Wilson Police: Woman Neglected Son's Medical Care

A Wilson woman was arrested Monday for failing to get medical treatment for her son's blood disorder.

According to the Express-Times, Shantera Tasamana Pope, 35, was charged following an investigation by Wilson police and the Northampton County Children, Youth and Families Division.

Police say Pope learned her teenage son had anemia and possible internal bleeding in May, but failed to take him for follow-up medical care. A Wilson Area High School nurse also advised Pope to take her son to a doctor after the boy came to the nurse with a high heart rate and fatigue.

In October, police say, the boy was hospitalized with a low hemoglobin count.

Anemia is a condition in which a body doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells, which bring oxygen to body tissue.

According to the National Institutes of Health, anemia can have numerous causes, including an improper diet, genetics, or chronic illnesses. In serious cases, it can lead to a heart attack.

Pope was charged with reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. She was arraigned before Senior District Judge Ralph Litzenberger, and was free on bail.

This is the second such neglect case to make headlines in the Easton area this year. In October, Fransisco Torres, 41, of Easton, pleaded guilty to neglect for i to the point that the boy extracted two teeth with a pliers.