What to Know
Prosecutors charged an Idaho father who allegedly refused to let doctors treat his dying daughter. Joshua Bailey’s 10-year-old daughter was gravely ill at Idaho Falls Community Hospital in September 2025. Bailey brought his daughter to the hospital, but once doctors recommended treatment, he allegedly became combative.
Though his daughter’s life was on the line, her father reportedly insisted he knew better. Nearly nine months later, police arrested Bailey on a felony injury to a child charge.
Bailey’s daughter reportedly showed signs of sepsis.
According to court documents obtained by East Idaho News, a Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a call about a “potential disgruntled parent.” Hospital staff claimed Bailey brought his 10-year-old daughter, who has cerebral palsy and two feeding tubes, in for care. Doctors believed the child had a potentially life-threatening septic infection that needed treatment. But in order to treat the child, they needed to test the child’s feeding tubes to see if they were the source of the infection, which the father protested.
Bailey seemed to feel like he knew better than the doctors.
A doctor reportedly told police they tried to explain the dangers of sepsis to Bailey, but their warnings fell on deaf ears. Instead of allowing them to test his daughter’s feeding tube, he allegedly said: “The hospital machines were causing these issues, and she did not need any help.” Per court documents, hospital staff told Bailey his assumptions did not make sense medically, and that “if she did not get treatment soon, her odds of dying went up significantly every hour.”
Doctors feared the child would die without care.
The deputy filed a warrant for imminent danger with the Bonneville County Prosecutor’s Office after a doctor warned that every hour the child was not treated increased her odds of dying by 10%. Ultimately, law enforcement served Bailey with paperwork informing him that law enforcement was “enforcing imminent danger, and he did not have the ability to refuse care anymore.”
It’s unclear what happened next or if the child’s health improved.
Loved ones claim the allegations against Bailey are false.
Many people claiming to know Bailey do not believe he could ever hurt his daughter.
“Straightbull—- he didn’t do anything he is the best father for her I’ve known him forever he’s my oldest brother best friend,” someone shared on Facebook.
This person agreed, insinuating the child’s illness fell on hospital staff. “Ya the news is bulls— it’s just trying to make him look bad when in fact he is not a bad guy.. he is a hero for taking care of his daughter. I hope he turns around and sues there asses.. for damn near killing his daughter and turning it around on him like it was his fault,” they wrote.
According to court documents, the incident took place on September 23, and police issued a warrant for his arrest on December 10. Police arrested Bailey on June 14, 2026. He posted a $25,000 bond and was released from custody.
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