The Stephan family judgement:
Almost 4 years ago, the Stephan family from Alberta Canada, experienced the tragic death of their son Ezekiel, just 18 months old at the time. The Canadian government prosecuted the parents and have found the parents guilty of “failing to provide the necessities of life,” a charge that is similar to manslaughter.
It is true that these parents misjudged the seriousness of their child’s illness.
It is also true that this child was without oxygen for over 8 minutes while in the care of a paramedical team. Because of a budget cut, the ambulance wasn’t equipped with the proper equipment needed to resuscitate a child Ezekiel’s age.
In this case, the medical system misjudged too.
I’m just not sure what parents today are supposed to glean from this story? As I watched this story develop and witnessed the vitriol unleashed against these parents, I wondered if I was the only parent in the nation who ever lost a night’s sleep and took unpaid trips through hell while caring for their ill child.
It Could Have Been Me
Over and over as this court case unfolded; I thought to myself, this could have been me!David Stephan says that his family’s tragedy is being used to further an agenda that cannot be obtained by legislation under the Canadian Constitution, and the precedent could affect families all across Canada.
I was a parent who really struggled to restore my child’s health back in the day. I come from a family of nurses and teachers, yet following the conventional path wasn’t working for us. It was creating more problems.
In desperation I began to search out natural health avenues to pull us out of the pit we were in. This life-changing path worked for us.
Decades later we are all thriving and I have no regrets.
Legal Can of Worms
This legal judgement really opens up a can of worms. If the Crown wanted a way to over-reach into our personal and intimate lives, this finding might do it.In Canada our government may not be able to mandate medical treatments but this legal precedent really puts parents in a tough place. Parents can be charged for a criminal act regardless of other factors involved outside of parental control.
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Why This Family?
Is this story about meningitis, or medical misadventures or even about keeping kids safe?What the Stephan family experienced doesn’t play out as a court case where truth was the goal.
It looks more like a railroad train with a carefully engineered outcome in mind.
Is it possible that this whole situation was choreographed from start to finish through pressure from the Pharmaceutical Multi-National Corporations to circumvent the law of Informed Consent in Canada?
The issue is when simply put is:
Are parents in Canada now criminally liable any time they nurse their own ill children at home; use anything other than Pharmaceuticals ; or fail to rush to the emergency rooms with the least sniffle, fever or cough?
What’s the Real Purpose?
Is there a hidden agenda? While the kid beating, junk food feeding pharma-numb parents are safe at home watching TV, these parents who care are having their lives destroyed in the public domain. They have other children at home who will suffer too.For once, I am really feeling ashamed to be a Canadian. I thought we were better than this.
Is It Really About Meningitis?
Why this family? Certainly this isn’t the only family in Canada who has ever lost a child to parental error, sudden illness, medical error or meningitis!What about this family? What did they do right that the Stephan’s did wrong? The child died from a failure to appreciate the severity of the illness.
What about this family? The mother was a medical doctor. She also misjudged, and she is a trained professional. The child died here too. What is curious and ironic about this instance is the mother, who is a Medical Doctor is also our Canadian Minister of Health.
Be clear, that I am not minimizing these parents loss, or expecting anyone to be other than human. But why was the Stephan’s misadventure considered criminal?
What did they actually do wrong?
The Stephan’s home school their children. I know lots of kids that were home schooled and they are really exceptional adults.
The Stephan’s take natural supplements. Lots of people do that too. This family also uses natural remedies for home care. People have been doing that since time immemorial, so no big issue there. This family also used other health care providers. Well, lots of people do that too.
Something of interest, the Stephan’s own a supplement company and make their living from the natural health industry. Well, lots of people work for a living in this industry too.
The Three Ring Circus of Corporate Intent
The only thing that makes sense to me is, that this whole circus is a ploy to make parents terrified to look after their kids, and warn parents that if they don’t follow the drug road they will be criminally liable.The Multi-national Pharmaceutical Industry wants our kids and to do so, they have to get us parents out of the way.
In the US it is just the same agenda, but that requires working the legal systems differently.
[Tweet “Pharmaceutical interests want our kids and must get parents out of the way”]
The Bottom Line
Our kids are a huge natural resource, perhaps one of the real last big money makers. The vaccine industry alone could reach a trillion dollars within 5 years. “There is gold in those there veins” and they want it.I am happy to see that this case proved that ambulances need to carry proper equipment.No jail term threatened there though.
What Does it All Mean for Parents Today?
What is the moral of my story? I really don’t know. Just as the wrong road of this matter is not clear (parents make mistakes in judgement), the right road isn’t clear either (medical personnel make mistakes in judgement).
The evolution of Federal law in this instance does not add clarity to the lives of parents, but it certainly clarifies that parents are vulnerable to the laws of the land today in ways we can’t even imagine. God help us indeed.

I agree with you. The verdict is deeply disturbing. and should worry parents everywhere in Canada. Too many of them seem to be busy being hateful and rejoicing though.
What other message can there be except you follow the drug industry model or we will come and get you.
The two medical officers of Health had conflicting “expert” opinions!
The ambulance was not properly equipped
An xray was kept from evidence
A closer properly equipped ambulance was not called
Trolls took over the social media discussions, who unleashed them?
This is a travesty, I still can not believe the outcome
An appeal is absolutely necessary
I agree that an appeal is necessary. However, the stark reality is that this young family of modest means is already 300,000.00$ in debt for the costs of this trial! That is a lifetime of debt. Unless they have some kind of outside help there will never be an appeal and justice will never be known.
I am so overwhelmed by this travesty of justice. No parent with this degree of caring for their children – the best they know how – should be made to suffer more. No parent who has worried and tended and dreaded through the dark nights of nursing their sick child would condemn such obviously caring parents. To add criminal charges to the sorrow already providing ‘punishment’ for these people is wrong. Sending the message that it is the medical establishment or institution that can better deal with sick children – and that parents are at risk if they nurse their own child – is ludicrous. Had this child been sent home by an overworked medical professional and then died, would the harried Doctor be tried for manslaughter? There are instances of medical failures resulting in deaths. Are criminal charges brought? It is a frightening enough responsibility to judge whether a child is so sick as to need medical attention. Are we prepared for the terrified parents who will feel to bring every sniffle, fever, cough, or stomach ache to the crowded and broken emergency departments of our hospitals?
I’m so with you on this! I believe that we all need to stand together and set another precedent and overturn the conviction on these parents and let the powers that be know that we will not put up with this corporate bullying in any arena! The writing was clearly on the wall here and the agenda was that of big pharma again. This is 1984 at it’s finest! If anyone is a lawyer and knows how a group could stand together with class action. I’m IN!