Alex Radita's parents suspected of faking his blood sugar readings, murder trial hears

While AlexRaditawas being cared for by a foster mother, he was described as chatty, funnyand giggly. But just weeks after being returned to his parents, he became quiet, wouldn't joke around and was "downward looking," according to testimony by one of the boy's doctors in a Calgary courtroom.

Emil andRodicaRaditaare on trial for first-degree murder in the death of Alex, 15, who weighed just 37 pounds at the time of his death in May2013 in Calgary.

The family moved to Alberta in 2009, but until then had been living in British Columbia, where Alex was originally diagnosed with diabetes at age two.

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From that point on, Alex was hospitalized several times and his parents were in denial about his diagnosis,refusingto properly treat him.

The year after his diagnosis, it was suspected that theRaditaparents were taking their own blood sugar readings and reporting them to the hospital, according to Dr. Daniel Metzger,a pediatric endocrinologist whowas part of the medical team tasked with managing Alex's diabetes.

The parents had beenordered to report the readingsto hospital staff following the boy's initial diagnosis, said the doctor.

Metzger testified on Tuesday that he wrote a letter to B.C.'ssocial servicesin 2001 explaining that he believedAlexwas in danger in the familyhome.

Emil andRodicadid not believe in Metzger's diabetes diagnosis, according to his testimony.

Conflict with parents

Court heard evidence of a highly tense relationship between theRaditaparents and hospital staff.

"There was a lot of conflict between the parents, the nurses, security at the hospital," said Metzger. "When I wasn't meant to be directly taking care of Alex, I was keeping away from the parents."

A few years later, in 2004,Alex was taken to hospital near death. During that hospitalization, Alex was taken from his parents and placed with a foster mother for a year.

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Alex talked about school, joked and giggled a lot, said the doctor of Alex's personality while he lived with his foster mother.

"He was a different person from when I first met him," said Metzger. "[Alex] was chatty to the point where you could barely get him to stop talking."

"We had quite a nice little relationship going."

Raditas disappear

But just weeks after being returned to his parents, Metzger testified that he noticed a difference in Alex, who had become quiet, kept his eyes down and had stopped joking.

Metzger continued to treat Alex until 2008, when the family failed to show up for an appointment. An investigation was launched but the Raditas could not be found.

"We did as many inquiries as we could do," said Metzger. "At that point, it had been a year since the parents had bought insulin in British Columbia.We called the school and they hadn't seen him in a long time."

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

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