Pennsylvania – In a deeply disturbing case out of Pennsylvania, a 44-year-old mother, identified as A. Stahlman, has been arrested after refusing critical medical care for her 11-year-old son, who suffered a severe head injury following a crash. Authorities say the woman ignored doctors’ orders, dismissed urgent recommendations for specialized treatment, and sent her injured child to school the next day, where his condition quickly deteriorated.
The incident began on April 13 when Stahlman took her son to an off-road racing venue where he crashed an ATV and sustained a retroclival hematoma—a type of brain bleed that occurs at the base of the skull, often caused by trauma and especially dangerous in children. Following the crash, Stahlman brought the boy to a hospital, where medical staff quickly identified the severity of his injury. Doctors informed her that the boy required immediate transportation to a children’s hospital in another city for evaluation and further specialized care. The condition was described as serious, with physicians emphasizing the importance of the child remaining in a neck brace, refraining from any physical activity for 12 weeks, and receiving a specialist’s evaluation.
Despite the warnings, Stahlman refused the airlift her son to the children’s hospital and instead signed him out of the hospital against medical advice, according to court records. Shockingly, before even leaving the hospital parking lot, she removed both the boy’s IV and neck brace—blatantly disregarding doctors’ instructions. Rather than seek appropriate follow-up treatment, Stahlman reportedly sent her son to school the following day as if nothing had happened. According to a criminal complaint, school staff noticed the boy complaining of a severe headache and vomiting twice while being taken to the nurse’s office.
Alarmed, school officials immediately sought medical assistance, and the child was airlifted to the children’s hospital—the very destination doctors had initially recommended a day earlier. Medical staff were left scrambling to stabilize the boy, and Pennsylvania State Police began an investigation into how the situation had escalated to such a dangerous point. Adding another layer of concern, authorities say the boy’s father had not been informed of the diagnosis or the hospital’s previous recommendation to transfer him. He reportedly learned of the incident only after the school called about his son’s worsening symptoms.
Stahlman was arrested on May 15 by Pennsylvania State Police and charged with child endangerment and reckless endangerment. These charges stem from what prosecutors described as a knowing and intentional disregard for her son’s well-being and safety. Under Pennsylvania law, child endangerment occurs when a parent or guardian “knowingly endangers the welfare of the child by violating a duty of care”. In this case, prosecutors say the decision to ignore medical advice and the subsequent physical harm to her son clearly meets that threshold. She was booked into the county jail with bail set at $150,000, and she remains incarcerated as of the latest reports. Her next court appearance is scheduled for May 28. No defense attorney has been listed for her at this time.
The case has left the local community stunned, especially as details of the boy’s injuries and the mother’s alleged actions came to light. Investigators and medical professionals have described the case as entirely preventable. “The mother was clearly told what needed to be done,” said a source familiar with the case. “The child’s life was put in unnecessary danger when she chose to ignore medical expertise.” The boy is currently recovering at the children’s hospital, and officials have not released further updates on his condition. The outcome of Stahlman’s legal proceedings may result in significant prison time if she is convicted.
