Mom Refused To Take Toddler To Hospital Over Veganism
A Casselberry, FL woman was arrested over allegations she wouldn’t take her child to the hospital because of her staunch vegan beliefs.
Sarah Anne Markham was arrested Tuesday on a charge of child neglect.
According to Casselberry police, a pediatrician told Markham that her baby needed to be admitted to Florida Hospital South for treatment because the child was dehydrated and was losing weight.
Markham, however, went home and would not answer when officers knocked at her door.
Police used a locksmith to enter the apartment and interviewed Markham, who said she wanted to get a second opinion about her child, according to a police report.
Police said Markham told them that she wanted to pursue a religious-based treatment and did not believe that her baby was dehydrated because the child was having bowel movements.
Markham said she had contacted a “natural” or “vegan” doctor but was unable to provide any information about him, other than a name.
mea_mark June 25th, 2014 at 3:13 pm
There is nothing wrong with being vegan, but come on, vegans get sick too. Take the child to the hospital if something is wrong. There is absolutely no need to be a stuck up idiot.
dewired4u June 26th, 2014 at 12:17 am
Babies don’t have the digestive tract to be vegan they need breast milk or formula.
Jake June 26th, 2014 at 7:49 am
Since when was breast milk not vegan? As long as the mother is vegan her milk is vegan too.
Carla Akins June 26th, 2014 at 7:52 am
Nobody said it wasn’t. We have no idea what she was trying to feed the baby, breast or otherwise.
Jake June 26th, 2014 at 9:36 pm
I was responding to dewired4u who said it was not.
veggiedude June 25th, 2014 at 3:27 pm
Here’s a news flash; water is vegan.
Jake June 25th, 2014 at 8:03 pm
Something is up with this story. It says she went to Whole Foods and got a soy based formula. Whole Foods do not sell a Soy based formula they sell something called Earth’s Best Organic Sensitivity Infant Formula – which contains milk and is NOT VEGAN. If this woman was a vegan she would know that. I think she is trying to come up with a cover for neglecting her child. First she wanted a religious treatment then its a vegan treatment then she goes and gives the child a dairy based product anyway. She says the child was not dehydrated because it was having bowel movements – doesn’t everyone know that one of the main causes of dehydration is diarrhea. Moreover I’m fairly sure that most doctors would work with a patient to accommodate religious or dietary restrictions. The jury is still out on this one – and the headline here is very misleading.
Michelle June 26th, 2014 at 12:37 am
12 day old. Not toddler. Do better people. Do better.
Dwendt44 June 26th, 2014 at 3:13 pm
Humans evolved as omnivores. We can eat vegetables and meat, and eat one or the other for a time. But, for maximum health, we need both.
R.J. Carter June 27th, 2014 at 12:09 pm
No mammal survives being vegan.