Raw Family Persecuted

Mr. Sun · Jun 30, 2006

Does anyone know anything about this: <a href="http://www.rawfriends.com/andressohns.html" target="_blank">http://www.rawfriends.com/andressohns.html</a> <div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">One family that has experienced the brunt of this attack is the Andressohn family. You may have heard a few national news bites about this family's horrendous situation. 
A beautiful, peaceful, God-centered family that committed the "crime" of practicing total wellness and for years has been eating vegan live foods. This story you are about to read may be difficult for you to believe but unfortunately it is absolutely true. 
This is must read information for everyone who believes unbounded health & happiness is an inalienable right for all. This urgent report will provide you with the whole story and what must be done to help this family & preserve every Americans' right to pursue a healthy and happy life.</div>
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Read the whole story at the above link.

troub · Jun 30, 2006

That is just horrible. What an evil land we live in. The only case of child abuse in that story is what the state did to the children. Can only imagine what meat and dairy could have felt like in their stomachs, being raw vegan from birth. Poor children. 
I hope everything works out.

nowoutonvinyl · Jun 30, 2006

does anyone know anything about this case? i was unable to find any unbiased articles about it. 
didnt the baby go well baby checks or something similar? if the baby was getting regular medical care you wouldnt think the parents would of been arrested...i'd like to know more before forming an opinion though.

msbunnicula · Jun 30, 2006

This has been discussed in the past: <a href="http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=47517" target="_blank">http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/s...ad.php?t=47517</a> <a href="http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=45717" target="_blank">http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/s...ad.php?t=45717</a> <a href="http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=31333" target="_blank">http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/s...ad.php?t=31333</a>

Raw_Medic · Jul 1, 2006

FYI the kids are back with their parents...

GhostUser · Jul 1, 2006

vegan, raw or not the baby was not thriving and it is child abuse IMO that they did not seek medical help for the child.

snownose · Jul 1, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Raw_Medic <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
FYI the kids are back with their parents...</div>
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Really? Thats so good!

GhostUser · Jul 1, 2006

It doesn't bother anyone that the parents didn't seek medical treatment for the child that died?

ElliottsMom · Jul 1, 2006

It bothers me. the baby was 5 months old and under 7lbs. mine was 19lbs at 5 mnths. I would most certainly be taking a baby to the doctor if it was that small.

*AHIMSA* · Jul 1, 2006

"Life was grand until one fateful day, May 15, 2003. The Andressohns 5½-month-old daughter, Woyah, who at birth was diagnosed with DiGeorge Syndrome was having problems breathing. The Andressohns immediately called 911 for help. The ambulance arrived with the local police." 
Looks like they tried to get her medical help...but really, who knows the entire story? We'll never know. 
I do believe that if the children who were taken away had previously only eaten a living foods only diet and then were fed a SAD diet while in Foster Care, they *would* come down with numerous ailments. Any such radical change in diet could potentially cause distress and discomfort.

Mr. Sun · Jul 1, 2006

It's sad all around. They should have been seeking some kind of advice of an underweight child. Not necessarily mainstream advice but something. I'm sure even die-hard rawfoodists wouldn've insisted that measures be taken. It really makes the raw diet seem unhealthy and radical. Humans are the only animals that eat cooked food so it would seem like we, being in the animal kingdom, should be able to thrive on a 100% raw diet. But the old ways have to be relearned and if there are problems then help must be sought.

GhostUser · Jul 1, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Mr. Sun <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
It's sad all around. They should have been seeking some kind of advice of an underweight child. Not necessarily mainstream advice but something. I'm sure even die-hard rawfoodists wouldn've insisted that measures be taken. It really makes the raw diet seem unhealthy and radical. Humans are the only animals that eat cooked food so it would seem like we, being in the animal kingdom, should be able to thrive on a 100% raw diet. But the old ways have to be relearned and if there are problems then help must be sought.</div>
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i'm assuming you have to breastfeed a lot longer.

