The father of a seven-year-old boy whose mother, Tamara Lovett, faces criminal charges in his death, said despite attempts to be involved in Ryan’s life, he found out his son was sick through social media.
Brian Jerome spoke with News Talk 770’s Rob Breakenridge Tuesday, as Tamara’s trial for failing to provide the necessaries of life and criminal negligence causing death continued.
Ryan Alexander Lovett died in March 2013 after getting a strep infection that kept him bedridden for 10 days.
On Monday, court heard Ryan was treated with dandelion tea and oil of oregano before he went into convulsions and his mother called 911. He was pronounced dead in a Calgary hospital.
READ MORE: Calgary mother arrested after 7-year-old son’s death
The boy’s estranged father told Breakenridge he was only in Ryan’s life for a short period of time, citing issues between himself and Tamara for their separation, saying he always wanted to be a part of Ryan’s life.
“At the time I was in severe financial difficulties and I had no way to go after him in the court system. And of course she had her family and all her family connections and it’s just…there wasn’t anything I could do at that time.”
Jerome said he moved back to his home town in Ontario to start a small business with the intention of “getting (his) life together (to) go for full custody.”
He described those years after they separated as being very difficult emotionally, and said he had no way to contact Ryan.
“I was in contact with lawyers there (in Alberta) and they were trying to do stuff, and I was constantly emailing Tamara – it was the only method of contact I had, so I had two or three different email addresses and I would email her occasionally; on Ryan’s birthday, Christmas, stuff like that hoping she would read the letters to him.”
Jerome told Breakenridge he sent Lovett a letter six months before Ryan died, telling her he was going through the process with the lawyers and she needed to contact him.
“I never heard back from her. I’ve had zero contact at all, nothing.”
Jerome said he resorted to “devious measures” to try to stay informed about Ryan’s life.
“I created a fake Facebook account and I became friends with her. Every once in a while I would log in to get pictures and stuff and whatever information I could find.”
Jerome said he found out about Ryan’s death on social media.
“Just by fluke I just happened to log in one day, I probably hadn’t looked for a couple of months or something and I see all these condolences on her feed. And I’m like ‘what the hell is this?’”
Jerome said he contacted a friend of Lovetts to find out what was going on, and she said: “You don’t know? And I’m like, ‘know what?’ Oh Ryan was sick and he died. This was over a week after it happened so I didn’t know anything. That just blew my mind apart and it’s been horrible ever since.”
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On the role that holistic medicines used to treat Ryan played in his death, Jerome said: “Well that’s another thing. This case is being used to bash natural remedies, and I have nothing against natural remedies if you know what you are doing and you know what you are taking.”
READ MORE: Trail to begin for Calgary woman who used holistic medicine to treat fatally ill son
Jerome explained he sold his business in Hamilton and moved back to attend the trial and be close by in case someone needed to talk to him. But said he has not been contacted by any authorities and has since decided to stay away from the trial.
“I was going to attend but, you know, all I can see myself doing is causing problems. You know what I mean? Like as soon as I see these people I’m probably going to do something stupid so I probably shouldn’t go.”
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