"Welcome to Plathville" stars Barry and Kim have been married for more than 20
years and have homeschooled their nine children. Their relationship is built on
a rock-solid faith in God above all else. In every aspect of their daily lives,
whether it's raising their nine children, working on the farm or managing their family brand,
the Plath parents trust their faith in the Lord to guide them in all matters big and small.
But, even a devotion to a higher power can't prepare you for everything.
Barry and Kim found their faith tested like never before when their youngest son, Joshua, who was
just 17 months old, died in a tragic incident on their own property. During episode three of the
first season, Kim recalled how, immediately after discovering what had happened to her little boy,
"I had just seen him, so I thought it was okay, but I pulled forward and I ran over him"
The show follows the Plath parents and their nine kids; Ethan, Hosanna, Micah, Moriah, Lydia,
Isaac, Amber, Cassia, and Mercy. Ethan's somewhat controversial wife, Olivia,
is also a regular on the series. The Plath children follow strict rules in the household,
from staying away from technology to never indulging in sugary drinks.
However, beneath the veneer of peaceful harmony, there's a wound that may never be healed.
As Kim recalls on the Plath family website,
it was fall 2008 and she was busy moving trees using the family's Suburban. She said,
"I looked for our 17-month-old Joshua, saw that he was away from the vehicle, then pulled forward to
get the next tree. In a panic, I realized what had happened. I ran over our Joshua.
I lived the next hour nonstop in my brain for the next 8 months."
Barry hurried home from work, but Joshua had passed away before he arrived.
On their website, Kim describes what happened next as, quote "hell on earth," noting she
barely functioned and even wanted to die at times. She couldn't even hear her son's name.
Still, in spite of everything, Barry stuck by her,
never throwing out accusations or making Kim feel worse for what had happened. She said,
"He was strong. He just loved me."
The mother of nine credits her unshakable faith with getting her through such a difficult time.
She explains that it was God who ultimately healed her. She wrote,
"God has been so faithful to our family for getting us through such a horrific event.
He has indeed fully restored our joy. And we are forever grateful!"
According to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise,
Joshua Plath's death was officially ruled an accident by the local sheriff's office.
During season two of the show,
Kim opened up about the tragedy more than ever before. She even admitted,
"If there is one moment in my whole life I could live over and redo, that is it."
While working in the kitchen with her three youngest daughters,
the little girls questioned what exactly had happened to Joshua. Kim laid it out
as plainly as she could, describing it as, quote, "an accident on the farm."
She then recalled how Joshua ran behind the vehicle in the split second after she had
checked to make sure he was safely out of the way and, as a result, she accidentally hit him.
In a discussion with producers, the dedicated matriarch revealed that she still feels
incredibly guilty about what happened. She said,
"I probably am my biggest accuser and that was a battle that I dealt
the whole first year after he died."
Thankfully, the youngest Plath children weren't around when the incident occurred,
nor did they witness their mother's depression immediately afterward.
It's been over a decade now since Joshua's death, but Barry and Kim still feel it like
it was yesterday. Regardless, they acknowledged that there's a lot going on in the Plath family.
With Ethan refusing to speak to them and Micah and Moriah moving out,
the parents acknowledged that maybe it's time to move on.
After deciding to visit their little boy's grave, who would have been 13,
they realized they should celebrate his 17 months of life rather than obsess over the
sad details of his passing. They also want to involve the younger kids in that celebration.
She and Barry reminisced about how good he was as a kid, and Barry stated,
"We can just celebrate that we had 17 months to just be with him, and he with us."