From: Rhio's RAW ENERGY HOTLINE
NOV., 2005
(212) 343-1152
www.rawfoodinfo.com

If people only knew the healing power of laughter and joy, many of
our fine doctors would be out of business. Joy is one of Nature's
greatest medicines.

Joy is always healthy. A pleasant state of mind tends to bring
abnormal conditions back to normal.

Catherine Ponder

* The Andressohn Story as written by Steven Gibb
* Rhio responds to letters about the Andressohns
* Another raw-vegan family: Storm and Jinjee Talifero's detailed
response to the Andressohn family's crisis:
The Raw-Vegan Movement on Trial
* Feedback
* Decision
* Newspaper Article: Family's Tragedy: A Different View

Go to: "http://www.rawfoodinfo.com">www.rawfoodinfo.com
and click on the link for Hotlines. Check latest hotline (Nov) -
There are also some eye-opening pictures there of the Andressohn
children as compared to actual starving children.

In a split decision, the Andressohn's were acquitted of aggravated
manslaughter in the case of their infant daughter Woyah, but
convicted of 4 counts of neglect towards their other children. (see
news report of decision below)

Highlights of my conversation with Annette Larkins:

Last evening I spoke with Annette Larkins (www.annettelarkins.com)
who brought me up to speed on the doings in the courtroom as she had
served as a witness for the defense in both trials. Annette said that
her feeling was that the conviction for negligence was because the
children were never taken to the doctor. Annette feels that if they
had been taken to a doctor for checkups, etc., that there would never
have been a conviction because the children were healthy. Annette
shared that Lamoy was disappointed in the decision because she
wanted to be exonerated on all counts, but Annette counseled Lamoy
that at least now they know they will not be imprisoned for 30 years.
While there may still be some jail time, the feeling is they might
receive very little or just probation. In any case, the decision
paves the way for them to be reunited with their children, although
there is still a ways to go. The sentencing is scheduled for December
15, 2005.

I told Annette that I was disappointed in the raw community's
response to this situation - while there was some support for the
Andressohns - it was nowhere near where it should have been. The
conviction sets a precedent in the court for other raw family's that
have lost custody of their children. The raw community will pay a
steep price for their lack of interest/support in this case.

What caused this lack of interest and apathy?

We are living in an era of incredible upheaval, worldwide. There are
wars going on with thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians
being killed; there are soldiers losing arms, legs, eyes, sanity;
there is depleted uranium radiation polluting the war areas and
spreading around the world; there is mind-boggling corruption; the
planet itself seems to be in rebellion against the "human
parasite" (a term used by Kurt Vonnegut recently). It's enough to
make you want to bury your head in the covers or forget all about it
in brain-numbing TV.

I don't know if this had anything to do with the apathy or if the raw
community is just too self involved at the moment to see the whole
picture of how the Andressohn decision could affect their lives in
the future.

With the raw food movement's potential to explode into the mainstream
consciousness in the next few years, the need for a viable structure
to support our lifestyle becomes really important. We need doctors,
nurses, nutritionists, lawyers, judges, reporters, writers,
scientists, researchers, etc. who are knowledgeable about and
supportive of our lifestyle, so that when people run into
situations such as the Andressohn's they will have the support
network needed to defend them. Just as the cooked food, drug and
allopathic model is accepted as legitimate in people's minds. We, in
our community, need a raw food, drugless and wholistic model that
will be made legitimate in people's minds. While I choose the second
model, I acknowledge that others have the right to choose the first
model. There needs to be freedom of choice in health matters,
just as there is in religious matters.

Annette said that the last time she saw baby Woyah was four days
before her death when the Andressohn's came to visit and they enjoyed
a meal together while baby Woyah lay peacefully asleep in her bed. It
was an enjoyable visit and they were all looking forward to their
next visit when Annette promised to make a raw pizza. Annette said
that she was in her bedroom four days later when she turned on the TV
and the news of Woyah's death was flashed on the screen. Annette says
that she holds the vision of their next visit when they will all
come together to finally eat that raw pizza. Let it be, Let it be.
Amen. Rhio

ps: An interesting and funny side note. Annette, as some of you know
is a 60 something 30 year old. That is, she looks much younger than
her biological age. When the prosecutor found this out, he said he
wanted some of that. He gave Annette his phone number and is
interested in learning more about the raw food diet. Wouldn't it be
something if he lived to regret his aggresive prosecution of this
loving family!

