The parents of a 12-year-old Indiana girl who was found dead in her bedroom on July 4 are facing charges of neglect after allegedly failing to properly manage her Type 1 diabetes. Alice Bredhold, who had been diagnosed with the condition in 2020, died from diabetic ketosis, according to a forensic pathologist. The tragic case has led to the arrest of her parents, Ashley and Brent Bredhold, both 38, from Evansville, Indiana.
Following a month-long investigation, the couple was arrested on Wednesday and charged with neglect of a dependent resulting in death. According to reports from the Courier & Press, Alice’s parents had a history of mismanaging her diabetes, prompting multiple interventions from the Department of Child Services (DCS), school nurses, doctors, and therapists.
Ashley Bredhold allegedly admitted to police that Alice’s blood sugar sensor was “dead” and had “fallen off” her arm, which meant she and her husband were unaware of their daughter’s glucose levels in the critical period leading up to her death. This lack of monitoring is believed to have contributed significantly to the fatal outcome.
Alice’s diabetes treatment reportedly consisted of a long-acting insulin shot before bed each night and short-acting insulin doses after every meal, based on her carbohydrate intake. However, this regimen appeared to be inconsistently followed. Weeks before her death, Alice’s 16-year-old brother had to administer an emergency insulin shot after finding her in a critical condition and “moaning a lot.”
In October of the previous year, Alice had been treated in the emergency room for diabetic complications. The attending doctor noted that she had “very poor diabetes control” and was not receiving her insulin as prescribed at home. This concern was echoed by her school nurse, who reported that Alice experienced “life-threatening” blood sugar levels at least 34 times during the school year. The school had contacted DCS six times since 2021 regarding the alleged neglect of Alice’s diabetes management.
Since Alice’s death, two additional children have been removed from the Bredhold home by authorities. The parents are each being held on a $100,000 bond as they await further legal proceedings.
This heartbreaking case underscores the severe consequences of failing to properly manage chronic health conditions like diabetes, particularly in vulnerable children. As the investigation continues, the community is left grappling with the tragic loss of a young life that might have been saved with appropriate care and attention.