Personal Injury Law

As a Mars PA man is on life support, Sally Fallon spins her tales UPDATE

By Bill Marler

According to WPXI, James Orchard, a 67-year-old man from Mars, Pa., is on life support at UPMC Presbyterian because of the raw milk he consumed more than a month ago. James Orchard was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. Except for minimal head and eye movement, Orchard is totally paralyzed. Several days before the onset of his illness, Orchard and other members of his family, consumed raw milk purchased at the McGinnis Sisters Special Foods Store. The raw milk was produced by Dean Farms doing business as Pasture Maid, LLC, a creamery located in New Castle. Here is the kicker:

Milk from the bottles produced by Dean Farms purchased at the McGinnis Sisters store tested positive for Campylobacter bacteria. Many people who develop Guillain-Barré syndrome first had a Campylobacter infection. Since the positive tests, Dean Farms has since had its license pulled and is no longer allowed to sell raw milk.

However, according to the Kalamazoo Press, James McCurtis, public information officer for the state health department said milk sampled from the households where people fell ill did not test positive for the campylobacter bacteria found in the patients.

But the lack of a positive test result does not sway the health department's conclusion that the raw milk was the source of the infections, he said. Trace amounts of bacteria such as campylobacter can cause illness in people, but because the bacteria are not evenly dispersed in foods, they may not show up in sampled portions, food scientists say.

Yet, Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation has the gall to tell the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Contaminated water could turn out to be the cause of a sickness cluster initially attributed to raw milk, said Sally Fallon Morell, president of The Weston A. Price Foundation, a nonprofit in Washington that focuses on nutrition education. Raw milk is so "nutritionally dense" that it boosts immunity, improves behavior in children and wards off allergies and asthma, said Fallon Morrell. She said she knew about James Orchard's case and cautioned that all the facts aren't known.

Sally, it is time to face facts. Raw Milk caused Mr. Orchard's illness and has caused illnesses across the United States for years. Denying it does not alter reality. Ms. Fallon Morrell, have you no shame?

Full post as published by Marler Blog on April 20, 2010 (boomark / email).