Mr. Sun · Jul 1, 2006

I've heard that in some parts of the world it is common to breast feed well past 2 years old and even up to three years old. The thing is we are so screwed up when it comes to nutrition it's hard to say what's "natural" or "right" anymore. 
I'm not sure how reliable this is: <div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Some people are upset, if not shocked, to learn that children can nurse for so long. Curiously, these same people are hardly surprised to see kindergartners sucking their thumbs or fingers. The truth is that the need to suck, like many other dependency needs, does not disappear overnight, and often lasts longer than we as a society are willing to accept. Indeed, the average age of weaning around the world is 4.2 years. (10)</div>
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 <a href="http://www.lalecheleague.org/Law/LawExtended.html" target="_blank">http://www.lalecheleague.org/Law/LawExtended.html</a> 
And there's more here: <a href="http://www.faqs.org/faqs/misc-kids/breastfeeding/toddlers/" target="_blank">http://www.faqs.org/faqs/misc-kids/b...ding/toddlers/</a>

troub · Jul 1, 2006

Since the baby gets antibodies from the mothers milk I don't see a problem allowing a 3 year old to breastfeed.

Moechalatte · Jul 2, 2006

That story really was sad ... People are constantly finding new ways to make me shocked and appalled... 
...But I can't get past how insanely cheesy and emotionally biased that particular article was ... I think if I were not veg*an, I'd have stopped reading it after the first couple paragraphs...

Tova · Jul 2, 2006

Did the baby ever get breastmilk (or formula) or was she started on the wheatgrass/coconut/almond concotion since birth? It doesn't say so anywhere. 
Anyone know? <div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">A 6-month-old girl whose parents fed her only raw foods died of natural causes because of a compromised immune system - not malnutrition, a medical expert testified in her parents' manslaughter trial. 
Woyah Andressohn weighed about 7 pounds, half her normal weight, when she died in May 2003. Prosecutors charged her parents with aggravated manslaughter and child neglect, saying their unorthodox diet caused the girl to starve to death. 
"What we have is a natural disease that killed someone," said Dr. John Marraccini, a forensics expert and former Palm Beach County medical examiner, Thursday.</div>
</div>
 
More here: <a href="http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051104/BREAKINGNEWS/51104003" target="_blank">http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbc...GNEWS/51104003</a>

GhostUser · Jul 2, 2006

regandless of what they fed the child they should have gotten her to a doctor earlier.

Tova · Jul 2, 2006

Prognosis for DiGeorge syndrome: <div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Prognosis depends markedly on the degree of involvement of cardiac and immune systems. A 1-month mortality rate of 55% and a 6-month mortality rate of 86% have been reported due to congenital heart disease.</div>
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 <a href="http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic567.htm" target="_blank">http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic567.htm</a> 
That baby probably would of died weather it had breastmilk/formula or not from DiGeorge Syndrome which is obvioulsy very serious for a baby. 
The question is.. would there be trial if the baby was fed cows milk? 
Would the parents be up for trial if they fed their kids the typical diet of cheese, milk and meat? Or if instead of the baby being underweight she was severley overweight.

GhostUser · Jul 2, 2006

^^^ I think yes, but the press coverage was pretty harsh on vegans IIRC

Mr. Sun · Jul 2, 2006

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Tova <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a> 
That baby probably would of died weather it had breastmilk/formula or not from DiGeorge Syndrome which is obvioulsy very serious for a baby. 
The question is.. would there be trial if the baby was fed cows milk? 
Would the parents be up for trial if they fed their kids the typical diet of cheese, milk and meat? Or if instead of the baby being underweight she was severley overweight.</div>
</div>
 
I think when something goes wrong people like to look for causes and I'm sure when they started talking about their raw food diet that alarm bells went off. And what people don't understand they fear. The raw food diet does sound very wacky but it's a very natural diet. Obviously the other kids were doing fine on the raw food diet. 
I'm kinda thinking that if they were vegan but not raw that maybe there would have not been such a reaction. Veg*nism is getting more understanding by mainstream society. 
What irritates me is the part in one article where it is said the kids love tacos now. Yeah, and if you give kids all kinds of candy they'll love that too -- doesn't mean kids are deprived if they don't get candy. A proper raw diet will give all the nutrients needed to live a healthy life. 
Oh, and thanks for the info on that illness -- I was wondering about that.

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