Decision

Parents Acquitted In 'Raw Food Diet' Baby Case
Parents Acquitted Of Manslaughter

In a split decision Monday, Joseph and Lamoy Andressohn were found
not guilty of manslaughter in the death of their 6-month-old
daughter. But the couple was found guilty of criminal neglect
against their other four children. The Andressohns said they hope to
be reunited with their children soon.

NBC6.net November 7, 2005
UPDATED: 11:07 am EST November 8, 2005

MIAMI -- Two parents were acquitted Monday of aggravated manslaughter
in the death of their 6-month-old daughter, whom prosecutors argued
was malnourished because she was fed a strict raw foods diet.

However, Joseph and Lamoy Andressohn were found guilty of four counts
of child neglect for each of their other children, who were also on
the diet. The parents face anywhere from probation to 20 years in
prison at sentencing set for Dec. 15. The jury deliberated two hours.

Defense lawyers say they will argue for no jail time for the
Andressohns, and say they should instead stay with their baby who was
born since they were charged in this case and eventually be reunited
with their other children.

"They will be reunited with their family. That is my goal," defense
lawyer Ellis Rubin said. "They're already under a family plan that,
if they obey, they're going to get their children in a year."

The couple thanked God after the trial and said they considered the
split verdict a victory. The four other children, two boys and two
girls, are now in the custody of an aunt. The Andressohns said they
haven't seen them in more than two years.

"I can't wait to see my children," said Lamoy Andressohn, who
remained free on bond with her husband.

"I do consider it a victory, although, our daughter's still not
here," Joseph Andressohn said.

Assistant State Attorney Herbert Walker III said he was surprised and
disappointed by the verdict because he thought the child neglect
charges were harder to prove than manslaughter.

Woyah Andressohn weighed about 7 pounds, half the normal weight for
her age, when she died in May 2003. Prosecutors said the unorthodox
diet of wheat grass, coconut water and almond milk caused the girl to
starve to death. The Andressohns ate and fed their children only
natural, uncooked foods.

"This is a person who didn't grow and thrive because she was not fed
the proper nutrients," Walker said in closing arguments. He added
that the Andressohns' religious beliefs didn't permit "medical
treatment or services for their children."

The couple's defense was that the girl had DiGeorge syndrome, a rare
chromosomal disorder in which a person is missing the thymus gland
that produces T-cells necessary for development of a healthy immune
system. That led to her death, their lawyer argued.

Rubin also argued that she might have survived if a Homestead police
officer and paramedics had taken her more speedily to the hospital
instead of trying to revive her.

Feedback

Hi,

I've actually been reading up on the Joseph and Lamoy Andressohn
story and I disagree with what you're telling on your website. I
don't feel the family was following all of the rules for your raw
food diet. The baby that was 6 months old - died at a newborn baby
weight and height. The Raw Food diet is an excellent way of life -
but I don't thiink they were doing it properly.

I do'nt think anyone is condemning them for the food they were
feeding their children - I think people are criticizing them for the
LACK of food they were feeding them. It's one thing to serve your
child fruits and veggies - but it's another to use starvation as
punishment. I think you need to do a little more research on this
case -

Sincerely,

Chrissy

Nov. 7, 2005

Dear Chrissy,

The information that the Andressohn's were not feeding their children
is not true. In the trial testimony from several witnesses, it came
out that there was always plenty of food for the children.

Perhaps you came to the idea that the Andressohn's were depriving
their children of food because of slanted newspaper headlines and
articles or because of a misunderstanding of one point. Lamoy told me
that one of the children liked to eat cashews and they would end up
eating too many cashews and then become constipated. So, for that one
child, they did ration the cashews so that the child would not overdo
it. This cannot be construed in any way, shape or form as withholding
the food the children needed for sustenance, as it was only to help
one child not to overindulge on the nuts.

And where did you get the information that they used starvation as
punishment? I haven't heard about this? Could you tell me more?

Rhio

Nov. 7, 2005

Hi Rhio,

I have chosen to discuss the Andressohn's tragic ordeal at tonight's
Raw Health and Happiness Society raw support group meeting. Please
feel free to join us of you'd like. We'll be at Pure Food & Wine from
6:30-8:00pm.

