Witness's refusal of transfusion costs his life

Dogpatch

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/montreal/story.html?id=e2a8aa3e-af52-4381-9d4c-c3fb7d0fe922&k=15147

CP

Sunday, January 14, 2007

A young Jehovah's Witness's decision to refuse a blood transfusion - which eventually led to his death - has split his family along religious lines.

Jean-Claude Lavoie, 26, died in late December after refusing a transfusion while being treated for an intestinal tumour, the TQS television network reported Friday.

Lavoie's brother, who is a former Jehovah's Witness, has since launched an Internet petition calling on the federal government to make it illegal for a person to refuse treatment on religious grounds.

"The Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions for religious reasons," Jonathan Lavoie writes on the petition's website.

"This creates enormous stress for the family."

Jonathan maintains that his brother would still be alive if he had received a transfusion.

But Jean-Claude's father told TQS he is willing to accept his son's decision.

"At the beginning it was anticipated that in his case they would be able to operate without a transfusion, but there were complications," Jocelyn Lavoie said. "It's unfortunate, but it came to that.

"It's important to respect Jean-Claude's choice."

As many as 1,000 people have signed Jonathan Lavoie's petition so far.

jaguarbass

Thats a shame. I work with a gentleman who is bleeding internally. His blood count which should be 14 has went down to 7 they give him a transfusion and he comes back to work. They are running test to determine what his malfunction is. Maybe a bleeding ulcer or tumor. In the meantime he has a transfusion and comes back to work for 2 weeks at a time. If he was a jw he probably would have been dead by now. I remember back in the 70's several witness aquaintences dying from bleeding ulcers.

anewme

I remember a woman who was just studying back in the early 70s. She came to the part in her studies where it says one who desires to please Jehovah God cannot be taking blood transfusions.
She was on dialysis for kidney disease and regularly took transfusions.
She could not get baptized until she discontinued the blood transfusions.
And if she stopped doing the blood she would die.
She was in terrible turmoil until she made her decision to stop the blood transfusions in order to be worthy of a resurrection in the paradise.
She passed away May 1973.
There was no KH funeral for her because she was not a sister and few knew of her. She had been studying for only several months but took it very seriously.

ValiantBoy

Great..we can encourage her to die, but canot give her a decent funeral...that's real love for ya..

BluesBrother

Sad story anewme.

I cannot wholly agree with such a petition though.

The family are understandably heartbroken and angry. But if we think it through, do we really want doctors to be able to enforce the treatment of their choice upon us, even if we really should not want it ? Medical decisions are often not black and white, some doctors favour one treatment and another doctor may disagree. Doctors are human, not godlike characters who must always be obeyed.

I insist on the right to accept a blood transfusion if the doctor and I want it to happen. But I also want the right to refuse any treatment or surgery on my own body - it is mine after all

ValiantBoy

I am with you bluesbrother. I accept blood for myself, but I would not want any treatment forced upon me. And even though I think the blood ban is crazy, I would not force my mom to accept one...and I would not want anyone else to force it upon her either..which is ironic because she says she would try her best to prevent me from ever receiving a blood transfusion

Bstndance

which is ironic because she says she would try her best to prevent me from ever receiving a blood transfusion

That just irks me. But of course, fight fire with fire. The same reason they file advanced medical directives, you can too to prevent them from forcing their medical ideals on you.

choosing life

My husband knows how I feel about blood transfusions and I know his feelings. We have both agreed to uphold each other's decision, but I am sure it would be very hard for either of us if it came down to losing the other or believing you are watching the other lose their eternal life.

This is a sad and evil doctrine. But it must be fought through education of the public and exposing the Watchtower's doctrines for the irrational nonsense that thay are. No one should be able to force a treatment on another (except in the case of a minor).

The Tort of Misrepresentation is a good start. So is the site for reforming the blood doctrine. Best we can do is to continue to do our part in educating others.

timetochange

Young American men and women volunteer to do the will of their commander and chief, George W. Bush, even to death. Witnesses believe their doctrine and die for it, young Americans believe theirs and die for it also....does it matter really if a young man or woman dies for their religion or for Bush?

There are many lost causes.

Ed

Woodsman

I hear about Witness deaths in car accidents often but because of my inactivity and remoured apostacy no one will tell me the details like if they bled to death. The most recent one the Witness was out in service. Sad.

Witness's refusal of transfusion costs his life

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