Shameka White: Mom accused of intentionally starving toddler till brink of death
GASTON COUNTY, GEORGIA: A Georgia mother has been charged with child abuse after her 3-year-old toddler was rushed to the hospital last week. Shameka White, 30, allegedly starved her son to the point that he weighs half of what he should for a child his age.
On March 6, the paramedics responded to a Gaston County home after White believed her son was having a seizure, WSOC reported. The boy was rushed to the hospital, where medical staff reportedly discovered his body temperature was 83 degrees and that the boy was extremely malnourished, which causes the seizure. Medical staffs also told that the effects of starvation had caused bruising and scaring all over his body.
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The toddler has also been found to be suffering from various health complications, including acute liver failure, respiratory failure, and brain atrophy due to starvation. Despite the critical condition of her son, White allegedly appeared emotionless at the hospital.
Shameka White is charged with intentional child abuse and Assistant District Attorney, Stephanie Hamlin said she may face additional charges due to her son’s condition. White's bail is set at $500,000 and her hearing has been set for March 31.
Hamlin said the toddler is on life support, which doctors determined was caused by intentional starvation. The toddler was able to eat food for the first time on Sunday, 13 March.
The boy’s father, Dequan Thompson and White had broken up two years ago and White had sole custody of the boy. Thompson told WSOC that he has had little contact with his son since the divorce. However, Thompson sought custody at a recent hearing following White’s arrest. Besides the toddler, White has three other children residing with her. They are now in Child Protective Services’ custody.
Over the past few years, there has been a sharp rise in the rate of child abuse in the US. In one such case of child abuse, Christopher J Gregor from New Jersey faces murder charges in the death of his six-year-old son in April 2021, due to a blunt force impact to his chest and abdomen. Another extreme case of negligence towards children was the death of an Atlanta girl due to starvation in 2013, for which her stepmother, Tiffany Moss was sentenced to dead by lethal injection in 2021.