Mother charged with involuntary manslaughter for daughter’s death after concealing girl’s diabetes

An Illinois woman was charged on Thursday in connection with the death of her teenage daughter, after prosecutors said the mother concealed the girl’s diabetes eventually leading to her death.

Amber L. Hampshire, 39, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and endangering the life and health of a child in a Madison County court on Thursday.

Her child, Emily Ikue-Rose Hampshire, 14, died on November 3 from diabetic ketoacidosis at Cardinal Glennon Hospital.

The charges allege that Amber unintentionally killed her daughter, Emily Ikue-Rose Hampshire, 14, who died on November 3 from diabetic ketoacidosis, by committing acts which were likely to cause death or great bodily harm. 

‘There is substantial evidence to show she intentionally concealed the disease,’ Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons told DailyMail.com 

Gibbons said the disease was ‘completely treatable,’ and called the case ‘heartbreaking.’ 

A return on a search warranted executed on the Hampshire’s home which was obtained by DailyMail.com showed there were unused diabetes treatment products at the residence in the days immediately following Emily’s death.  

Amber has not yet been taken into custody on these charges and could not immediately be reached for comment by DailyMail.com. 

‘We have no reason to believe this was a cost or income issue in any way based on the information we have about the family,’ Gibbons told DailyMail.com.

‘We’re all really trying to wrap our heads around why this would happen.’

Police were notified that Emily was unresponsive at her home on November 1, by a call to 911, according to an affidavit in support of the search warrant.

Gibbons said the evidence showed that Emily ‘was in full cardiac arrest when EMT’s arrived at her home and she really never recovered.’  

The charges allege that Amber (left) unintentionally killed her daughter, Emily (right), who died on November 3 from diabetic ketoacidosis, by committing acts which were likely to cause death or great bodily harm

‘Zachary and Amber Hampshire reported to Alton Police officers and medical staff the Emily had been sick for the past couple of days with vomiting, diarrhea and nausea prior to being found unresponsive on the morning of 11/01/18,’ the affidavit reads.

‘According to medical records, Amber explained to medical staff at Cardinal Glennon Hospital that E.H. (Emily) was admitted to St. Louis Children’s Hospital within the past year with pneumonia. Amber also explained that E.H. also had high sugars at that time, but insulin was not needed and she was never prescribed insulin.

‘Amber was asked by Cardinal Glennon staff to authorize the release of medical records from St. Louis Children’s Hospital to Cardinal Glennon regarding that past treatment, but she (Amber) refused.’ 

Emily died two days later at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in St. Louis.

‘There is substantial evidence to show [Amber] intentionally concealed the disease,’ Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons told DailyMail.com. Emily (left) and Amber (right) are shown in a photo shared on social media

Emily (pictured) had at lease one other prior hospitalization where she was prescribed insulin as ‘routine medication’ in February of 2018, following a stay at St. Louis Children’s Hospital for pneumonia and diabetic ketoacidosis

Medical staff at Cardinal Glennon were eventually able to obtain Emily’s medical records from St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Those records showed the teen was first diagnosed with diabetes in November of 2013, with both the mother and daughter being made aware of the diagnosis.

Emily had at lease one other prior hospitalization where she was prescribed insulin as ‘routine medication’ in February of 2018, following a stay at St. Louis Children’s Hospital for pneumonia and diabetic ketoacidosis. 

Following that stay in the hospital, a Department of Children and Family Services investigator confirmed that her school, Evangelical United Church, received notification of a medical plan.

Amber, however, was an employee at the school at the time, and said the notice should be disregarded as incorrect. 

Despite St. Louis Children’s Hospital scheduling three follow-up appointments and providing the mother and daugther with extensive education on Emily’s medical and dietary needs, there is ‘no known evidence’ that the teen’s insulin prescription was ever filled and Emily never came back to the hospital.   

A return on a search warranted executed on the Hampshire’s home which was obtained by DailyMail.com showed there were unused diabetes treatment products at the residence in the days immediately following Emily’s death

Some of the items found when Alton police officers executed a search warrant on the Hampshire’s home on November 7 included the following: two Humalong Kwikpens insulin delivery devices, one St. Louis Children’s Hospital Family Resource Center care packet for a child with diabetes, two Diabetes knowledge assessment tests and packet regarding diabetes care with daily schedule and checklist, an unopened pack of OneTouch lancets, an unopened pack of Ketostix Reagent strips for Urinalysis, two unused Glucagon emergency injection kits prescribed to Emily Hampshire, an empty box for a OneTouch blood glucose monitoring system, and one box containing a single OneTouch blood glucose monitoring system.

A social worker documented that medical neglect could have played a part in Emily’s death.

Amber has been given opportunity to turn herself in to the police, Gibbons said. 

If she doesn’t, she will be arrested by authorities on the charges. Gibbons estimated her first appearance before the court will be within two weeks.

Amber has been given opportunity to turn herself in to the police, Gibbons said. If she doesn’t, she will be arrested by authorities on the charges. Gibbons estimated her first appearance before the court will be within two weeks