Manitoba teen in court over blood transfusions

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http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=1fc14d98-a417-4b8c-8045-62bab72f65d4&k=13199

CanWest News Service
Published: Monday, September 04, 2006 Article tools
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A 15-year-old Jehovah's Witness with Crohn's disease will be back in court this week seeking to control her own medical treatment and refuse blood transfusions.

At the heart of the Manitoba Court of Appeal case is whether the girl should continue to be recognized as a "mature minor," or be under the wing of Child and Family Services and forced to have the treatment when her doctor says it's necessary.

As a Jehovah's Witness, the girl does not want transfusions because she interprets certain passages in the Bible as forbidding the ingestion of blood.

"This young woman has been managing her disease for a long time and respecting her religious conscience, and is confident she can continue to manage her disease without blood," said lawyer Shane Brady, who will represent the girl's parents at Thursday's appeal in Winnipeg.

The case began last April when the teen, then 14, went to hospital during a flare-up of her Crohn's, a chronic illness that can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract.

When she and her parents refused a transfusion, a Court of Queen's Bench justice granted Child and Family Services an order allowing doctors to give blood transfusions or blood products "as they deem medically necessary" without the consent of the teen or her parents.

Manitoba's Department of Child and Family Services refused to comment on the case.

BabaYaga

My gods. I would have done the same thing when I was fifteen.

Let's just hope that if she is strong enough to go through a court battle, she is strong enough to survive this thing long enough to get a clue and save herself... emotionally, spiritually, AND physically.

Wasanelder Once

That's odd, I've not heard of anyone needing blood for that disease before, she must have it bad. Very strange.

W.Once

ronin1

I do not like or agree with the WT's 'flip-flop' on the blood doctrine issue.

However, I do not agree with doctors and courts forcing medical treatment on anyone. This girl is 15 years old and capable of making up her own mind.

Young persons today are more sophisticated and intelligent about their health, etc and should be able to make decisions and accept the consequences thereafter.

Ronin1

Rabbit

This girl is 15 years old and capable of making up her own mind.
Young persons today are more sophisticated and intelligent about their health, etc and should be able to make decisions and accept the consequences thereafter.
Ronin1

Can't agree with you there. There is a very good reason a 15 year old cannot enter into a legal contract by themselves. At 15 years old, she cannot be held legally liable even to pay for a magazine subscription ordered without her parents permission. (My daughter did that one time) A serious decision like this...which could end her life ? No way a child should have the power to say, "No".

For that matter, even when people are older like my JW Mom who died -- not receiving a blood transfusion -- are [not] more sophisticated and intelligent about their health. They are brain-washed into believing human sacrifice is a good thing.

Rabbit

No Apologies

Ok so if you do not feel a 15 year old is capable of making this kind of decision, then who should be making the decision for her? The state? Her parents?

I also agree that while refusing blood is a bad decision, in the end it should be up to the patient, or their guardian, to make the decision, not the doctor or a judge.

No Apologies

Rabbit

Ok so if you do not feel a 15 year old is capable of making this kind of decision, then who should be making the decision for her? The state? Her parents?

The parents should make 'a' decision. If, it is on behalf of a child, the doctors should have the right to 2nd guess any decision that would endanger a child's life. Failing that route, if the doctors truly believe they will lose their patient, yes, they should allow an impartial judge to decide what is 'in the best interest of the child'. Parents don't always 'do the right thing' for their kids.

That's the way civilised society works.

Rabbit

Mary

However, I do not agree with doctors and courts forcing medical treatment on anyone. This girl is 15 years old and capable of making up her own mind. Young persons today are more sophisticated and intelligent about their health, etc and should be able to make decisions and accept the consequences thereafter.

Surely you jest. This girl is not allowed to "make up her own mind" and we all know it. If she accepted a blood transfusion, she will be shunned by her family and friends, will be told Jehovah now hates her and that she's going to die at Armageddon for 'going against God's laws". Not much of a choice for a 15 year old when the Organization is holding you as an emotional hostage.

RunningMan

My son has Crohn's, and he had his first flare-up and surgery when he was 14. I've never heard of blood having anything to do with the disease, except for routinely having it handy when any surgery is done. Perhaps she was extremely anemic (not uncommon) and was heading into surgery.

Nos: The name's not released. Do you happen to know who it is? I lived in Winnipeg for a couple of years in the early '80s.

vitty

The problem with kids and teenagers is they want to please their parents and peers.

They also think they are invincible, imortal and will never die..............................at least I did when I was 15

Manitoba teen in court over blood transfusions

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