Two anti-vax parents who are also owners of a nutritional supplement company are accused of letting their toddler son die from meningitis. The parents apparently tried to treat him with home remedies instead of medicine.
Both David and Collet Stephan have pleaded not guilty to the charges, which state that they failed to provide the necessities of life to their 19-month-old son Ezekiel.
The couple did not call an ambulance until the boy stopped breathing and instead fed him supplements with an eye dropper and lay down with him, prosecutors have said.
35-year-old Collet Stephan, told police that a friend told the couple their son had meningitis. Meningitis is an inflammation caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and the spinal cord.
Collet said they tried to boost the boy’s immune system by feeding him with water with maple syrup, olive leaf extract and whey protein, and juice with frozen berries. After becoming stiff and lethargic after two weeks of illness, they gave him a mixture of apple cider vinegar, horseradish root, hot peppers, onion, garlic and ginger root.
The child had to be airlifted to a hospital after he stopped breathing, and doctors removed him from life support after five days.
David Stephan and his wife operate Truehope Nutritional Support Inc. from their home in Raymond. It is reported that Health Canada unsuccessfully tried to stop their company from distributing its supplement Empowerplus in 2004, which the couple claims can manage mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder.
Warnings about the supplement were issued by government apparently and prosecutors say the couple gave this very supplement to their dying son.
Prosecutors told the court that the pair loved their son and were not accused of ignoring or killing him, but that they should have sought medical assistance much sooner.
David Stephan said that he believes they are being prosecuted by government – to force parents through the courts (instead of through legislation), to vaccinate their kids. He says there is no evidence which shows that Ezekiel’s death could have been prevented if he had been given the vaccine for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
If convicted, these parents face a possible five-year prison term and the loss of their other kids.