‘Welcome To Plathville’ Barry & Kim Plath Details On Tragic Death

While Welcome To Plathville may get criticism for how Barry and Kim Plath chose to raise their kids, they also overcame many things as a family. Unfortunately, one major tragedy always brings the family back together. Sadly, the family lost a young, seventeen-month-old child while raising their other children. Barry and Kim share difficult details surrounding the terrible loss.

Barry And Kim Plath Open Up About Tragedy

In July 2022, Barry and Kim Plath gave many details about a horrible 2008 accident that killed their seventeen-month-old son, Joshua, in a two-hour episode of Welcome to Plathville. While the series follows Barry and Kim raising their nine children, they sadly lost their tenth child in their very own backyard. Although the upbringing of the kids was far from the beaten path, they tried to provide a sanctuary of life at their family farm. However, even shielding them from many outside factors didn’t promise that nothing bad would ever happen. After losing a child it took its toll on the entire Plath family.

Nearly ten years before agreeing to show their Welcome To Plathville ways on TLC, the family survived the loss of their youngest son, Joshua. He was born on April 15, 2007, and died on Sept. 19, 2008. Although he passed away nearly sixteen years ago, he still has a powerful place in the Plath’s lives. In the fall of 2008, Kim was using her vehicle to move fruit trees on their Georgia farm.

However, she wasn’t aware Joshua had approached the area until she hit him. Lydia, Isaac, and Ethan were in the Suburban and Moriah was nearby. Admittedly, Lydia says she was too young to understand what happened. Any parent knows that toddlers can be quick and it is a nightmare to think of any child darting in an area they can’t be seen. Undeniably, Kim carries the burden of guilt over her son’s death. She expresses, “I had just seen him, and I thought it was okay.” But she confesses in the heartwrenching realization, “But I ran over him.”

Kim Plath Carries A Heavy Burden

Undeniably, raising children can be difficult, but at that time, Barry and Kim Plath had seven young children to account for. Additionally, she was pregnant with her eighth child during the accident. Reportedly, the Thomasville Times-Enterprise in September 2008, gave an account of the incident. After an investigation conducted by the Grady County Sheriff’s Office, ultimately the death of Joshua was ruled as accidental.

“The mother was pulling the vehicle forward — she had been doing yard work — and thought she had accounted for all the kids,” Investigator Daniel Singletary comments. “She had seven children, ages 15 months to 10 years old, and they were all outside playing. She thought everyone was accounted for, moved the vehicle forward, and discovered she’d run over the youngest.” The investigator gave more details about the incident, “Medical personnel took over and tried to save the child, but they were unsuccessful. He was pronounced at the scene.”

Kim Plath Goes Deep Into Depression

While Welcome To Plathville stars, Barry and Kim Plath have decided to divorce in recent months, the tragedy had a harsh effect on their lives. In an article in Woman’s Day, Kim once shared an essay on the family website that has since been deleted. Undoubtedly, she was thrown deep into depression after the death of Joshua. She expresses, “I woke up every morning and functioned. But just barely. I wanted to die.” Admittedly, she felt tortured and empty after the accident.

Barry And Kim Plath Trudge Through The Grief

However, Barry was supportive, “My husband was dealing with losing his son and his wife. I was gone. Checked out. Unavailable for conversations or reality.” Although they grew even further apart in later years, Kim Plath praises Barry for how he traveled through the grieving with her. “I thought of the accusations I would have thrown at Barry if the situation had been reversed,” Kim admits. “He never did.” She was relieved, “He never even hinted at anything like that.”

Then she gratefully expresses, “He was strong. He just loved me.” In season 2, Kim Plath shares, “I probably am my biggest accuser, and that was a battle that I dealt [with] the first year that he died.” Emotionally, it was too great of a burden for her, “I was pretty much just shut down.” In a confessional interview, Barry tearfully says he knew she was carrying that heavy weight and purposely avoided ever assigning blame for the horrific accident.

Joshua Brings The Family Together

In 2022, the entire Plath family set aside their feud to gather in the memorial of Joshua‘s then-fifteenth birthday celebration. “He lived a short life, but he made a big impression,” Barry shares with producers. “His memory lives on through the older children into the younger children.” Unfortunately, Moriah Plath witnessed the death of her brother and still has flashbacks. Furthermore, she says no one would talk about Joshua’s death after the tragic passing. During Season 2, Moriah reflects on how they were so young they couldn’t say his name right and instead would call him, “Dawa.”

“One of the things I struggle with to this day is … I was really close when he got run over,” Moriah says in Season 4. “I watched it all happen, so sometimes I’ll still remember that like it was yesterday, like a flashback.” While she always thinks of the accident first, she also acknowledges the good. Knowing the trauma, Moriah thought the graveside reunion would be therapeutic for the family. She says, “Just to remember the good in it and kind of reflect on that instead of what I always think of when I first think of him.” However, now, she tries to believe even after his death, Joshua is helping bring the family back together.

Olivia Digs Her Heels In

Both Ethan and Kim Plath tabled their disagreements in remembrance of Joshua. However, Olivia Plath was selfishly unable to get past the underlying family issues when hearing Kim would be at the graveside. While Olivia was at the graveside, she rode and remained in the producer’s vehicle during the family’s tribute to their loved one. Sadly, Olivia’s stubborn assertion compounded issues within her and Ethan’s relationship, which is also over now.

Although the family stood together through many difficulties, Kim, Barry, Olivia, and Ethan Plath are each going through their divorces. During Welcome To Plathville Season 5, Kim Plath was moving quickly with her boyfriend, Ken Palmer. And Barry was focusing on getting stronger and channeling his attention to the family. Recently, Olivia has shown she is moving on by introducing her new boyfriend to the world. And Moriah Plath continues to work through trauma in her life by using her music. Unfortunately, there is still a huge divide between Kim and Olivia Plath, even after calling it quits with Ethan.

Have you been through a difficult loss like the Plath family? Do you have any experience with living through a heavy burden like Kim Plath travels with? Are you ready to see new episodes of Welcome To Plathville? Drop your comments below.