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Home » Diet » Florida parents fed their toddler only raw fruits and vegetables now he’s dead – National Post

Two Florida parents face manslaughter and child neglect charges after finding their malnourished, 18-month-old son dead.

During the early morning hours of Sept. 27, it was time for Sheila OLeary to feed her youngest son.

Sheila, 35 and her husband, Ryan OLeary, 30, only ever ate raw fruits and vegetables. The toddler, who had been sick, only had breast milk during his last week, reported the Fort Myers News-Press.

At 4 a.m., just minutes into feeding her son, Sheila noticed his breathing was shallow.

She told police if she could go back in time, she would have called for help.

Instead, both parents went to bed that night.

When they woke up, their son wasnt breathing and his skin was cold.

After calling 911, Ryan started trying to revive the toddler.

But soon enough, local paramedics arrived and pronounced the 18-month-old dead.

The parents revealed Sheila gave birth to the boy in their Cape Coral home, near the southwest Gulf Coast of Florida. The 17-pound toddler, who was significantly underweight, never saw a doctor in his life because his parents preferred it that way, according to police.

The childs death, while tragic, was neither purposeful nor neglectful, but accidental and is listed on the death certificate as such, John Musca, Sheilas attorney, told local news station WFTX.

A statement from Muscas law firm described how the toddler was struggling with illness for the past six months, making it difficult for him to eat.

The mother said that the little boy began to recuperate, but then started teething, causing him to have new struggles with eating.

The family also said the toddlers feet swelled during the last few weeks of his life, which led him to walk less than before.

The autopsy report determined the main causes of death were malnourishment and complications, including dehydration, a fatty liver and swollen limbs.

But when police showed up, the parents stood in the driveway, waiting with three other children.

Detectives described the couples two other biological kids, ages 3 and 5, as extremely malnourished, yellowish and pale. The parents told the police their family is vegan, only letting their children eat raw fruits and vegetables like mangoes and bananas, according to the News-Press.

Both children weighed less than the third percentile for their age groups and one of them had blackened, decaying teeth that only surgery could fix.

Muscas law firm denied reports of child neglect, noting the entire family is small in stature the children are healthy.

The mother is a nurturing parent and a devout Christian, read the firms statement.

The third child, Sheilas biological daughter, appeared healthier. She only visited every other month and lived with her biological father after she failed to thrive in her mothers care, according to documents the News-Press reviewed.

The entire family is small in stature ... the children are healthy

Sheila is a stay-at-home parent while Ryan worked two jobs. She told police she home-schooled her children, although officers didnt find any records to prove their enrollment in a home-school program.

Any time you do see a child that was counting on someone to care for them and those people did something that resulted in their death, it hits you a lot harder, Master Cpl. Phil Mullen with the Cape Coral police department told WFTX.

When the autopsy revealed their toddlers cause of death, the couple surrendered themselves to the police on Nov. 6.

The Department of Children and Families also took away OLearys two surviving kids for their safety.

Both parents are currently being held on bond, which is set at $250,000 each ($200,000 for the charge of aggravated negligent manslaughter of a child, $25,000 for child neglect causing great bodily harm charge and another $25,000 for the charge of child neglect without harm).

Their arraignments are scheduled for Dec. 9.

Email: bhristova@postmedia.com | Twitter:

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Florida parents fed their toddler only raw fruits and vegetables now he's dead - National Post

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Home » Diet » Florida parents fed their toddler only raw fruits and vegetables now he’s dead – National Post