Daughter dies after parents tried to treat ‘life-threatening’ injuries with smoothies and vitamins

Miranda Sipps, 12, tragically died on Monday, four days after suffering severe and “life threatening” injuries that her parents tried to treat at home with smoothies and vitamins, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The preteen, a student and a cheerleader at Jourdanton Junior High School, was finally taken to the hospital on Monday night when her mother, Denise Balbaneda, called for help as Miranda went into respiratory distress.

Despite the efforts of medical staff at Methodist Hospital, where Miranda was rushed, she could not be saved.

The Sheriff’s Office reported that the girl had been “mentally and physically incapacitated and non-responsive” for four days before her mother sought emergency medical care.

During those critical days, the girl’s mother and 40-year-old stepfather, Gerald Gonzalez, failed to seek appropriate medical help, opting instead to treat Miranda with smoothies and vitamins.

Sheriff David Soward stated that the parents did not want to draw attention to Miranda’s condition, though he did not provide details about the nature or cause of her injuries.

The investigation revealed that Miranda had sustained “serious life-threatening” injuries on Thursday evening, but her parents did not call 911 immediately, even as she remained largely unresponsive, only able to “flutter her eyes and move her hands a little bit” over the four-day period.

Authorities intercepted Balbaneda on her way to the hospital with Miranda on Monday night, but it was too late to save her daughter.

Sheriff Soward noted that, at one point, the parents might have attempted to give Miranda oxygen, though this was not confirmed. He also mentioned that Balbaneda did not want law enforcement inside the house and left with the child before authorities arrived.

Balbaneda and Gonzalez were arrested on Tuesday and charged with injury to a child causing serious bodily injury by omission, a first-degree felony.

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The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are awaiting the final autopsy report to determine more about the circumstances leading to Miranda’s death.