{
  "id": 11158829,
  "title": "Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/four-kids-in-one-faith-healing-family-died-authorities-could-do",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-01T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPublica",
    "slug": "propublica",
    "url": "https://www.propublica.org/article/idaho-faith-healing-multiple-deaths"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Four children belonging to the same faith-healing family in Owyhee County, Idaho, passed away before their first birthday between 2022, 2024, and 2025. Emma Joyce, their eldest, succumbed to illness in 2009, followed by her sister Ava Joan in 2010, their brother in 2012, and finally a fourth sibling in 2018. The parents, adherents of a faith-healing sect known as the Followers of Christ, refused to seek medical care for their children, citing their religious beliefs. Idaho law permits such exemptions, allowing parents to avoid the legal obligation to provide lifesaving medical treatment to their children. The Followers of Christ have experienced at least 15 avoidable child deaths from 2015 to 2025, with healthcare professionals reviewing records from multiple families. The children's deaths often stemmed from conditions like diabetes and meconium aspiration syndrome, which could have been treated with insulin, antibiotics, or oxygen. Idaho's broad religious exemptions shielded authorities from intervention, not only preventing criminal prosecution but also hindering efforts to protect surviving siblings from similar tragedies. In contrast, Oregon implemented stricter laws in 1999, incentivizing parents to seek medical care, which provided law enforcement and social workers with the means to intervene and save lives. The graves of the four children from the Idaho family are clustered together at Peaceful Valley Cemetery, a Followers of Christ burial ground.",
  "summary": "The post Four Kids in One Faith-Healing Family Died. Authorities Could Do Nothing. appeared first on ProPublica .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}