Marshfield couple turns tragedy into advocacy

MARSHFIELD – Nicole and Brandon Culpepper say they were met with both compassion and scrutiny in the days surrounding the death of their 10-month-old son, Percy, prompting them to advocate for changes in how families are treated during death investigations.

On Dec. 16, 2025, Nicole Culpepper said she received a call from her husband while at work informing her that their son had stopped breathing during a nap.

She rushed to the emergency room, where medical staff were able to restore Percy’s pulse, allowing the family two additional days with him.

Two days later, an MRI revealed severe brain damage.

Doctors informed the family that Percy would not recover, and they made the decision to remove life support.

“At this point, my husband wasn’t allowed to be with Percy right away. He was kept at the scene before being released,” Nicole said.

Authorities launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Percy’s condition, as his father had been caring for him at the time.

Nicole described arriving at the hospital and being unable to immediately locate her husband.

“When I arrived at the ER, I immediately asked the officer where my husband was because I needed him. He kept telling me he didn’t know. I stood there alone in the trauma bay, watching them perform CPR on Percy,” she said.

She said that when her husband, Brandon, arrived, an officer remained in the room until he was cleared to leave.

Shortly afterward, both parents were separated for questioning.

“I stood up to go with him because we needed each other — we didn’t even know if our son was alive at that point. We were told we had to be separated,” Nicole said.

“Brandon was taken to one room, and I was taken to another to be questioned.”

Following their experience, Nicole began advocating for what she calls “Percy’s Law,” a proposed initiative aimed at improving how death investigations are handled by law enforcement, first responders and healthcare professionals.

The initiative focuses on promoting trauma-informed care and establishing more consistent standards for how professionals interact with families during death investigations, while still allowing authorities to carry out their responsibilities.

“Right now, the biggest thing we need is awareness and support. This starts with people — families who have had similar experiences, healthcare professionals, first responders, and community members being willing to share their voices,” Nicole said.

She said collaboration will be key to advancing the effort.

“This isn’t about working against law enforcement, it’s about working alongside them to strengthen what’s already in place and make it more consistent,” she said. “From there, it’s about starting conversations with local leaders and lawmakers to explore how this could be implemented, whether that’s through policy, training standards, or eventually legislation. Change like this doesn’t happen overnight, but it starts by showing that this matters — not just to one family, but to a community.”