Girl Died After Mom Avoided Hospital Co-Pay: Deputies

TAMPA, FL — A 39-year-old Tampa woman’s alleged attempt to avoid the hospital co-pay required to acquire care for her sick daughter has cost her a manslaughter charge.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Jolanda Stridiron was brought into custody Sunday at the Polk Street Greyhound bus station where she works as a ticket taker. Deputies charged her with aggravated manslaughter in connection with the February 2015 death of her 6-year-old daughter.

The girl, who suffered from a rare condition called Dandy-Walker Syndrome, began complaining of vomiting and severe headaches on Feb. 7, 2015, sheriff’s office spokeswoman Cristal Nunez confirmed. Rather than go to the emergency room with the child, Stridiron is accused of deciding to wait for a scheduled doctor’s appointment the next week.

The child, who has not been identified, died two days later, the sheriff’s office said.

Stridiron’s arrest came at the conclusion of an investigation that spanned more than a year. Detectives learned that Stridiron had been instructed by doctors that such symptoms in her daughter required immediate medical attention, Nunez confirmed. Detectives also uncovered Stridiron’s alleged decision to avoid the hospital expense after speaking with witnesses, the agency reported.

Medical professionals, Nunez said, advised the sheriff’s office that the child’s chances for survival would have been much greater had she been afforded urgent care.

Dandy-Walker Syndrome is a “congenital brain malformation involving the cerebellum (an area at the back of the brain that controls movement) and the fluid filled spaces around it,” according to the Dandy Walker Alliance. Symptoms include slow motor development and the potential for progressive enlargement of the skull. Older children may experience symptoms brought on by intracranial pressure that include vomiting, convulsions and irritability. An estimated 1 in 2,500 children are born with the disease, which can prove fatal in some cases.

Stridiron remained in the Hillsborough County Jail Wednesday in lieu of $50,000 bond. She has no prior criminal record in the county, jail records indicate. If convicted, Stridiron could face life in prison.

It is unclear how much the hospital visit would have cost Stridiron versus a trip to a doctor's office.

Booking photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office

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