Madeline Neumann from Weston, Wisconsin died Sunday from diabetic ketoacidosis, a treatable condition that is a form of diabetes, according to a report today by The Associated Press. The report states that she had probably been ill for about a month, and that common symptoms are nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst and weakness. According to family members, the girl’s parents knew there was something wrong with their daughter, but they chose to rely on their faith through prayer, rather than taking their daughter to a hospital.

Leilani Neumann, the girl’s mother claims that until recently, her daughter had been in good health saying,

“We just noticed a tiredness within the past two weeks. And then just the day before and that day (she died), it suddenly just went to a more serious situation. We stayed fast in prayer then. We believed that she would recover. We saw signs that to us, it looked like she was recovering.”

She went on to say, “We are remaining strong for our children,” Leilani Neumann said. “Only our faith in God is giving us strength at this time.” It’s times like these when Genesis 1:28 comes to mind that says (in the Message translation):

Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
   Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
      for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth.”

While I respect (and in a way, envy) the parents’ extreme faith, and hold no judgment over their decision to rely solely on it to the exclusion of more “worldly” means, I have to suggest that the medical profession is one way that we have fulfilled God’s command to “have dominion” over the Earth. Regardless of what you think about the situation, you have to feel for these parents and the family of this young girl whose life ended so tragically.