The Parents Who Chose Their Faith Over Their Daughter’s Life
The Kerrs were devoted to one another and to their faith. But when one of their own rejected modern medicine in the name of God, they faced a dire question: What if her children ever needed a doctor to save their lives?
The Atavist Magazine, No. 177 Alex Ronan’s work has been published by Elle, New York, The New York Times, n+1, The Nation, and Vogue. She was a 2023 recipient of a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. Editor: Jonah Ogles Art Director: Ed Johnson Copy Editor: Sean Cooper Fact Checker: Grace Polaneczky Photographer: Rosem Morton Published in June 2026. Note: This story contains descriptions of child abuse and death. It draws from testimony given by many of the named subjects and extensive court records. Chapter 1 In August 2016, the Kerr family gathered for a reunion in…
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