Authorities in Pennsylvania have apprehended a couple following two incidents in which their 13-year-old son was hospitalized for severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) within the same week.

The boy, who suffers from type 1 diabetes, autism, ADHD, and hypoglycemia unawareness, requires constant adult supervision for his diabetes management. An affidavit cited by The Daily Voice highlights these needs.

During two critical DKA episodes in September, just three days apart, medical professionals noticed recurring negligence in the child’s care by his parents. They reported consistently high blood sugar levels and attributed the hospitalizations to inadequate management of the boy’s condition.

The parents, Meghan Diffendall, 36, and Anthony Diffendall, 41, informed investigators that a denial from their insurance company prevented access to the necessary long-acting insulin. Consequently, they resorted to using expired insulin following the child’s initial hospitalization on September 10.

After being discharged, the boy returned to the hospital three days later with severe symptoms, including chest pain, vomiting, and irregular breathing. He was diagnosed with severe DKA and elevated potassium levels and was admitted to intensive care.

Dr. Daniel Hale, chief of pediatric endocrinology and diagetes at Penn State Children’s Hospital, said the boy had a third hospitalization in June.

In an affidavit, police wrote that only the boy’s father attended a diabetes education appointment the parents were asked to attend after the most recent hospitalization, WPMT reported. He reportedly told hospital staff that his wife “was home sleeping” because she “likes to sleep during the day and stay awake late into the night.”

The boy’s pediatrician said that records showed the parents had not refilled his long-term insulin since January.