An Avoidable Fatality

First, some background.

Type 1 Diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin, which is a hormone that acts on sugar in the bloodstream to make it usable by the body. As it works, cells are fed and the sugar level in the blood is reduced.

Type 1 diabetics take insulin by injection (the more common Type 2 Diabetes is a different disease that generally doesn't require shots). As the insulin is absorbed into the bloodstream, sugars in the form of food must be eaten. This accomplishes two things: it provides nutrition and it gives the insulin something to work on.

Sounds easy, but guess again. If insufficient food is ingested,the insulin will break down too much sugar in the blood and create a low sugar reaction that can cause sweating, shivering, loss of mental acuity and coordination, and unconsciousness. With too much food or not enough insulin, high sugar levels result. This causes sluggishness and extreme thirst in the short run and complications like blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease, cardiovascular problems and even amputation in the long term.

It gets even more complicated, since factors like physical activity (or lack of it), a hot vs. a cold environment, sickness and stress affect how quickly the sugar gets burned off. Plus, the insulin usually peaks about 90 minutes after it's injected and then its effectiveness drops off, which means you need to compensate for insulin/food/activity several times a day.

You're on a tightrope, weighing all the variables to balance your blood sugar in a range between too high and too low. And it's with you relentlessly - every day, all day, 365 days a year. It's not easy, but at least you're alive.

Untreated Type 1 Diabetes is terminal 100% of the time. With no insulin to break down blood sugar for nourishment, the body turns on itself by metabolizing stored fats and producing an acid byproduct in the process. The acid builds up to toxic levels, poisons the body, causes a coma and then death.

This end game is what Dale Neumann, his wife and several others observed while they prayed for God to heal his daughter as she took her last breath on the floor of their home. He and his wife had refused to seek medical attention for her, even as 11 year-old Madeline lost weight and became too weak to walk, eat, drink or speak.

Neumann calls himself a "full gospel Christian" who regarded her illness as "a test of his faith." While Mr. Neumann is conversant with Bible verses, he's not affiliated with an organized church. And that may be the underlying cause of this tragedy.

If he had attended a church, even one that emphasizes divine healing, he would have found that they encourage medical treatment and that using modern medicine is entirely consistent with the Bible. While many churches believe God is responsible for all healing, seeking proper advice and treatment from a physician is no different from seeking help from an expert in any field. It's as prudent - and biblical - as hiring a plumber to fix a leaky pipe.

Dale Neumann should have sought medical help, and he also should have sought expert advice for an explanation of Bible passages. He may have modified his personal theology and chosen to enable his helpless daughter to survive.

Misinterpretation of the Bible can be dangerous. In this case it was fatal.

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