help

collapse

Press one of the expand buttons to see the full text of an article. Later press collapse to revert to the original form. The buttons below expand or collapse all articles.

expand

collapse

More on Alana Livas

December 5, 2007 permalink

According to the latest news, five-year-old Alana Livas, taken from CAS by her parents on November 29, suffers from rickets. Inside Toronto says she currently has swelling of the wrists, ankles and rib area, and has heart arrhythmia because of the illness. The girl went into CAS care in March, yet still has serious symptoms. This could be one of the cases where medical problems are the pretext for picking up a child who then gets only perfunctory medical care.

Rickets is correctable with a diet containing calcium and vitamin D. Both are present in fortified milk (the only kind now sold in Canada). Photographs of the parents suggest the mother is not Caucasian, meaning the girl could be lactose intolerant. Fish and certain fortified cereals are other sources of vitamin D. Consulting a physician would almost certainly mean relinquishing her back to perfunctory treatment, so she may be better off without seeing a doctor. In case the parents find this website, here is a list of vitamin D sources from the (US) National Institutes of Health.

expand

collapse

insidetoronto.com

Police seek information about missing girl

Abducted child may face serious medical issues

BY JOANNA LAVOIE, December 4, 2007 05:39 PM

Toronto Police are appealing for details regarding to the abduction of five-year-old Alana Livas.

They are especially encouraging her parents, Peter and Vivene Livas, to bring the child to a medical facility as she may experience serious complications from Rickets, an illness brought on by deficiencies in vitamin D and calcium.

There's a potential that Alana could experience an altering of her heart's electrical function, which may lead to breathing problems, police say. She currently has swelling of the wrists, ankles and rib area, and has heart arrhythmia because of the illness.

"We're quite concerned about this and we're quite concerned that the mom and dad aren't aware of this," said Det.-Sgt. Rick Searl, noting the parents knew of their daughter's condition, but may be unaware of the potential new complications.

"We're trying to appeal to the mom and dad to get Alana to a medical facility."

Peter and Vivene Livas allegedly abducted Alana on the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 29 from a Children's Aid Society building on Kennedy Road. The couple reportedly took the child from the facility's parking lot following a supervised visit, driving away in a brown 1993 Acura Integra with the licence plate number BCCL 451.

Police recovered that vehicle in Scarborough Monday afternoon with its plates removed. Searl said police believe those plates were transferred to a 1998, light blue GMC Jimmy.

Police are also reporting that the Livas may have access to several other licence plate numbers including AJKA 478, 171 XRN, 279 RPE and JK 221.

Peter and Vivene Livas are currently out on bail and facing charges related to a marijuana grow operation. Their daughter, Alana, is in the custody of an aunt and has been under the supervision of the CAS since March. She is described as white with a dark complexion and long, straight, dark-brown hair.

Anyone with information can call police at 416-808-4100 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com.

Source: insidetoronto.com

sequential