'Welcome to Plathville': Does Kim tell the truth about Joshua's death to her little children?

It was the fall of 2008 and Kim was pregnant with their eighth child when the tragedy took place, which she described as hell on earth for the longest time
Kim (TLC)
Kim (TLC)

The Plath family functions on a different level. They live a secluded life and pride themselves on having a completely unique order of living. In addition to this, they have suffered tragedies, some of which they have openly shared. One such incident happens to be the death of their son Joshua, who died in an accident when he was 15 months old. It's been 12 years since he has been gone but the parents — Kim and Barry — still remember him and shed a tear or two.

In this week's episode of 'Welcome to Plathville', the conversation about Joshua comes up again. The little ones — Amber, 11; Cassia, 9, and Mercy, 7 — ask Kim how their brother Joshua died. Kim, in the preview clip, tells the children that "if there was one moment in my life that I could live over and redo, that was it." At this point, it cannot be said if she told them the real reason why their brother wasn't around yet. It could be because they are too young to handle the truth.  

Kim, on the Plath family website, shared that she had accidentally run over her son while planting trees. It was the fall of 2008, she wrote, and added that she was pregnant with their eighth child when planting fruit trees.

"I looked for our 17-month old Joshua, saw that he was away from the vehicle, then pulled forward to get the next tree. In a panic, I realized what had happened. I ran over our Joshua," she recalled in her note.  

She continued that she would have been a lot harsher if it would have been Barry in her place. For the longest time, it was "hell on Earth" for her and even though she woke up every morning hoping to function through the day, she would want to die. 

Kim and Barry have a quiet chat in the woods about Joshua and how everyone in the family should go to the cemetery together. The couple is probably looking for closure or maybe they just want each other to remember him fondly. 

Catch all the new episodes of 'Welcome to Plathville' on TLC every Tuesday at 10/9c. For more information, check your local listings. 

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Shane Gillis and the Valley Forge crew get exciting news about the show’s future after breaking a major record.
3 hours ago
HBO’s three-part docuseries revisits a Kansas double-murder case shaped by three trials and disputed evidence.
6 hours ago
Ruby and James face one final test as the hit Prime Video romance prepares to close its story with its last season.
6 hours ago
The radio show host Howard Stern signed a major deal with HBO MAX with separate release schedules, and a huge change.
7 hours ago
‘Chicago Fire’ Season 15 will revamp the leadership arrangement in Firehouse 51
11 hours ago
Fans are getting their first look at what's coming for the Ingalls family in Season 2 as Laura's biggest rival is coming
12 hours ago
Episode 8, ‘Hart Island,’ more or less ties all the loose ends and introduces a stunning revelation in its last moments
14 hours ago
Aaron Pierre gets candid about the emotional toll of playing John Stewart’s traumatic backstory
15 hours ago
Ken Jennings admits some ‘Jeopardy!’ anecdotes weren’t true, including one shocking claim he made during his record-breaking winning streak
16 hours ago
‘Lanterns’ Episode 3 reveals John Stewart’s dark origin, his father’s link to Abin Sur’s ring, and how he became a Green Lantern
16 hours ago