A mother in Minnesota is going to prison after failing to get her daughter proper medical treatment. The 9-year-old girl was experiencing severe symptoms of an asthma attack, but instead of taking the child to the hospital, the parents tried to treat the symptoms at home.
Several hours later, the parents finally took the girl to the hospital, but it was too late. A week later, she died due to the lack of immediate treatment. After pleading guilty, the mother has now been given her official sentence.
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The mother will serve three years in prison.
36-year-old Rachel Modrow of Hopkins, Minnesota, was sentenced to three years in prison, according to court documents obtained by CBS News affiliate WCCO. The mother will serve a 41-month sentence for second-degree manslaughter after her 9-year-old daughter died as a result of a prolonged asthma attack.
Rachel Modrow pleaded guilty to manslaughter in October 2024, on what was supposed to be the first day of her trial.
The girl was at a friend's house when she fell ill.
According to court documents, the girl went to a sleepover at a friend’s house on February 9, 2024. The next morning, the friend woke her parents, telling them the girl was having an asthma attack.
KTSP reported that according to the court documents, the girl was using an asthma inhaler with her grandmother’s name on it. The girl told the adults that because her parents don’t have a vehicle, she was using her grandmother’s inhaler. Regardless of why, the inhaler wasn’t working.
The parents asked for the child to come home.
According to the complaint, the friend’s mother called Rachel Modrow and her husband, Anthony. When told what was happening, the mother asked to have her daughter brought home. Though the other parents offered to take the girl to a hospital, the Modrows refused.
The woman said that the girl was wheezing, breathing heavily, and asking to go to a doctor.
The friend’s parent claimed that Anthony Modrow made no attempt to help his daughter out of the car, despite the fact that she was having trouble walking. That was around 7:30 a.m.
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It was hours before they took the girl to the hospital.
WCCO reported that according to court documents, a family friend came to the Modrow home. After noticing that the girl’s skin was blue and she couldn’t raise her arms, that person called 911. The girl was taken to the hospital, where she was placed in the ICU. After seven days, doctors declared her brain-dead.
Anthony Modrow told police that the girl had been experiencing asthma issues for two days. The parents were aware that her inhaler had been empty for a month, but made no effort to refill it. Even though she was wheezing and crying, they tried to treat her asthma with a steam bath.
Both parents have been charged.
Upon sentencing, Rachel Modrow was credited with 35 days already served. Additionally, she must pay $128 from her prison wages in fines and criminal surcharges. She is also banned from possessing firearms, ammunition, and explosives for life.
Anthony Modrow also faces charges of second-degree manslaughter. However, he has pleaded not guilty. His jury trial begins on January 27, 2025.
