Mother in Alberta Faces Charges After Teen Son Dies from Suspected Overdose

February 6, 2025 TruthUSA

A mother from Lethbridge, Alta., is facing negligence charges in connection with the tragic death of her teenage son during the Christmas holidays.

On Dec. 26, 2024, Lethbridge Police officers responded to the sudden passing of a 13-year-old boy. His lifeless body was discovered outside near a busy city street, as detailed in a Feb. 5 press release.

Investigations suggest that the boy and his mother were using drugs around 5 p.m. on Christmas Day at a residence in the southside, leading to his overdose. A male acquaintance at the home attempted life-saving measures, and though a 911 call was made, it was abruptly disconnected before any communication. Emergency responders found discrepancies in the mother’s statements to hinder the boy’s identification since he was reported missing earlier. Subsequently, the mother and son departed the residence that night, heading towards a nearby establishment.

According to police, “Evidence gathered during the investigation indicated the boy was in medical distress.” Surveillance footage revealed that the pair spent the night on the street, with the boy remaining motionless on the ground. No efforts were made to seek medical assistance from paramedics.

The woman reported discovering her son deceased on the afternoon of Dec. 26, as per police statements.

The boy was transported to the Calgary Medical Examiner’s Office for further evaluation. Toxicology results are pending to confirm the cause of the teen’s death.

Blanche Isobel Irene Fick, 38, of Lethbridge, has been charged by police with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life in relation to the boy’s passing. Fick remains in police custody and is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 7.

Following the accidental overdose death of a Montreal teenager, a Quebec coroner, Stéphanie Gamache, has called for improved substance abuse education in schools. The coroner’s report on the 2023 death of 15-year-old Mathis Boivin stressed the need for legislative action to prevent similar tragedies.

Boivin tragically passed away in December 2023 after unintentionally consuming N-desethyl isotonitazene, a potent synthetic opioid mistaken for oxycodone. Gamache’s report emphasized the escalating trend of drug intoxication fatalities in North America, advocating for urgent measures to address the crisis.

“Preventing opioid and other psychoactive substance poisoning concerns us all,” Gamache stated. “Mathis’s death should sound the alarm, because we should not wait for the accumulation of deaths among young people to make this observation.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.

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