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Outstanding Activist!
For
over 16 years, Sabrina and Jeff Nelson have been singing the praises of
a plant-based diet, as well as supporting organizations that work to end
animal suffering and encourage human health. The start of their amazing
journey into advocacy, however, was not an easy one. Jeff and Sabrina's
decision to become vegan, in fact, was brought about through a series
of unfortunate circumstances. Over a decade ago, Sabrina was diagnosed
with Relapsing Polychondritis (RP), a seemingly incurable and ultimately
fatal disease that manipulates the body's immune system, causing it to
attack and destroy cartilage. After enduring a year of powerful drugs
and doctor visits, she came upon a book by Dr. John McDougall, a vegan
physician. Dr. McDougall made the startling connection between dairy proteins
and their devastating impact on sufferers of lupus and other autoimmune
diseases. Being that RP is in the same family as lupus, the Nelsons decided
to eliminate dairy and eggs from their diet. When Sabrina next visited
her rheumatologist, the doctor saw no signs of the disease and three months
later declared her in remission.
In 1996, the Nelsons launched VegSource.com, a website "with the simple idea to share the message with others -- that you could save yourself, save animals, and save the world through adopting a plant-based diet." As an online magazine, VegSource provides its readers with recipes, book reviews and cutting-edge articles on health, diet and lifestyle. There are also a number of experts- award-winning chefs, top medical doctors and best-selling authors- available to answer questions on the website's hundreds of lively discussion boards. With such attributes, it's no wonder that VegSource has become one of the most popular vegetarian websites on the Internet.
Equally
important is Jeff and Sabrina's ongoing support of hundreds of national
and local vegetarian and animal protection organizations, particularly
Farm Sanctuary. For many years, this dynamic duo has donated their design
talents and hosted all the websites for our organization. They also provide
this service to other groups and individuals, including the Physicians
Committee for Responsible Medicine, EarthSave International, John Robbins,
Dr. McDougall, and Jo Stepaniak.
The latest brain-child of Jeff and Sabrina is the Healthy Lifestyle Expo. Started in 2001, the Expo "focuses on food, fitness, and fun" and encourages attendees to keep their body, mind and spirit in tip-top condition. This September, the Expo will be held in Burbank, California and will feature a number of top vegan speakers, as well as hundreds of exhibitors with healthy, environmentally-friendly, vegan products.
Through these awe-inspiring efforts and more, the Nelsons certainly exceed their goal to "promote the many good reasons for shifting toward and adopting a plant-based diet" and are a true inspiration to us all. Thank you, Jeff and Sabrina, for making the world a healthier and happier place for all living creatures.
Together, we ARE making a difference. If you would like to find out more about volunteering your time to educate others about factory farming and vegetarianism, please contact us at activist@farmsanctuary.org, or call 607-583-2225 ext. 229. Click here to find out what YOU can do to help!