Mother of Alberta toddler who died of meningitis breaks down in tears, questions physician's report

It wasan emotional day in a Lethbridge courtroom as the mother accused in the meningitis death of her toddler son continuedto testify in her own defence.

Collet and David Stephan are charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life to their childEzekiel, who died in 2012 at almost19 months of age frombacterial meningitis.

Collet burst into tears as she stood in the witness box Friday,describing the night in a Calgary hospital when her little boy lay dying.

• Alberta toddler's final days before meningitis death detailed in physician's report
• Mother of toddler who died of meningitis concerned other children would be taken away
• 'We are not abusive parents,' dad of toddler who died of meningitis tells court

She said she was traumatized and sleep deprived.

The Crown questioned Collet about the extent to which the testimony she gave Thursday differs from what she told doctors at the Alberta Children's Hospital in 2012,when her son was on life support.

Court heard that the boy had been ill for about two weeks before he stopped breathing and wasrushed to hospital,first in Cardston, then Lethbridge, then Calgary.

Colletsaid that night at the Alberta Children's Hospital, she felt like a robot, andit was hard to focus when talking to the doctors.

She said she was distracted by the thoughtthat her son could be gone at any moment.

Physician's report questioned

Collet also testified thatshe disagrees with the physician's report and that her son's health problems leading up to his death wheezing, lethargy, and stiffness, among otherswere notas severe as described in the document written up from that night in hospital.

She saidshe may have exaggerated what she told doctorsbecause of the trauma.

Colletdenied that her friend Terrie Meynders, aregistered nurse, told her to take Ezekielto the doctor.

Meynders testified last month she had told Collet to take the boy to a doctor because he could be suffering frommeningitis.

ColletsaidMeyndersfelt blamed for what happened toEzekiel and therefore some of the nurse'stestimony was "actually inaccurate."

WebMD consulted

Colletacknowledged she andMeyndershad looked upmeningitis on WebMD, a medical reference website, but she could not recall what symptoms she read about, other than arguing repeatedly she thoughtEzekiel had a less serious version ofmeningitis than what led to his death.

She broke down saying the trauma had affected her memory when the Crown pushed her on that interaction withMeynders.

At that point, Collet's mother whispered "It's okay."

Others in the courtroom cried.

"No one would want a different outcome [more] than my husband and I. Do I wish I'd taken him to a doctor? Absolutely," Collet said through tears.

About 20 people satbehind her husband, David Stephan, who was also in the Lethbridgecourtroom.

The trial resumes Monday at 10 a.m.