Vegan, Anti-Vax Ohio Mom Who Boasted Not Using ‘Any Modern Medication’ Launched GoFundMe to Get Kids Back From the State

An Ohio mother of seven started a GoFundMe to “fight Child Protective Services” after the agency took her twin infants away, claiming she malnourished them. 

As The Messenger previously reported, Lasha Cauthen describes herself as “holistic” and says she was vegan throughout her pregnancy and abstained from vaccinating her twins and giving them “any modern medications unless necessary.” 

She took the twins to a doctor’s appointment at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital on January 31, where a physician grew concerned at their weight. 

Court records obtained by local Fox affiliate WXIX reportedly say that the weight of each of the twins dropped dramatically between the time she gave birth and showed up at the hospital for this appointment. The doctor recommended that the children be admitted to the hospital for monitoring, but Lauthen declined. 

Then child services got involved. The Hamilton County Job and Family Services contacted Cauthen and told her they would remove the twins from her care. 

“I’m distraught here at this moment. I’m not understanding what is going on. I don’t even understand how they’re legally able to kidnap our children,” she told WXIX. 

Cauthen has not since regained custody of her children and has been allowed only supervised visitation so far. 

The GoFundMe campaign launched on her behalf has so far raised more than $5,000. The money she’s raising is presumably going toward paying court fees against the state. Cauthen in the GoFundMe said she’s spent more than $25,000 on attorney fees and is expecting another $20,000 in court expenses.

Cauthen said in the GoFundMe that she has not seen her twins since April 5. 

“I’ve reached out to multiple public officials, county commissioners, the head of HCJFS, section chiefs, city council, and the news,” Cauthen said in the GoFundMe. “No one is advocating or protecting this black family, these black children from the trauma being caused by the countless delays and separation from mother and each other.”