Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Falsely Diagnosed as Malnutrition from Vegan Diet

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Will your child be next?

 

 

The following press release is set to go on the wires on Dec. 14.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2003/12/prweb94268.htm

 

 

You are here: Parental Rights > Thaxton Case > Press Release

 

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Falsely Diagnosed as Malnutrition from Vegan Diet

State of Utah dragging its feet in acknowledging error; not vindicating

parents wrongfully accused. The child is in process of being returned but under

conditions of close DCSF supervision and nutritional monitoring.

 

For Immediate Release

Page shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/z01m

 

by Sterling D. Allan

Greater Things News Service

Dec. 12, 2003

 

BOUNTIFUL, UT USA

 

The mystery of one child's death and another child's illness have recently been

solved as a clear case of carbon monoxide poisoning. Meanwhile, the previous

diagnosis of malnutrition by Vegan diet continues to prevail with the state of

Utah and its Division of Child and Family Services (DCSF).

 

 

HVAC exhaust 12 inches from intake.

 

The exhaust vent in the Thaxton home is situated twelve inches away from the

intake vent; and the evening breezes that come out of the canyon waft the

exhaust into the intake. As the Thaxtons have replaced their windows and

tightened the home over the past three years, they also have unwittingly turned

their home into a carbon monoxide trap.

 

The adults and older children were not as effected as the infants, who do not

get as much time outside to replenish their body with oxygen. Also, the little

bodies of infants have a much higher metabolism than older children and adults.

 

 

 

Dan Jr. - near his 2nd birthday

A few months before his early

winter death.

 

Little Daniel Thaxton died unexpectedly on Oct. 2, 2001. Matthew Thaxton was

exposed in utero at that same period of time, and then began getting ill in the

winter of 2001-2002 when the furnace season began again. During the many times

he was taken to the hospital, he would recover; but each time he returned home,

he became ill again.

 

It all makes so much sense now -- after the true cause has been identified; and

after the state of Utah has already issued its verdict against the Thaxtons:

neglect by vegan diet.

 

 

 

 

Marylee, Sarah and Matthew Thaxton, 2003

Live on Vegan diet, abstaining from meat

and dairy

 

Thousands of children, including the Thaxton's two older children, live healthy

lives on a vegan diet, abstaining from meat and dairy products.

 

Yet as the death of Daniel, and the other illnesses began to occur, and the

cause was not yet identified, at least one person close to the Thaxton family

decided that the illness was a clear result of the vegan diet, of which they did

not approve; and began to put pressure on the state to intercede.

 

When Daniel died unexpectedly, the first report by the medical examiner did not

list anything as being out of the ordinary, except perhaps a slightly enlarged

heart.

 

But then a couple of months later, the medical examiner changed the report and

listed " malnutrition " as the probably cause.

 

At a court hearing on the matter, the Thaxton's judge was going to dismiss the

case saying there was not ample evidence to support the charge of negligent

homicide. However, the DCFS asked for a lesser charge of " substantive neglect, "

and rather than fight that charge as well, the Thaxton's attorney advised them

to accept it, which they did, thus having that entered on their record.

 

 

 

Mathew Thaxton - a few

weeks before his winter illness

 

Matthew, who was born on May 22, 2002, began to grow very ill and began a series

of hospitalizations beginning in January, 2003. The winter season had been

relatively mild up until that time. The first diagnosis given was " pallor and

low blood counts, " followed by a diagnosis of Leukemia, followed by a diagnosis

of a rare " Intrinsic Disease. " By June he was given a hefty dose of Insulin and

then fed and medicated through a tube in his neck because the doctors thought he

might be Diabetic. In January and June 2003, Matthew underwent extensive blood

tests, two blood transfusions, a bone marrow biopsy, a B12 shot in the leg.

 

The battery of tests did not include a simple carboxy hemoglobin test, which

would have pinpointed the culprit.

 

Meanwhile, as low levels of B12 levels were assessed to be a driving cause, the

vegan diet became the de facto culprit, and on June 9, 2003, Matthew was taken

away from the Thaxtons by the state of Utah.

 

According to Thomas L. Rodgers, the best medical literature states that, " Carbon

monoxide inhibits the uptake of B12, which likewise inhibits the assimilation of

other essential nutrients. " He also has documented that B12 can be obtained

dietarily from a wide array of non-meat and dairy sources.

 

It was also Rodgers who identified the carbon monoxide poisoning as the smoking

gun in this situation. After hearing the Thaxtons give a detailed account of

what had transpired in their life, including the improvements they had made on

their home over the past three years, replacing the new windows, and of their

mild headaches, he suspected carbon monoxide poisoning. Then upon visiting

their home he immediately spotted the culprit.

 

His assessment was verified by professionals both in home heating as well as

physiologists, who corroborated that the symptoms that all of them had been

having, including Daniel and Matthew, were wholly consistent with carbon

monoxide poisoning.

 

Meanwhile, Utah's DCFS has gotten a strong toehold into the Thaxtons life, and

the lawyers that the Thaxtons have been hiring (they've gone through three) seem

beholden to the state agencies, who provide a primary source of their income as

family practice attorneys. None of the lawyers the Thaxtons have approached are

willing to take up the carbon monoxide poisoning matter as a cause for

acquittal.

 

Those with an anti-vegetarian bias seem to have gotten the taste of blood, and

they won't let off. A proposed " dispositional dependency " order issued on

August 13, 2002 did not mention the return of Matthew, and calls for the

" Parents to develop a written nutritional plan for all of their children, to

include written menu planning and schedules with caloric and nutritional

tracking, and . all necessary supplementation, be it multivitamin, B12

injections, or animal products. "

 

 

Carolee & Dan Thaxton

 

It also brings the parent's mental stability into question by requiring that,

" The parents will each obtain a psychological evaluation. " It also requires

that " the parents will commit to perpetually give their children a multivitamin

which contains B12 and other essential nutrients which would not be provided by

a vegan diet. " The disposition concludes: " In the event that the parents fail

to properly supplement their children's diets as memorialized in the final

stipulated agreement, this will constitute grounds for removal of all the

children as a significant risk to their health. "

 

The Thaxton's local church authority vouches for their stability as responsible

members of the church and community. The mother, Carolee Thaxton, is the

daughter of Clay Christiansen, organist for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

 

The Thaxtons have decided to go public with their plight, and seek to gain the

empathy of the citizenry to help bring justice in the case.

 

 

--

 

Resources:

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and B12 - Dr. David Penny, Wayne State University,

Michigan.

 

Images of the HVAC set-up at the Thaxton home:

http://www.lifesave.org/HVAC.htm

 

Contacts:

Thomas L. Rodgers <LifeSave

http://www.lifesave.org

PO Box 304, Bountiful Utah 84011-0304

801-298-9095 (24/7 home or cell)

 

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