Investigators: 30-Pound 12-Year-Old Putting On Weight, Mother May Have Become Overwhelmed
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A 12-year-old girl from Ohio, who weighs just 30 pounds, is being treated at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
But police say what appeared to some as a case of neglect, may instead be a case of well-meaning parent who got overwhelmed.
Nicholle, 12, from Jefferson County, Ohio, is a special needs child. Doctors say she is malnourished and has several other serious health-related issues, but she should be okay.
There were early concerns she may have been neglected by her mother, who would have been criminally charged.
"It's not criminal. There's no criminal case here," said Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla. "So that, in and of itself, make me also come up with the opinion that I can't see anything where she intentionally did anything wrong in trying to raise this kid."
According to reports, Nicholle's parents are estranged. Family friends say her father came to visit her, saw her in this condition and immediately called police.
Nicholle was rushed to Children's Hospital. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department interviewed her mother.
"All indications after talking with her today, she did the best she could do," said Sheriff Abdalla.
Investigators and doctors say Nicholle's mother was feeding her, but was unaware her daughter was not taking food into her stomach - that it was going into her lungs or spit out.
"No one knew the food was not going into the stomach," Sheriff Abdalla said.
Meanwhile, investigators say Nicholle weighed 30 pounds for quite some time. However, they say she has put on three pounds since being admitted to Children's Hospital here in Pittsburgh.
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