Middletown, Pennsylvania – Authorities in Dauphin County have arrested a local couple after their 13-year-old son, who suffers from Type 1 diabetes, was hospitalized multiple times for severe diabetic ketoacidosis—an emergency condition that can be fatal if left untreated. Police allege the parents failed to refill his insulin for nearly a year, forcing the boy to rely on expired medication and ultimately landing him in the intensive care unit.
Incident Overview
According to investigators, Anthony Diffendall, 41, and Meghan Diffendall, 36, were taken into custody last week and charged with one count each of endangering the welfare of a child. The arrest followed what police described as an incident reported to the Lower Swatara Township Police Department, prompting an immediate investigation.
The victim, who lives with Type 1 diabetes, was admitted to the hospital on June 22 and again on Sept. 9 due to diabetic ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition resulting from dangerously low insulin levels. A third hospitalization followed only days later on Sept. 13, when the boy suffered vomiting, chest pain, and abnormal breathing.
Police and medical staff determined the teen had been living without adequate insulin for months, raising major concerns about chronic medical neglect.
Timeline of Events
Doctors first treated the boy in June, marking a serious episode of diabetic ketoacidosis. By September, the victim had endured three hospitalizations within a three-month period, a pattern medical experts said signaled significant lapses in care…