the Cascade Valley home last Wednesday where, according to the warrant, they found the boy's mother, Michelle K. J. Staats, 32, on the floor in the process of administering CPR to the child.
The boy exhibited signs of extreme malnourishment, the warrant stated, including no muscle tone, no hair, a core temperature of 89 degrees, blood loss from the rectum and, initially, no heartbeat.

He was revived by paramedics and transported to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake where, according to the warrant, emergency room medical staff said he could not have sat up on his own for some time and was "not likely to survive."

The boy was airlifted to Providence-Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane where, as of Tuesday evening, he remains on life support, according to Grant County Sheriff's Spokesman Kyle Foreman.His siblings reportedly showed no evident signs of abuse and are in good condition in the custody of CPS, where they have been interviewed by detectives.

Few details are known about the boy's past medical history, as Samaritan Hospital staff told police they found no medical record on file and said Staats spoke to them about "seeing a naturalist" and consulting with a "Chinese herbal provider in the San Francisco area for treatment," according to the warrant.

"I observed photos of the child being treated at Samaritan ER," Grant County Sheriff's detective Ryan Green stated in the warrant. "The photos depicted a young, nude white male child that was skin and bones."

During their search of the residence last week, detectives reportedly seized bags of "miscellaneous bottles" from the kitchen and a child's bedroom, along with a "glass smoking device" and "two clear jars of gum."

A vehicle parked outside the Shorecrest Drive home was registered to a Robert Staats, who also lives at the address, according to the warrant. He accompanied Michelle Staats in traveling to Spokane, where Foreman said last week they were interviewed by detectives.

To date, no arrests have been made, and Foreman urged patience as the investigation moves forward.

"This case will require a great amount of investigative work, and there are a lot of questions which we need to get answers for," he stated on Monday. "It will take time to do this work, and we ask the public to remain supportive of the child, his siblings and our detectives."

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/n...9bb2963f4.html

[Whisper]

This says more but it isn't really more than DV already posted, but there is a picture of the father at the link
(I didn't know if it would be cool to post it here since he hasn't been arrested but I totally want to)

More on suspected child abuse case
Boy, 2, still in critical condition

http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/n...9bb2963f4.html

Go ahead and post it!!

[Jerri Blank]

Go ahead and post it!!

Lol, okay I'm easy :-P


Robert Staats

[Bohring]

I didn't know they stacked shit that high.