La. mom charged with death of Down syndrome son

[The Straight Story]

La. mom charged with death of Down syndrome son


BELLE CHASSE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana woman has been charged with first-degree murder after police say she injected alcohol-based hand sanitizer into the feeding tube of her 17-month-old son, who had Down syndrome.

Twenty-year-old Erika Wigstrom was being held without bond Wednesday. Police say she told them she wanted to end Lucas Ruiz's suffering. NOLA.com The Times-Picayune reports (http://bit.ly/1gqPaZ0 ) Wigstrom broke down in tears during an afternoon court appearance.

Lucas died Jan. 24. Plaquemines Parish Sheriff's Commander Eric Becnel said the child also had been poisoned with alcohol in October 2012 while hospitalized in Jefferson Parish for treatment of a heart defect. The child's father, Cesar Ruiz, allegedly confessed in that instance, but Becnel said Wigstrom has now confessed to poisoning the child in both cases.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/la-mom-charged-death-down-syndrome-son

[rocktivity]

1. So there IS something even worse than babies having babies

Last edited Thu Mar 13, 2014, 02:26 PM - Edit history (4)

Babies having less than perfect babies.

Did they know a Down's Syndrome child was coming, or did they conceal the pregnancy until terminating it was no longer an option? If they did find out in time, did they refuse to terminate the pregnancy, or were they "shamed" out of it? If they did choose to complete the pregnancy, is this a terrible case of buyer's remorse?


rocktivity

[REP]

11. Women that age are unlikely to be tested for Trisomy 21

Trisomy 21 is more likely to occur when the maternal age is over 35, but can happen with any pregnancy. The degree of disability associated with Trisomy 21 cannot be predicted; the degree of intellectual delay can range from moderate to profound and the health problems associated with the syndrome, while always present, can also range in severity.

[Maedhros]

2. The cruelty of despair on full display [n/t]

[rocktivity]

7. DING DING DING! Maedhros, you're our grand prize winner!

The cruelty of despair...

But whose despair? Were they really trying to end the child's suffering, or their own?


rocktivity

[Maedhros]

8. I can't understand their motives.

I am the father of a special needs child, who was born with a cleft palate and has experienced delayed development. I remember how torn up I was when she had her cleft repair surgery at 11 months, and again when she had surgery to repair a club foot at 3 years. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of watching the hospital staff take your baby away to the operating room. It tore me up.

But I never felt despair. Granted, the challenges that face a child with Down's are much greater than what my daughter faced. I wonder how much of that despair was rooted in the expectation of crushing medical debt on top of all the normal parental stress?

This story fills me with an immense sadness.

[rocktivity]

9. Given the age of the parents, I wouldn't be surprised

Last edited Thu Jun 26, 2014, 03:52 PM - Edit history (4)

if crushing SOCIAL debt was also a factor. That's why I wondered upthread if they got enough prenatal care, or if they got to consider terminating the pregnancy.

Maybe they decided that their child's "quality of life" was such that no life at all would be better. Or maybe they're just a pair of immature brats who got fed up with the effect that premature parenthood was having on the quality of their OWN lives.


rocktivity

[quakerboy]

4. Hand sanitizer?

That doesn't seem like a good option. But then i've never felt a need to poison anyone.

Whole situation must suck terribly. Id rather not live on a feeding tube, and it seems like a lot of people i run into feel that way, but how can you deal with it with someone who is unable to express their wishes, who never has been able to and probably never will be able to?

[Jenoch]

5. I have an 8 year old niece

who was born with a heart defect who had a feeding tube the first 6 years of her life. She has had 5 open heart sugeries. One time the surgeon even left a needle in her chest through negligence (it's still there because it's more dangerous to remove it than to leave it alone). She is now thriving without the GI tube and lights up every room she enters.

I have known several children and adults with Down's. My life is much richer having known them.

[rocktivity]

6. And this just happens to be Trisomy Awareness Month

Trisomy (birth defects caused by a chromosome too many) can occur in in 23 different ways -- one for each pair of human chromosomes. Trisomy 21 (more commonly known as Downs Syndrome) occurs when the 21st pair of chromosomes is affected.

http://yourhhrsnews.com/down-syndrome-awareness-month-starring-john-c-mcginley/
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/resources/spotlight/Pages/031513-trisomy.aspx
http://trisomy.org/



rocktivity

[Cali_Democrat]

10. More here: Apparently the father also tried to poison the baby with rum....

The child's father, Cesar Ruiz, was arrested in October 2012 after telling police he had put rum in his son's feeding tube days before the boy, then 2 months old, was scheduled to have heart surgery. The poisoning caused seizures, but the infant's life was spared.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/13/erika-wigstrom-mother-poisoning-baby_n_4955659.html?utm_hp_ref=crime

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. Heartbreaking. Really sad.

[Cali_Democrat]

13. poor kid went through so much

heart defect, then rum poisoning, then hand sanitizer poisoning.

who knows what else they did to him

[lumberjack_jeff]

14. The OP article indicates that the mom has confessed to this poisoning as well.

I'm very unclear why the baby was allowed to stay in the parents custody during the intervening year.

[rocktivity]

15. Her Pinterest board is still up

Tattoos, weddings, beauty/fashion, and being a mom for the second time.

http://www.pinterest.com/ewigstrom/pins/

rocktivity