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A pediatric intensive care specialist said the results of a computed tomography scan on the brain of a boy whose parents were on trial at the time of his death were among the "most devastating" that she has never seen.
Dr. Shauna Burkholder testified Thursday at the trial of David and Collet Stephan, each accusing an indictment of failing to provide the necessities of life to their 19-month-old son, Ezekiel Stephan. .
They treated the toddler with alternative and natural medicines instead of immediately seeking medical badistance.
A medical examiner has already stated that Ezekiel had died of bacterial meningitis and a lung infection in 2012.
Burkholder testified that she had directed the boy's care for hours when he had been flown to the Calgary Children's Hospital, coming from Lethbridge.
The Crown seeks to have Burkholder declared an expert witness in the trial by judge alone and his comments have not yet been filed in evidence.
The Crown interviewed Burkholder about his diagnosis of the boy.
She testified that the CT scan and blood tests, combined with her physical examination and interviews with Stephans, led her to believe that Ezekiel was likely to have bacterial meningitis.
At this stage of the voir dire, David Stephan, who represents himself, challenged Burkholder's qualifications and ability to accurately read a scanner.
His cross-examination of Burkholder is scheduled to continue on Friday.
This is the second trial for the Stephans. A jury found them guilty in 2016, but the Supreme Court overturned the convictions last year and ordered a new trial.
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