Vegans face abuse charges

[Guest guest]

These parents sound as though they were good parents, but the kids are

DEFINITELY too underweight. If they have a problem with malabsorption, I hope

there's documentation somewhere by a holistic doctor to back them up! If they

need

to increase their kids' calories, fats, etc., I hope they are allowed to do

this in peace--and that they cooperate and aren't loonies who won't do things

differently if a situation warrants it. Not saying give the kids meat, but some

parents won't feed ANY fats or much protein, or whatever, and that might be

what's needed. I know a raw vegan mom who is stubborn that way and her kid

really

suffers nutritionally. Hope this situation is different--and that the

authorities leave them ALONE after seeing the kids healthier. Otherwise, I think

they

were doing a good job--no vax, homeschooling, clean home, food in fridge.

Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Vegans face abuse charges

East Valley Tribune ^ | 12 May, 2005 | Irene Hsiao

 

Posted on 05/12/2005 9:34:27 AM PDT by HungarianGypsy

 

A Scottsdale couple have been charged with child abuse after their three

children, who police said were put on a type of vegan diet, were found

malnourished and severely underweight.

 

The couple's 3-year-old daughter weighed 12 pounds when she was taken to

Phoenix Children's Hospital last month after apparently having a seizure,

said Scottsdale detective Sam Bailey. All three children remained

hospitalized Wednesday, Bailey said.

 

The parents, Blair Parker, 34, and Kimu Parker, 35, were arrested April 28,

and on Wednesday were each being held on $90,000 bail in a Maricopa County

jail.

The Parkers were charged by a direct complaint from the Maricopa County

Attorney's Office, according to court records. Bill FitzGerald, spokesman

for the office, said the case is expected to go before a grand jury for

possible indictment.

 

Police said that after Blair Parker took his youngest girl to the hospital,

a social worker contacted police.

 

At the couple's home in the 300 block of North Miller Road, police found the

two other emaciated children. The 9-year-old boy weighed 29 pounds and stood

at 3 feet 4 inches tall, while the 11-year-old girl was 3 feet 9 inches tall

and weighed 36.5 pounds, a police report said.

 

Police said the Parkers' house was immaculate, " organized " and " free of

clutter. " The refrigerator was stocked with fresh vegetables, roots and

mixed grains.

Both older children, who were home-schooled, were well-spoken and

welleducated for their ages, though officers thought the children looked

young for their ages, the report said.

 

Dr. Janice Piatt, a pediatrician at Phoenix Children's Hospital, later told

police, " I have never seen such stunting before except maybe in Africa. It

was beyond severe malnutrition. "

 

Yet Bailey said the couple " weren't consciously starving their kids. "

 

He noted that the children's mother also was thin - she weighed 115 pounds

and was 5 foot 6 inches tall.

 

" She was extremely skinny but did not appear malnourished, " the report said.

 

Blair Parker, who is 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds, told

detectives his family was on vegan diets and don't consume animal or dairy

products.

Kimu Parker told police the family mainly eats rice, beans and vegetables.

She said the two older children were small for their ages because they didn'

t have " animal steroids and other products that the average person

consumes. "

 

None of the children have been vaccinated, and the family believes in

holistic medicine and were in contact with a doctor in Wisconsin who would

explain to them how to treat their children after diagnosing them, the

report said.

 

The couple, who have read extensively on health issues, said the girls'

bodies don't absorb protein and that the holistic doctor diagnosed the

problem, according to the report. They supplemented the 3-year-old's diet

with a product that was supposed to help absorb the protein.

 

In general, vegan diets should be safe for children as long as they get the

proper nutrients, two Valley nutrition specialists said.

 

" With regard to whether it's appropriate for a child - there are healthy

children who eat vegan all the time, " said Terry Hughes of Gentle Strength

Cooperative in Tempe.

 

Karen S. Moses, a registered dietitian at Arizona State University, said it'

s possible to raise children on vegan diets successfully.

 

" People can be very conscientious about how they feed their children and can

do a vegan diet without compromising the child's health. It takes a lot of

work. You really have to be conscientious about protein and calcium. You

have to be really thinking about nutrients in a way that other people may

not. "

 

Contact Irene Hsiao by email, or phone (480)-970-2324

[Guest guest]

Lisa--After posting yesterday, I too thought of Celiac! Maybe someone should

contact that phone number given in the article and ask! Could save a lot of

grief for the family if someone's willing to do that! When I saw that their 3yo

weighed 12 lbs., I just couldn't believe it! I have a disabled, severely ill

child who weighed 7 lbs. at birth, and just barely doubled her birth weight at

a year (normal rate is triple the birth weight at one year). She was 14 lbs.

at a year--two pounds heavier than this child who is two years older! And she'd

been life-threateningly ill! I thought about this child all night. Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I wonder if they tested these children for celiac.I've often thought that

some of the nutritional deficiencies that " they " chalk up to not consuming

animal products are celiac digestive troubles made worse from consuming the

whole grain (wheat) diet of most vegans.

