Father Dropped From Suit in Diabetes Death

An Orange County Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a mother who contended that her ex-husband, a Christian Scientist, had relied on spiritual healing instead of medicine before their 12-year-old son died of diabetes.

Since Gayle Quigley filed her multimillion-dollar suit 14 months ago, James Wantland has contended that he had no idea his son had diabetes until the boy suddenly became extremely ill and he had to call paramedics. Andrew Wantland died of juvenile diabetes in December, 1992, about two hours after his father called 911.

“I hope my friends and neighbors now realize that I would never have done anything to jeopardize my son’s life,” Wantland said this week in a statement.

“Andrew was the picture of good health until the day before his death,” said William F. Fahey, a Los Angeles attorney representing Wantland. “Although Andrew did develop flu-like symptoms shortly before his death, no family member had any indication that he had a very rare and virulent form of juvenile-onset diabetes.”

Fahey said paramedics and emergency room doctors initially treated Andrew for meningitis, which may have worsened his diabetic shock.

Quigley, who shared custody of Andrew with her ex-husband, had contended in the suit that her son had become progressively sicker in the week before his death and had been kept at home under the care of his father, grandmother and Christian Science nurses until it was too late. She said his condition could have been treated easily.

The church’s policy on spiritual healing states in part that “material methods of healing turn us away from trusting entirely in God. . . . However, the choice between material and spiritual methods is always left to the individual or to the family, never to any church official.”

Judge Richard W. Luesebrink previously had dismissed Quigley’s charges of wrongful death against The First Church of Christ Scientist, of which James Wantland is a member, and other relatives on grounds that they had no legal duty to care for Andrew, Fahey said.

Quigley recently agreed to drop the remaining portion of the suit against Wantland without payment of any damages, Fahey said. Judge Luesebrink signed the dismissal earlier this month.

An attorney representing Quigley could not be reached for comment.