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DO YOU KNOW ANY CHILDREN/PEOPLE THAT ARE VEGAN FROM BIRTH? Most of us were not fortunate enough to be born vegan and the majority of survey responders did not know vegan children. However, the ones who did, for the most part, raved of their health and intelligence. I am not personally an advocate of continuing the overpopulation of Earth, but for those who have chosen to have children (unlike myself); here is an assortment of quotes from vegans worldwide in response to the question: Do you know any children/people that are vegan from birth? "Yes, Matt Ball and Anne Green (Vegan Outreach) have a child, Ellen. She is wonderful!" "Yes, I have a couple of friends raising their kids vegan. I know they're very careful about what the kids eat, and they breastfeed longer than many parents. I also know the kids are thriving." "My son is 3 and has been strictly raised with a vegan diet." "My daughter and a few other examples from Vegan Outreach. My daughter is extremely healthy and developing wonderfully." "I have a friend who was lucky to be born to conscious vegans, and was brought up that way...and is very healthy and happy." "Some of my colleagues' children. There are twin boys who are 5; they seem healthy and normally developed for their age." "My friend had a baby who is now 9 months old and vegan. He's so healthy and huge. They say vegan babies are small, but not him, he's very tall for his age." "My own! She is now vibrant, healthy, radiant, intelligent, energetic and an animal lover. I was told through pregnancy 'you need meat', 'your baby is going to be small' 'your going to want meat', you won't get enough protein', Hmphf! Forgettaboutit! I had an uncomplicated pregnancy, uncomplicated birth, 8 ½ pound baby, etc. I breast fed her, and everything was perfect. Still is." "I have read about four children in the Vegan Voice magazine. I bought a pamphlet from London once that had all these children that were vegan since birth and gave details about their health - they were all quite healthy." "I am currently pregnant with our child who will be vegan since conception. I know many veg/vegan parents and children from on-line, but have not met them in real life. I will soon be meeting many from the veg/vegan parents group we recently joined." "Yes, my granddaughter who will be a year old soon. She is absolutely healthy and gorgeous. She is the most peaceful, chubby and contented child I have ever seen." "I met a couple that had 3 amazing, healthy, adorable vegan children, very recently. They were absolutely gorgeous and looked and acted like any regular kid. They were not fat though like the typical American kids on a S.A.D diet." "I know several children that have been vegan from birth. Their ages range from a few months old to pre-teens. The vegan children I know are smart, healthy, and fun-loving kids who know about the world around them." "A member of Delaware Action for Animals has raised her 9 year old son as a vegan from birth. He achieved all developmental milestones appropriately and has been very healthy." "Yes, George Eisman's brilliant daughter, Sarah, is one. (Both George and Sarah performed at the North American Vegetarian Society Summerfest in 2008)." "Yes! Several now! And more on the way. They are wonderfully bright and happy children, it seems. Vegans are no more perfect than anyone else, but the vegan children I know are extremely bright and well-socialized." "I do have twin friends, Althea and Stella; that have never eaten meat their whole lives. They were born on the Farm, a vegetarian commune in Tennessee. They are now 22 and have been vegan for many years. Althea adopted a baby, Dezi, and is raising her vegan. Dezi is now 5. They have a vegan Mom Group that are all raising vegan children." "The founder of The Society of Peace has a son. She was vegan at his conception. He is a perfectly gorgeous child who is extremely healthy and smart." "Yes, I know several children from several families, most of them are very healthy, but one baby had severe B12 deficiency because his mother didn't know about the need to supplement B12, and another had rickets as his mother didn't know about the need to supplement Vitamin D." "Yes, I have a number of friends who have vegan babies and utilize information from THE PHYSICIANS COMMITTEE FOR RESPONSIBLE MEDICINE (pcrm.org) amongst other resources to learn about nutrition for vegan babies." "I've read that the actor, Joaquin Phoenix has been vegan all his life." "My son. He is almost 10 and