12 year old Texas girl dies after parents used smoothies to treat life threatening injuries

A 12-year-old girl from Christine, Texas, died Monday after her mother and stepfather neglected to seek medical care for four days following severe injuries, attempting instead to nurse her back to health with smoothies, according to authorities.

Miranda Sipps, a cheerleader at Jourdanton Junior High School, was found in critical condition when her mother finally called 911 on Monday evening, as stated by the Atascosa County Sheriff’s Office. Christine, a small community located about 45 miles south of San Antonio, was rocked by the tragic incident.

Emergency responders met Sipps and her mother, 36-year-old Denise Balbaneda, on the highway after they had left their home, racing the unconscious child to the hospital. Tragically, Sipps was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the emergency room.

The investigation, led by the sheriff’s office, revealed that Sipps had sustained severe, life-threatening injuries the previous Thursday. Despite her condition and being largely unconscious, her mother and stepfather, 40-year-old Gerald Gonzales, failed to seek medical help for four days. Instead, the couple attempted to treat her injuries with smoothies mixed with vitamins.

Sheriff Soward of Atascosa County stated that as Sipps’ condition worsened and she began to experience difficulty breathing on Monday evening, her mother finally made the call to 911. However, even then, Balbaneda opted to leave their house and meet emergency responders on the road rather than wait for them at home.

Both Balbaneda and Gonzales were arrested on Tuesday afternoon and charged with a first-degree felony for injury to a child by omission. Investigators believe the couple avoided seeking medical attention out of fear that law enforcement would become involved if they did.

The cause of Sipps’ injuries remains under investigation, and Sheriff Soward has refrained from providing further details, confirming only that the injuries were unrelated to her school, which had resumed classes that Monday. The final autopsy report is pending.