By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles

Naturopathic Doctor Says She Recommended Emergency Care

Mar 16, 2016 | 5:43 PM

LETHBRIDGE: A naturopathic doctor and operator of the Lethbridge Naturopathic Clinic took the stand Wednesday, in the trial for David and Collet Stephan.

Doctor Tracey Tannis testified that her receptionist, Lexie Vataman, received a call from a woman in March of 2012, saying a midwife and registered nurse had seen her child, and they believed he had viral meningitis and were looking for a treatment. Tannis says Vataman pulled her out of an appointment with another patient to ask for advice, and that she immediately responded by saying, “You need to tell the lady to take the child to emergency right away.” She says she waited to hear Vataman relay the message, and then went back to her patient.

Tannis explained that meningitis is not something she is prepared to handle at her clinic, and that emergency care is required.

Questions then turned to a later point, when Collet Stephan came to the clinic to purchase an echinacea mixture called Blast to treat the child. Tannis stated that while she had a brief conversation with Collet, she didn’t realize it was the same person who had called about a treatment for meningitis, adding, “I really thought that woman went to emergency.”

Cross examination by the defence attacked her credibility, with the Stephan’s lawyer, Sean Buckley, suggesting Tannis was “fabricating” evidence to protect herself. He asked if there had been any issues on social media since the trial started, and Tannis acknowledged that she had removed all of her social media accounts because of a comment where someone said the parents and naturopathic doctor should be killed.

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Buckley asked why Tannis wouldn’t have taken the phone call herself, and went over the original statement Tannis made to police, in which she didn’t say she stayed to listen and confirm Vataman relayed her message. She responded by saying it’s not her practice to take calls, and that she would rather they make an appointment. She added that she believed the officer knew she had followed Vataman to ensure the caller was told to take the child to emergency.

Questions continued about whether it was Tannis who had recommended the echinacea mixture, but she flatly denied it.

Later on the evening of March13, 2012, Ezekiel would stop breathing, prompting the Stephans to call 911, but several doctors have testified through the trial that he was likely brain dead as a result of bacterial meningitis before the ambulance arrived.

The Stephans are charged with failing to provide the necessities of life.