Gibbons said that he is a father himself and couldn’t understand why Emily was denied treatment.

“I try to do everything I can to keep my kids healthy and safe,” he said. “I don’t know what would drive a person against that.”

Rushed to hospital

Paramedics were called on Nov. 1 to the home in the 300 block of Brentwood Boulevard where Emily lived with her parents and brother, court documents say. The girl was unresponsive and not breathing.

Emily was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived, authorities said. She was taken to a local hospital, then flown to Cardinal Glennon, where she was pronounced dead on Nov. 3. The cause of death was determined to be diabetic ketoacidosis, a buildup of acids in the blood when blood sugar is too high for too long.

Emily’s parents told police and medical staff that Emily had been sick for the past couple of days with vomiting, diarrhea and nausea before being found unresponsive that morning.