Ten years ago, on August 18, 2015, I sat next to my dad, holding his hand, as he took his last breath. He was only 46 years old. He wasn’t a smoker, he didn’t drink, but the kidney medicine he was prescribed caused skin cancer that spread to his lungs.

That night changed everything for me. I felt powerless. But I made myself a promise — that I would learn. That I would use my engineering mindset not just for roads and bridges, but to understand how the body works… and how to protect my family, and myself.

That experience taught me something that no textbook ever could — that time is precious. We don’t know how much we have, and the best way to honor it is by spending it wisely.

A couple of years later, in 2017, I stumbled upon a documentary called What the Health and a book titled How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Greger. What I learned shocked me. I realized how often the food and medical industries profit from keeping people sick.

But I also discovered something empowering — that what we eat can heal us. That a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle can actually help prevent, and even reverse, diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

As an engineer, I saw it like this: when you build a road with the right materials, it lasts. When you fuel your body with the right nutrients, it performs at its best.

So in September of 2017, I made the leap. I committed to a plant-based lifestyle. At first, people thought I was crazy — my friends, my family. But I approached it like any engineering project. I broke it down: research, test, adjust, repeat. Small short-term goals building toward one long-term vision — better health.

Eight years later, I can say this: my cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes are gone. My mom, at 62, is thriving. My wife’s autoimmune condition improved. My mother-in-law stabilized her cirrhosis.

And sometimes, I think back and wonder… if I had known then what I know now, maybe I could’ve helped my dad too.

I went vegan at 13, I'm 28, I have never had any dairy, eggs, pork, shellfish, or beef. Thank goodness! I am my parent's second child, and my mom stopped eating dairy before I was born and growing up I'd say my mom and I didn't eat dairy. She breast fed me, and tried to be as organic as much as possible.
I stopped eating chickens and turkeys at 13 which were the only animals I'd been eating. Since then my mom has gone vegan, her and I have reversed her R.A.. Both my grandparents are vegan now, my grandad no longer has diabetes!! I am now a certified nutritionist and want to help as many people as I can!

I read Diet For a New American in college and began gradually going vegetarian. In 2005 I started learning about veganism and animal rights activism, but I was more interested in convincing myself there was a humane way to continue to eat eggs and dairy. Finally in 2013 I met Wayne Hsiung and started participating in activism with his new group Direct Action Everywhere. With the support of a group of fellow animal lovers supporting me and challenging me to align my eating with my values around animal rights, I had a stern talk with myself and told myself no more excuses or stalling. It was time to go fully vegan and never look back. So I did. Then in 2016 I got pregnant with my daughter, had a healthy vegan pregnancy, and now have a thriving 8 year old daughter who is also passionate about her veganism and a compassionate advocate for animals.

...

I've been vegan since 1991 and my daughter, now 21, has been vegan since birth. We love everything about it!

Ive Started Vegan a few years back because of having a little health issues and I thought even process vegan food also was good enough but didn't help me at all. But after a year I went fully whole food plant based diet and never felt better. Thanks to my wife who always inspire me and I love very much. Now my daughter suddenly become Vegan a few months back and were never thankful enough.

I went vegan in 2013 for ethical/animal rights and health reasons, primarily. Then I learned about environmental reasons, and those are valid too. I'm happy to know that this site will help parents to raise vegan children. I wish I had been vegan from conception and all throughout my life! If you would like to know more about my vegan story, please visit one of my websites at https://vegancouragement.com/deb-veve.php. I also created https://vegantegrity.com to help others learn about veganism.

I'm a vegan mom of two amazing, lifelong vegan kids and married to my best friend and awesome vegan, Nathan (@n++). I went vegan in '97 for the animals, after reading Diet For A New America by John Robbins. I had gone vegetarian in early December of '95 and wanted to be vegan, but needed to learn that I could be healthy and vegan, which I learned from reading DFANA. I am an artist with a BFA in Art and am a former school art teacher-turned-homeschooling mom and I also teach nature-inspired online art classes.

born and raised primarily whole food plant based vegan - at 47 feel better and healthier than ever!