Be well,

Stephen Parker

Nov. 8, 2005

Dear Stephen,

Thanks for taking this up for discussion with your group because, to
date, the raw food community has been very lax in their support for
the Andressohns. I have been very disappointed that even with my
hotline info, I have been able to garner barely a whimper, and it's a
huge list.

Rhio

In a message dated 11/8/05 11:39:26 AM, Stephen writes:

Hi Rhio,

We had a great discussion last night. I just saw on the news that the
Andressohns were acquitted of manslaughter charges. Our group last
night decided to give $250 to their legal fund! I'm sure that they
will still need it....

Sincerely,

Stephen

Dear Stephen,

I'm so glad that your group raised some money for the Andressohns.
Yes, they do need it as they haven't been able to work because of the
trial in Sept. which took place in the Family Court and which ruled
in their favor, and now this criminal trial.

Even though they were acquitted of aggravated manslaughter (which of
course is a relief) there are still the counts of supposed child
neglect against them which were upheld. Those charges stem wholly
from the children being fed a raw food diet, so there's where the
indictment against our lifestyle choice comes in, and it has set a
precedent, and we in the raw community will pay the price for it.

The other thing that needs to come out, but hasn't, in the news
articles, is the fact that when the prosecutors used the Andressohn's
own children to testify against them, they were the only ones that
had access to the children. The defense had no access whatsoever. Now
we all know that children can be swayed and manipulated. The first
time the prosecutors went to see the children, they didn't even talk
about the case. They just brought them chocolates to eat and tried to
become their friends. The following time, they also brought gifts but
then they did talk about the case. So, you see, there was definitely
manipulation going on there. Add that to the fact that the aunt
(Joseph's sister) who is caring for the children is hostile to the
raw lifestyle and has tried to turn the children against their
parents. I think the testimony of the children went against the
parents but you have to remember that 2 1/2 years ago, the 7
year old was 4 1/2 and the 9 year old was less than 6 1/2 (approx.)
What can a 4 1/2 year old and a 6 1/2 year old really remember
clearly, especially when swayed by chocolate bearing "friends."? [the
prosecutors.]

Thank you for your efforts in behalf of the Andressohn's.

Rhio

Nov. 7, 2005

Hi Rhio,

Thank you for picking the newsletter back up and letting us know what
you and Leigh are doing ~ I have no doubt the farm is keeping you
busy!

About the Andressohns ~ I am glad they have been acquitted for the
death of their child and sorry they have been charged for their other
children.

The point this incident brings to mind is how important it is for
individuals practicing the raw and living food diet and lifestyle to
be continually educating themselves on raw and living nutrition. I'm
still learning myself, and am interested in gathering a compendium of
resources and information on the topics of pre~ and postnatal
nutrition, and nutrition for infants and children.

There are a few resources I know of for raising raw kids, and
thriving throughout pregnancy on raw and living food nutrition. They
are listed as follows:

Baby Greens: A Live-Food Approach for Children of All Ages
by Michaela Lynn and Michael Chrisemer

Conscious Eating, by Gabriel Cousens (contains a chapter on nutrition
for pregnancy)

Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine, by Gabriel Cousens (contains a
chapter on live~food babies and children.

Educational Program: Master of Arts in Vegan & Live Food Nutrition
through The College of Living Arts, offered by Gabriel Cousens and
Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, et al.
http://treeoflife.nu/education.html

I am sending this to Jinjee Talifero as well so she can add the web
pages and e-books containing information about pregnancy, birthing,
and child~raising on raw and living food nutrition. (Thank you,
Jinjee and Storm!)

Thank you for your help in getting the words out there!

I look forward to sharing information, inspiration and joy.

Love and blessings,

Megan Riley

News Article

Family's Tragedy:
A Different View
By David Kidwell and Tere Figueras (Miami Herald)

New York, July 2003: Joseph and Lamoy Andressohn live a poor,
unusual, dedicated life.

They pick tangerines by moonlight.

They soak buckets of almonds overnight to remove all of the tannic
acid -- a substance that tints river water brown -- before beginning
their frequent ritual of making almond milk with a complex brew of
ground almonds, flax, coconut water and sunflower seeds.

They spend hours every day shopping or searching fields for the right
foods, cleaning them and preparing them with the single-minded notion
that nothing impure -- no chemicals, no processed sugar, no animal
fat -- should enter the bodies of their children.

