Mother of 2-month-old boy, who weighed little over 6 pounds at the time he was admitted to hospital and nearly died of starvation after she intentionally neglected him, avoids jail

Indiana – In a disturbing case out of Indiana, a 26-year-old mother, identified as C. Donat, avoided prison time for actions that nearly led to her infant son’s death due to severe malnutrition. Donat faced grave charges but ultimately received a sentence of probation after pleading guilty to severe neglect.

In November 2024, Donat was charged with two counts of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury. The charges accused her of endangering her 2-month-old son’s life and health and depriving him of necessary support. The court handed down a sentence on Thursday, where Donat pleaded guilty to both counts, leading to her receiving three years of suspended sentences for each charge, replaced by probation. This decision came under the scrutiny of local authorities and the community, given the severity of the child’s condition when he was finally given medical attention. The sentencing also included a no-contact order, which remains under the discretion of state child welfare authorities, reflecting the gravity of her neglect.

The case came to light when a concerned friend intervened in a life-threatening situation, rescuing the infant child from what could have been a tragic end. The infant, son of Donat, was suffering from extreme malnutrition and dehydration when he was brought to a local hospital by the friend. At the time of his hospital admission, the baby weighed a mere 6 pounds, 6 ounces—two ounces less than his weight at birth.

The condition of Donat’s son was so severe that Sheriff N. Robinson, during a press conference, noted that the child’s physical state bore resemblance to victims of extreme famine, with features indicating emaciated temporal wasting. “A sunken-in face, where literally all the fat has been used in the body, trying to keep it alive, resulting in the skin hanging from the bone,” Robinson described, underscoring the severity of the neglect.

The boy’s rapid recovery post-hospitalization highlighted the neglect further; he gained three pounds within just a few days of proper feeding. This swift improvement proved, according to Sheriff Robinson, that the child could indeed process food adequately when given sufficient amounts, directly contradicting Donat’s claims of feeding issues.

Initially, Donat told authorities she was feeding her son around six ounces of formula daily, though he was allegedly spitting up much of it. She also mentioned being overwhelmed by work and personal issues. However, the sheriff’s office determined her actions showed “deliberate indifference” to her child’s needs. “The hospital’s own testing could not replicate this child’s inability to digest food, and once the child was being fed properly, the child quickly gained three pounds in a matter of days,” Robinson stated, providing evidence of the neglect.

Donat was arrested on November 22 and was being held in the county’s jail on a $25,000 bond. During her incarceration, Donat reportedly admitted that she should have acted differently and acknowledged that her son would have died without intervention.

This case has sparked a public outcry, emphasizing the critical importance of community vigilance and the role of bystanders in child welfare. The intervention by Donat’s friend likely saved the infant’s life, a point stressed by Sheriff Robinson during his briefings to the press.

The incident has also led to discussions about the support systems available to parents who find themselves overwhelmed, as well as the mechanisms in place for reporting and preventing child neglect. Authorities said the 2-month-old boy was placed with a foster family. The swift action by the Department of Child Services, in response to the hospital’s report, highlights the responsiveness required in such cases, yet also points to the need for preventive measures.