Anti-Vaccination Parents Charged After Toddler Dies From Ear Infection

By Lina Bryce

Anti-Vaccination parents, Ebed Delozier, 29, and Christine Delozier, 34, were charged on June 10th with involuntary manslaughter of their 18-month-old daughter, Hope Elizabeth.

The Wyalusing, Pennsylvania couple has been charged for refusing to provide the toddler with medical care while she was ailing from an ear infection for nearly three weeks, which would eventually kill her, due to their religious and personal beliefs on vaccinations and chemicals.

The toddler died at Towanda Memorial Hospital on March 23rd, and according to the police report, a nurse at the hospital said that Hope’s parent’s “made it clear they were against antibiotics and other chemicals associated with modern medicine.”

Forensic Pathologist, Dr. James Terzian at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton indicated in the autopsy report that Hope was dehydrated and malnourished. He concluded that the toddler died from meningitis that originated in her left ear, and that a simple antibiotic would have treated it. Based on those findings, the Bradford County Coroner ruled Hope’s death a homicide.

RELATED: 471 Parents Arrested For Refusing Vaccines For Their Kids

Ebed told investigators that their decision to not seek medical attention was predicated on the lack of money, as well as his religious and personal beliefs. He reportedly told police that he would have taken Hope to see a doctor if he had known just how sick she was.

However, it appears that much of their decision-making was left in the hands of fate as Christine Delozier watched her own child die.

The Rocket-Courier wrote:

She told police she has done her own research on vaccinations and found they can be related to death, SIDS, autistic disorders, immune disorders and shaken baby syndrome. While her views are not religiously motivated, she said she does feel God is the ultimate healer.

Delozier admitted her daughter had been sick for approximately three weeks prior to her death, having a fever that varied between 99 and 103 degrees Fahrenheit and occasional vomiting.

She said the ear infection lasted for a couple of weeks and an abscess that eventually formed had ruptured and fluid drained from the toddler’s ear for approximately five days.

Delozier kept treating the child with natural and herbal treatments to boost her immune system. On the day of the toddler’s death, Delozier laid the little girl down for a nap. Roughly one hour later, she observed her daughter’s breathing to be labored and shallow, taking one breath approximately every 10 seconds. The toddler eventually stopped breathing and went limp.

“I watched her die,” Delozier told police.

She performed CPR on the victim for approximately 30 minutes, at which time Ebed Delozier arrived home and took the child to the emergency room.

It would be too late. The hospital would receive the child already in cardiac arrest. They made all possible attempts to save the toddler while she was in their care. In the emergency room, the nurse said she overheard Christine making statements such as, “you’re putting holes in her” and, “you’re putting chemicals in her.”

The two have been charged with one count each of involuntary manslaughter, graded as a felony of the second degree, and endangering the welfare of children, graded as a felony of the third degree.

Christine was arraigned on the charges and released on non-monetary bail.

Troopers said Ebed had an active bench warrant for his arrest in the Bradford County Court of Common Pleas. He was sent to the Bradford County Jail without bail pending a hearing.