Parents on Trial for Refusing to Give Insulin to a Child with Type 1 Diabetes is the headline in InsulinNation’s piece by Craig Idlebrook, 23 September 2016 … and it caught my attention. Emil and Rodica Radita are on trial in Calgary for the first-
degree murder of their 15-year-old child, Alexandru (“Alex”), who had Type 1 diabetes. Prosecutors allege that the Raditas withheld insulin and starved the child until he was 37 pounds, according to a CBC report. By the end of his life, Alex was wearing a diaper and his body was covered with sores. The Raditas were trying to cure his Type 1 diabetes through prayer, and had attempted to wean him off insulin.
Read Craig’s piece: Parents on Trial for Refusing to Give Insulin
For the complete and horrifying story: Diabetic teen parents guilty of murder
Whenever I hear about a child dying from Type 1 diabetes, my heart seizes up. It’s beyond sad, shouldn’t happen, all wrong. I remind my friends and family, who have small children, that if their child seems to have the flu, he or she should be checked for diabetes, even by a simple urine dipstick that can be bought, without prescription, at any pharmacy or even online. Urine Sugar Test Strips
But this story took my breath away. Alex’s death was allowed to die because of his parents’ belief that he “didn’t have diabetes” and could be cured by prayer.
When I was diagnosed at age 11, I had been a practicing Christian Scientist for many years. I went to Sunday School and attended a Christian Science summer camp and read Christian Science stories. UNTIL I WAS DIAGNOSED. I was terrified but my parents immediately gave me medical care … and pretty much, we stopped going to church. It’s nearly impossible to be a devout Christian Scientist while taking medicine and seeing doctors. I still had relatives who said
I DID NOT have diabetes and that I DID NOT NEED INSULIN, if only I prayed and believed!
I am fortunate. My parents did not believe we were all so perfect that we would not need medicine and medical care. But when a very close relative told me that I did not need insulin, I told her that I would die. She answered, “Maybe but not if you believe enough.”
Scary! Sad! I am lucky!