has been raised completely vegan. (Her husband is not vegan) It is hard for him to be different, as much as I tell him to be proud of it." "Yes, One. Heather Nicholson, one of the founders of SHAC in England." "My kids; their doctor says they are super healthy and are almost the only kids that aren't overweight at school or at the park." "Yes. They don't get sick as much as most kids and they are not overweight. Otherwise, they appear to be just like the rest of the kids." "NO, I don't and the only one that I've heard of died because the parents were morons." "Quite a few actually; See Jack Norris's vegan kids site for lots!!" "Yes. A friend of mine in his late 30's has been vegan from birth (and looks pretty damn healthy). I know several people who are raising their kids vegan too, all with great success." "Cage (Lesley's son, I forget her last name). Some details of his vegan childhood are documented on the website AnimalLiberationFront.com" "Yes. I have some friends that have vegan children since birth. These children seem to thrive beautifully; physically, mentally, and emotionally." "Yes; several (for example my 2.5 year old son Jalan, one of his friends and other children; no adults.)" "I know the Dinshah family. I know some children that I meet at Vegetarian Association events." "Yes, I have been to Vegetarian Summerfest on the east coast 8 or 9 times. You meet LOTS of lifetime vegans." "Yes, I know an 18 year old woman via her parents, who was raised vegan from birth. Her 23 year old brother was raised vegetarian from birth and vegan form age 4. Both these people, plus their parents are in very good health." "My two children aged 15 and 11. I knew quite a few other children when I lived in the U.K. also." "My friend E's children are. They are vibrant, healthy, breast-fed." "Yes. A family with 4 children who are vegan from birth; youngest 6, oldest late 20's. They're very healthy and happy. Awesome folks." "Not personally, but I have read an article of a child who of his own volition and ate age 2, voluntarily gave up meat and dairy." "My son has been vegan since birth and I now at least 5 other children that have been vegan since birth, and they are all amazing kids!" "Yes! There are several people on the CrueltyFree website who have raised their children vegans from birth. And I have a good friend in Los Angeles who is in her eighties and has been vegan all her life!!! Her parents were vegans. She is healthy and bright and active and smart." "Yes. You can read about such people in Vegetarian Voice (magazine of the N.A.V.S.) and Vegetarian Journal (magazine of Vegetarian Resource Group)." "I know a couple of them; very healthy children who don't have a lot of the health problems other babies have." "Yes, there is a family here locally and they are raising the second generation of young vegans. Liberty Phoenix, sister of Joaquin Phoenix, lives here and her family has always been vegan. They all look healthy and happy!" "Not personally, but I've read about a lot. This is my favorite link: "I don't know any personally, but have read some inspiring stories in Vegan Voice Magazine." "My son is vegan from birth. He is not immunized due to animal ingredients in vaccines. I have met kids of other vegans, too." "My two year old son is vegan. I know other vegan parents with life vegan kids of various ages. I have met life vegan adults including the former trustee of Veg Fam, whose children were second generation life vegans." "Yes, I know of several children who have been vegan from birth and they are happy, intelligent, and healthy. In fact, they appear healthier with fewer chronic problems than my friends and family members with non-vegan children." "My nephew was vegan from birth and at 9 months old, he almost died from B12 deficiency. My sister now does not think the vegan diet is best for anyone." "Yes, Society of Peace founder, Kristen Lee Ohanyan and her husband Tosh, have a young boy Cairo who has been vegan from birth. He's a healthy, happy, sweet, good, bright, fun boy." "My 7 year old son has always been vegan. His aptitude test scores are well beyond his classmates and he has NEVER been sick; not even an earache!" "Yes, my two friends' children are vegan from birth. They seem to be proud of their veganism, and they even try to educate their peers." "Yes, a friend of mine has 2 girls, one age 7, the other age 9. Both vegans since birth, both very healthy. Both understand a vegan diet; both love animals." "Yes, I know of at least 10 people that were vegan from birth (some still