 

 

 

Just my thoughts for the day,

 

 

 

Lisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I agree Lisa.

 

I also think that this may be the real reason why some people seem to really

improve when they undertake a so-called " low carb " diet.

 

Deborah

 

 

I wonder if they tested these children for celiac.I've often thought that

some of the nutritional deficiencies that " they " chalk up to not consuming

animal products are celiac digestive troubles made worse from consuming the

whole grain (wheat) diet of most vegans.

 

 

 

Just my thoughts for the day,

 

 

 

Lisa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I agree that they should be tested, but if someone

calls perhaps they could encourage the genetic test

that way it is taken more seriously, as it seems all

the other tests are so controversial.

Blessings, Azalyne

--- Deborah Pageau <dpageau wrote:

> I agree Lisa.

>

> I also think that this may be the real reason why

> some people seem to really improve when they

> undertake a so-called " low carb " diet.

>

> Deborah

>

>

> I wonder if they tested these children for

> celiac.I've often thought that

> some of the nutritional deficiencies that " they "

> chalk up to not consuming

> animal products are celiac digestive troubles made

> worse from consuming the

> whole grain (wheat) diet of most vegans.

>

>

>

> Just my thoughts for the day,

>

>

>

> Lisa

>

[Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

>

>

> Our vegan and gluten free recipes are available in

> the archives for this group or at the

> following URL (***Recipes Posted to VGF***):

>

>

>

 

>

> Check out these affiliated vegan lists ~

>

>

>

http://www.Christian-Vegan-Cooking

> http://www.VintageVeganTea

>

>

http://www.VeganFoods4HealthyLiving

>

>

>

>

>

 

>

[Guest guest]

The problem is that with the medical world involved now as it is, and the world

shouting abuse at these poor parents, the medical community will not accept the

blood tests at all. If these children have celiac disease the medical community

will insist on a biopsy and with the children this emaciated that would be just

a torture.

 

The children will probably improve off a vegan diet and once they are more

healthy then testing can be pursued. Sadly, if they are celiac, and wheat

remains in their diet, it is possible that their villi are already so damaged

that they will not return to health very quickly.

 

Just as an aside, vegan or not vegan honestly doesn't matter to me, but how can

any mother allow her 3 year old to weigh only 12 pounds and not be doing

something about supplementation or even tub feeding. I don't have all the

details, but my children weighed twice that by 18 months or earlier and I would

think that this children were obviously failure to thrive in medical

terminology. What the family chooses for the lifestyle and eating habits is not

really the basis of the problem here.

 

BL

 

 

[Guest guest]

Great points, BL! I too do not know how that mom could see her wasted kids

and not know something serious was wrong, diet aside! The vegan issue is

irrelevant here. They sounded like conscientious parents to me, but then if they

really ARE, how could they not know a 12 lb. 3yo was abnormal? Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

they sounds like great parents to me, but I do respect the authorities for

checking things out and hopefully the parents wont be charged wtih anything and

the documentation on the childrens conditions will be given.

 

sahmomof8 wrote:These parents sound as though they were good parents,

but the kids are

DEFINITELY too underweight. If they have a problem with malabsorption, I hope

there's documentation somewhere by a holistic doctor to back them up! If they

need

to increase their kids' calories, fats, etc., I hope they are allowed to do

this in peace--and that they cooperate and aren't loonies who won't do things

differently if a situation warrants it. Not saying give the kids meat, but some

parents won't feed ANY fats or much protein, or whatever, and that might be

what's needed. I know a raw vegan mom who is stubborn that way and her kid

really

suffers nutritionally. Hope this situation is different--and that the

authorities leave them ALONE after seeing the kids healthier. Otherwise, I think

they

were doing a good job--no vax, homeschooling, clean home, food in fridge.

Marilyn

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

>>>They sounded like conscientious parents to me, but then if they

really ARE, how could they not know a 12 lb. 3yo was abnormal? Marilyn

 

The mother was also underweight. Sometimes individuals with food issues

(psychological)have a different (not normal) perspective and truly do not

realize what is actual or real. To her, the 12 pound three year old may

have seemed a very natural thing. I've heard that those with anorexia do

not view themselves as exceedingly thin, but only still see what " fat " there

is on their body (even if no one else can see it). There are many issues

here. Obviously we don't really know what's going on, but I sure feel sorry

for those children. . .and their parents. I also don't think that

" veganism " isn't really the issue here. Look at all the very healthy vegan

children there are in the world!

 

~ LaDonna ~