Woyah's passing

[Guest guest]

Greetings raw family,

 

The news of baby Woyah’s death is deeply saddening. My

thoughts and hopes for healing go out to her family.

 

Adding to the troubling news is the contradictory,

source-less information in the ‘news’ article and

online at http://rawfriends.com/andressohns.html. I

find it curious that the rawfriends site does not

mention her weight, or lack thereof. Perhaps, without

access to the original sources – hospital staff, the

parents, doctors and the other children, commenting is

premature.

 

However, I feel the need to say a few words that are

bigger than this situation:

 

First, I must reflect the comments of others and

reiterate that breastmilk is the healthiest

nourishment possible for young babies and should be

consumed as long as is sustainable to mother and child

– often more than 6 months. In many tribal cultures it

is the norm to breastfeed up to four years old.

Hopefully young Woyah was being breastfed.

 

Secondly -- and I realize that this may have been

misinformation in the news article -- babies do not

need enemas!!!! (Much less wheat grass enemas!) Their

beautiful digestive systems usually work very

efficiently, as mothers know all too well. Babies need

to build up the natural flora in their digestive

systems, and I sincerely hope Woyah was not subjected

to enemas. That seems, in addition, an incredibly

physical violation for a baby to experience unless

under dire circumstances of need – and I do not count

being severely underweight as a proper condition that

would warrant enemas in babies.

 

Third, I know that children are often manipulated, but

I would respectfully disagree that they are more

vulnerable to manipulation than adults. From what I

understand, they can be administered lie detectors

like adults. A good defense attorney with a

psychologist will hopefully be able to choose

questions for the children so that they can answer

truthfully about their experience in that household.

They certainly look beautiful and healthy in the

online pictures.

 

Finally, what I think this article reflects most of

all is the deep need to Teach Not Preach about the raw

lifestyle. The first step of this process would be to

publicly acknowledge that as a community we have

differing experiences and practices. We are a

beautiful and wide spectrum of variety.

 

Second, to meet people where they are: The moment in

which we become self-righteous that we “Know” the

answer to all ills is the moment that we become most

ignorant of all. There is much validity and honor and

health in vegetarian and cooked vegan lifestyles, and

in traditional or native diets that include cooking

and meat. Above all, we must communicate from a place

of respect for humanity’s choices.

 

Next, we must become media-savvy as a raw foods

movement, the same as the environmental movement has

to know how to work the media. I suggest that

submit an op-ed to the newspaper of this couple’s

hometown, in addition to sending out (proactively)

press releases about our movement to newspapers and

media sources across the country or even worldwide.

This might be best authored by a mother (I volunteer

to edit or the whole listserv could offer editing

advice) who has raised raw, or mostly raw children.

Other powerful contributors or op-ed authors could be

those who have experienced harsh responses (perhaps by

institutions or government) to their lifestyle choice.

 

 

Maybe this kind of proactive education campaign can

prevent a future “Woyah” and earn this community a

deeper respect.

 

Thanks for hearing my words. Please contact me if you

wish to write an OpEd/press release and might want a

second eye for it.

 

With thanks,

Ariele

 

 

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Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005