Article content

CALGARY — Sentencing arguments are to be heard today for a woman who treated her son with holistic remedies before he died of a strep infection.

Tamara Lovett was found guilty in January of criminal negligence causing death. Justice Kristine Eidsvik said Lovett “gambled away” the life of her seven-year-old son Ryan by treating him without seeking medical help.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Sentencing hearing for Alberta mom who 'gambled away' son's life with holistic remedies Back to video

Lovett gave her son dandelion tea and oil of oregano when he developed the infection that kept him bedridden in their Calgary home for 10 days in March 2013.

Photo by Ted Rhodes/Postmedia

Lovett, 48, testified she thought Ryan had a cold or the flu. She didn’t think his swollen lymph nodes, an oozing ear infection and jaundiced eyes were anything she couldn’t handle.

“I never thought he had anything that I couldn’t treat. I never expected him to do anything but get better,” she testified during her trial. “I failed because I didn’t know he was that sick.

“I just thought he was sick. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”