An 8-year-old U.K. boy died of scurvy, a rare disease usually associated with centuries-old pirates and sailors, a coroner ruled at a Thursday inquest.
The boy, of Pembrokeshire county in Wales, died in December 2011 from a severe lack of vitamin C, which brought on scurvy, the inquest at Milford Haven revealed according to Wales Online. Officials also learned his parents had a history of neglecting their son, who never had a doctor's appointment a day in his life.
The parents, who were not present at Thursday's ruling, are not being charged for Dylan Seabridge's death.
Dylan's father, Glynn Seabridge, called paramedics on Dec. 6, 2011 saying his son collapsed and was unresponsive, Coroner Jeremy Davies said according to Wales Online. Dylan was rushed to Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest where doctors treated him for cardiac arrest. He could not be resuscitated.
Responding paramedics noted Dylan's legs were swollen and covered in multiple bruises and rashes. At the time it was suggested he have meningitis but the autopsy concluded he died from scurvy, which is marked by a lack of vitamin C and a break down in the body's tissue.
The post-mortem found the child suffered from anemia and had loose teeth in his mouth among other abnormalities. It was later determined Glynn Seabridge and his wife Julie never took their son to the dentist even though the family registered with one in 2007.
"At no time was medical assistance sought for these problems. This death was from scurvy, an easily preventable disease," Davies said.
Hundreds of years ago, pirates drank rum in order to prevent scurvy when access to fruits and vegetables on ships was limited. Nowadays scurvy is rare in the U.S. and U.K. but has been seen in elderly or homeless people who do not have access to a healthy diet.
Dylan's parents never took him to the doctor, the inquiry heard. When he was age 3 in 2006, they failed to bring him in for a required developmental checkup. Healthcare workers tried rescheduling but his parents declined, Wales Online reported. No other records exist of Dylan ever seeing a doctor.
Glynn and Julie Seabridge, who have another son, were expected to stand trial last November for child neglect and failing to seek medical attention for Dylan. But the Crown Prosecution Service, in charge of the case, declined to pursue the matter.