''It takes work to live a life like that, hard work,'' said Kristi
Doyne-Bailey, 40, of Homestead, a close friend. "These people are the
most dedicated people I have ever met when it comes to their
children. That's what makes this nightmare so hard to believe.''

On June 6, Joseph, 34, and Lamoy, 27, were jailed on charges of
aggravated manslaughter of a child -- defined as child neglect or
abuse that causes death -- and four counts of neglect. They face up
to 30 years in prison on the manslaughter charge.

Prosecutors and police say the Andressohns' misguided dedication to a
diet of raw fruits, vegetables and other organic foods deprived their
children of important nutrients.

Authorities contend the Andressohns watched their daughter, Woyah,
wither away in their Homestead apartment and that when they finally
called for an ambulance, it was too late. When she died May 15 at
just 5 months old, she weighed 7 pounds, less than half the weight of
the average girl her age.

Their four other children -- Yahshwa, 6; Mykahya, 4; Behyah, 3; and
Rahyah, 1 1/2 -- were also malnourished and underweight, authorities
say. The state placed them in foster care and does not want them
going back to their parents.

Friends of the family say this is more than they can fathom. Of all
people, they believe, the two who could never be considered bad
parents are Joe and Lamoy Andressohn. In their minds, Joe and Lamoy
are guilty only of caring too much.

More than a dozen people interviewed with ties to the Andressohns --
former landlords, co-workers, close friends, minor acquaintances,
even neighbors (who anonymously reported them to the Florida
Department of Children & Families more than once) -- portray the
couple as dedicated parents. Some spoke to The Herald on condition
they not be named because the Andressohns did not want them
speaking publicly.

''I'm not saying no mistakes were made. They should have had a
raw-foods doctor a lot sooner,'' one friend said. "But until the end,
that baby was alert and happy, and they just didn't see it coming. We
are all convinced there was something else wrong. To blame this on
their diet is just not right.''

INFANT'S LIFE

Prosecutors say they took into account the Andressohns' apparent
dedication to their family but that the life of an infant is worth
too much to overlook their negligence.

''To forgive the starvation of a child as if it's nothing more than a
petty traffic violation is very difficult to fathom,'' said Ed
Griffith, spokesman for the Miami-Dade County state attorney's
office. "The fact a 5-month-old child starved to death in the custody
of her parents is a sad comment about parental concern.''

Despite what authorities say, friends contend the children were
bright and healthy, and a lawyer advising the Andressohns has said
they want an independent autopsy. They believe some other condition
must have killed their child.

Joe and Lamoy married in March 1995. He was 26. She was 19. He was
born and raised in Miami by Puerto Rican parents. Lamoy was born in
Jamaica and came to the United States with her family. Joe has been
paying child support for a 12-year-old daughter from a previous
relationship.

Life was a financial struggle from the beginning. Both had entry-
level retail jobs, often in health-food stores and markets. For
several years in the late 1990s, Joe worked at a booth at an Opa-
locka flea market, selling trinkets, incense and vitamins at a store
called The Mushroom. He made $300 per week.

Their first son, Yahshwa, was born Sept. 21, 1996. Within a year, the
couple were living in the backyard apartment of a longtime friend of
Joe's parents, Emilio Abreu.

''They showed up one day with nowhere to go,'' Abreu recalled. "I've
known his father since we were knee high, back in Puerto Rico. Joe
was always a good boy, so I let him stay.''

The Andressohns left in 2000. They now had three children. For a
time, according to employees of Wild Oats, the family lived out of
their van. Joe lost his job at the Miami Beach branch of Wild Oats
because of chronic tardiness, according to Sonja Tuitele, a Wild Oats
spokeswoman.

INTO LIFESTYLE


By then, the family was into the natural-foods lifestyle full tilt.

''Joe mentioned once that he was really overweight, 250 pounds, and
had a lot of complications,'' said Annette Larkins, a raw-food
enthusiast who befriended the Andressohns when they came to one of
her seminars. "They tried a living-food diet, and things immediately
started getting better.''

The deeper they delved into eating only uncooked and vegetarian
foods, the better they felt, friends said.

The Andressohns also adopted a religion that supported their choice,
friends said. They became Hebrew Israelites, a faith that preaches
blacks are God's chosen people and espouses natural eating.

TAKEN EVERYWHERE

The couple would take the children everywhere they went -- shopping,
picking fruit and vegetables, everywhere. The time they had and what
little money they made was consumed supporting their diet, although
neighbors said they took an April trip to Disney World.