children, some now adults, some still babies). All are healthy and lead great lives." "I know of one man who is 50 years old and has been vegan since birth. He is a beautiful soul. He is a spiritual healer and a health counselor that radiates pure light energy. He is so lucky." "Both my children; aged 8 and 5, who are happy, healthy, and active. Also we know other vegan families with kids that are vegan from birth. I don't think any of the adults I know are, except for a few young adults, including one who is training to be a doctor... though her mum was told by the health visitor that she would grow up stupid if she didn't feed her fish." "Yes, there are both children and adults raised vegan that are living around me here in Patagonia, and others I've met. They are very healthy children. Their parents do the basic research to know DHA and EPA are absolutely essential to give through long chain Omega 3 fatty acid foods, and a balance of nutrients from every color of the rainbow. I even know the authors of BABY GREENS, parents of two wonderful children; they live by me." "I was brought up vegan but found it too difficult going to friends places from ages of 14-19 (vegetarian then) and now vegan again." "Ocean Robbins (www.yes.org); a beautiful soul." "My daughter is 10 months old and has been vegan from birth. She is developmentally normal and measures between 85-95th percentile for height/weight/head circumference." "Yes, I know a couple whose daughter was vegan from birth. I think she is 8 years old now, and has never had a sick day in her life." "My kids have been vegan since conception. They are 4, 6, and 9. This is all they know. They wish everyone was vegan. They don't like to bring attention to themselves by eating differently, but if given a choice, they continue to choose not to eat animals." "Yes, I met a man recently in his 70's who has been vegan his whole life and looks much younger and is very healthy. I also know a few young vegan children who are very calm but energetic and well-behaved." "Nope. I read a couple of articles actually that make veganism look terrible because a couple of women didn't take proper care of their newborns and killed them due to a badly planned vegan diet. That kind of thing just encourages the shunning of vegans everywhere. I know the mother must have been devestated about her baby though." "Yes; a child (about 7) who has been raised by vegan activists. She has been raised having a lot of contact with animals (dogs, chooks, horses) and is very aware of animals, and animal abuse. She is a very kind child." "My son who is 3 years old; perfect health. As an infant and toddler he's always been at the top percentile of physical and mental development." "...watch the movie, BREAKTHROUGH, about a happy, healthy vegan family." "I have met (online) one person who was vegan from birth. Her mother was vegan, and her family was an anomaly in the 60's. She is now raw vegan." "Yes. Breast milk exclusively for as long as possible, followed by fruits, vegetables, legumes and pastas can sustain babies very well. It's only the bad press that makes this practice questionable." "In particular, I know a fourth generation, 70-something year old vegan, who doesn't look 40." "A two year friend of mine has been vegan his entire life. He's really healthy, big, and incredibly intelligent. I worked as a pre-school teacher, so I have a frame of reference." "Yes, apart from breastfeeding, Kath Clements' (who wrote a book Why Vegan?) child. (She lived in Falmouth, Cornwall in 1984)" "My niece and nephew, raised by my vegan sister. The kids are still young, healthy and intelligent, not fat, not thin, are normal kids." "I've met a few at Summerfest! Also some kids at some of my lectures; very fortunate people!" "My daughter-in-law has been vegan from birth; she is in her early 30's now. My granddaughter is 5 and vegan as well." "Yes, some of the healthiest, most pleasant and most intelligent kids I know are vegan from birth. They have very strong principles and no fear in standing up for themselves." "Yes. A couple of families that I know well are raising their children vegan. I envy those children very much. They can choose later on their own to use animal products. I never had that choice or the honesty from my parents that I wish I had." "Our baby boy is 9 months old, vegan since conception. He had an easy birth and is super healthy and aware. He's perfect in every way. Contrary to popular belief, he is not small from being a vegan. He's never had a nose run or any other problems." |