. ▁ ▁Po inter ▁ad her ed ▁to ▁a ▁rig or ously ▁discipl ined ▁macro bi otic ▁di et ▁that ▁ex cluded ▁all ▁meat ▁and ▁da iry ▁products , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁many ▁veget ables . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁single ▁mother ▁and ▁im posed ▁this ▁di et ▁on ▁her ▁young ▁children ▁as ▁well , ▁dis reg arding ▁contrary ▁warnings ▁from ▁a ▁phys ician . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁the ▁father ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁contact ed ▁California ' s ▁Children ' s ▁Prote ct ive ▁Services , ▁who ▁sent ▁a ▁social ▁worker ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁the ▁boys ▁and ▁their ▁mother . ▁The ▁state ▁ag ency ▁instruct ed ▁Po inter ▁to ▁meet ▁with ▁a ▁ped iat ric ian ▁to ▁discuss ▁the ▁obvious ▁mal n our ishment ▁of ▁the ▁children , ▁but ▁Po inter ▁decl ined ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁ ▁A ▁month ▁later , ▁Po inter ▁brought ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁children ▁to ▁a ▁doctor , ▁who ▁observed ▁the ▁child ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁thro es ▁of ▁star v ation ▁- ▁e ma ci ated , ▁sem ic om at ose , ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁shock , ▁and ▁in ▁immediate ▁need ▁of ▁hospital ization . ▁When ▁Po inter ▁refused ▁int ra ven ous ▁feed ing ▁of ▁the ▁child , ▁the ▁ped iat ric ian ▁contact ed ▁the ▁police , ▁who ▁hospital ized ▁the ▁child ▁and ▁saved ▁his ▁life . ▁ ▁As ▁soon ▁as ▁the ▁child ▁was ▁dis charg ed ▁from ▁the ▁hospital , ▁Po inter ▁took ▁her ▁children