Lamoy's third and fourth children were born while she was working
behind the juice bar at Wild Oats in Pinecrest. She left after the
birth of her first daughter, Rahyah, on Oct. 25, 2001.

Doyne-Bailey, a former co-worker of Lamoy's, ran into the whole
family at Wild Oats recently. They got into a long discussion about
home schooling.

''She knew that I do it, and she and Joe were asking me all kinds of
questions,'' Doyne-Bailey said. "She really wanted to do it right.
She wanted a program, a curriculum, and she wanted it to be something
the school district would support.''

Less than a year ago, the family moved to a Homestead apartment
complex.

Neighbors described Lamoy as soft-spoken and reserved but a mother
who liked things regimented.

EXERCISE PROGRAM

Besides home schooling, the family also followed a regimen of daily
sprints through the small courtyard, push-ups and jumping jacks.

''You would see her running around, too, right up until the baby was
born,'' neighbor Lorette Miller said.

All five Andressohn children were born at home, the first three with
the help of a midwife. Joseph delivered Rahyah and, on Nov. 26, Woyah.

None of the children was vaccinated. Friends said the Andressohns saw
doctors as good for healing wounds or broken bones but nothing more.

Miller, a devout Christian, said she often tried to discuss religion
with Lamoy -- but met stormy resistance from Joe.

''We got into it one day outside,'' Miller said. "He told me Jesus
was a lie, my religion was a lie.''

Miller said she disagreed with the Andressohns' lifestyle -- the
diet, the religion, the aversity to doctors -- but acknowledged the
Andressohns seemed like good parents.

PARENTAL PRESENCE

Joe worked odd jobs and would relieve his wife after coming home from
work.

''Their electricity was paid for, their kids were never left alone.
How many parents around here can say that?'' Miller said.

Still, neighbors reported the Andressohns to the child welfare agency
more than once. Complaints about the children's eating habits came in
February and March. During a March visit to the home, when a DCF
investigator asked what Woyah was fed, Lamoy produced a baby bottle
with wheat-grass juice, according to DCF records.

The accepted wisdom is that breast milk -- or formula derived from
milk or soy -- should be the primary food for an infant's first year.
Despite this, the investigator concluded there were no signs of
neglect.

The administrator who ran the DCF's Miami district at the time called
this "a critical lapse.''

On May 11, the DCF got another call.

DOCTOR ORDERED

''They are very thin and their stomachs look bloated,'' the report
said about the children. The next day, a DCF investigator told Lamoy
to take the children to a doctor. The investigator said she needed to
see Woyah, who at the time was out of the home with her father. But
no one from the DCF saw the baby from then on.

Woyah died three days later.

That day, her siblings were taken by the DCF and put into foster
care, where they have stayed on a vegetarian diet but have begun to
eat cooked and processed food. They are slowly gaining weight,
authorities say.

The Andressohns have contended in court that their children's health
is suffering because of the new diet.

Their friends say the Andressohns have been made a scapegoat for the
DCF, which has been under constant criticism since it lost track of
5-year-old foster child Rilya Wilson more than a year ago. Wilson has
not been found.

'It's really convenient for them to be saying that it's all the
parents' fault now,'' one close friend said. "But if these kids were
so starved and emaciated, why didn't DCF see it in February and
March, when the neighbors were calling?''

The DCF has fired the investigator who visited the home May 12, as
well as her supervisor.

The agency has declined to talk about the case because it has not
completed its investigation.

Joe and Lamoy remain in jail, unable to post $100,000 bond each.

On June 7, while passing the hours before a court hearing, they sang
with friends in the courthouse lobby. They sang This Land Is Your
Land, but with the word ''fruit'' instead of "land.''

No matter how Woyah died, friends say, the Andressohns should not be
in jail.

One friend, Susan Miller, cried when she was told of their arrest.

''I remember the last time I was with them as a family,'' Miller
said. "I saw the baby. She was happy and alert, and I know that my
human instincts would have alerted me if something was wrong.

''We all went out to pick tangerines by moonlight, because that was
as soon as Joe could get off work,'' Miller said. "Everyone was happy
and having a great time.''

Herald staff writer Sofia Santana contributed to this report.

To make a donation or to communicate with the Andressohn Family:

Joseph and Lamoy Andressohn
10740 SW 175th Street
Miami, Florida 33157