Alex Radita's former doctor worried he would die, murder trial hears

Doctors in British Columbia were worried Alex Radita would die of untreated diabetes under his parents' care, one of his former physicians testified on Monday.

Emil and Rodica Radita, who once lived in B.C., are accused of first-degree murder in Alex's death. The 15-year-old weighed just 37 pounds when paramedics found his body in the family's Calgary home in May 2013. The medical examiner testified he died of starvation and neglect.

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Alex went years without seeing a doctor despite having diabetes, the Calgary court heard through the testimony of Dr. Paul Korn, a pediatric emergency specialist who works in the B.C. Children's Hospital child protection service unit.

When Alex was five he was taken by ambulance to the children's hospital in October 2003 "close to death" and had to be resuscitated, said Korn. 

Doctors initially feared he would die in the days after he was admitted.

Korn testified he had never seen a child so "profoundly malnourished," in his career.

Aside from being malnourished, Alex had a "big swollen abdomen," fluid around his heart and severe anemia. He had an enlarged liver, a mass behind his stomach, was septic and had rotten teeth, said Korn. 

Despite his grave condition, the Radita parents told doctors Alex had only been ill for two weeks.

"It was hard for me to really understand how a child could be totally well and fine and over the next two weeks deteriorate … to hypotensive shock," said Korn.

It was that 2003 hospitalization that prompted a review of Alex's situation by the child protection service unit, led by Korn.

The day after Alex was admitted to hospital, Korn met with Emil and Rodica.

"I asked her, 'Do you believe your child has diabetes?' and she would not answer," said Korn.

Court heard earlier in the day that when Alex was initially diagnosed at two years old, Rodica said her son did not have diabetes and did not need insulin.

'I don't think he's safe in his home'

Alex's near-death state, his parents' years-long history of denying Alex's diabetes diagnosis, their refusal to properly treat it and the long stretches of time the boy went without seeing a doctor were taken into consideration when Korn wrote a report recommending the boy be taken into provincial care. 

"I don't think he's safe in his home," Korn said in his report concluding Alex should be taken from his parents.

Alex was seized and over the next few months, while in the care of a foster family, the boy gained weight, developed "chipmunk cheeks" and became healthy, said Korn.

The judge-only trial, now in its third week, will hear from more B.C. witnesses over the next few days.

Court of Queen's Bench Justice Karen Horner has yet to rule on the admissibility of the B.C. evidence.