NEWS: 15-year-old with Crohn's Disease loses fight to refuse transfusions.

I have been there. The State of Washington took legal action against me for refusing by baby girl a transfusion. Thank God for the courts at least when it comes to giving minor children blood. I do not know what I would of done if I had killed my girl and then find out later it was not in the bible.

Nosferatu

Go Manitoba!!!

I feel sorry for the girl though. She bought into the Watchtower's bullshit and is experiencing fear because her life is being saved. Shame.

greendawn

If she survives she will be pleased for having had transfusions. I wonder what she will think about her parents who wanted her dead by insisting on refusing that life saving procedure. Fortunately the courts realise how grotesque it is for JW parents to send their underage children, who can't yet have an opinion of their own on this or any issue, to an early grave.

fullofdoubtnow

I remember reading about this case when it was first in the news a few months ago, and feeling sorry for the girl for being so brainwashed at such a young age that she would risk her future for what is a bs rule of her religion.

Maybe when she gets older and sees the wts for the cult it really is, she will be grateful for the authorities that overruled her in this case.

anewme

Yay for Canada! I like how they stated they were protecting the sanctity of life by enforcing the authorized treatment.

This is how the Jews of today interpret the scriptures as well and it seems to me to be the more correct and balanced view keeping in mind that the Law was made for man, not man for the Law.

mouthy

Thank you so much for keeping us up to date on these poor souls.Yes Skyking wouldnt it be awful if your little one died & then you found out it was NOT GODs will

RunningMan

My son has Crohn's disease. He had surgery when he was 14. We live just down the road from Winnipeg - well 350 miles down the road, but close enough.

At the time, we were still JWs although not exactly exemplary. When the nurse asked us if we would accept blood or if there was any religious objection to medical treatments, my wife and I were in different places. I told the nurse that we would not accept blood, but if it became necessary, ask us again. She got the picture quite clearly.

Last year, my son had another surgery. This time he was 18, and filled out the form himself. He elected to accept blood if necessary.

In both cases, it was not required.

BluesBrother

Poor kid, it is nasty ... from wwwnetdoctor.com

Crohn's disease

Reviewed byDr Paul Klenerman, consultant physician

What is Crohn's disease? This is a chronic inflammatory disease which causes stomach pains, diarrhoea, and weight loss. The disease is characterised by periods of activity and remissions. It typically affects the lower part of the small intestine (ileum) or the large intestine (colon), but it can affect any part of the digestive system. The affected areas become red and swollen and ulceration may occur. As the ulcers heal, the formation of scar tissue makes the intestine increasingly narrow, leading to obstruction. There is no cure for Crohn's disease, but the symptoms can be treated and the periods of remission can be made to last several years.

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No doubt she is sincere about "pleasing Jehovah" but consider it from her point of view. Would you trade a life of sickness and possible an early natural death, for eternal life in health, where she can ride a pony and do all the stuff that healthy girls do?

Simple logic dictates that she refuses the transfusion. Lets just hope for a good outcome for her.

hawkaw

To:[email protected]
Subject: Comment on Winnipeg report - JW Teen Loses Fight to refuse Blood transfusions

As an advocate for many JWs who have been hurt by this organization, I just wish to thank you for the CP article on this issue. Please also pass on my thanks to the reporter who did this story.

You and your reporter may wish to review the press release by the Associated Jehovah’s Witnesses for Reform on Blood (www.ajwrb.org ) - http://www.ajwrb.org/Press_Release_070202.pdf on the sextuplets case in B.C. I believe your CP reporters in B.C. who have been dealing with the sextuplets case have received this news release for their files.

A lot of people do not realize that JWs can take one hundred (100) percent of human or animal blood as long as it is in their leadership's defined fractionated form or under their leadership's approved medical procedures (www.ajwrb.org ). In fact, if whole donated blood was 100 percent fractionated and then transfused completely back to the patient at the same time in its separate forms, the JW leadership would accept the procedure. Unfortunately the technique has not been mastered in the medical world to save Witness lives. On page 22 of the June 15, 2004 Watchtower magazine (official publication for the Witnesses), the leadership actually provides a chart of what is and what is not acceptable.

Oddly, the leadership also allows Witnesses to take in white blood cells from another human during the course of a baby breast feeding from the mother but bans certain life saving white blood cell transfusions from the donated blood supply. The JW leadership does not discuss allowing white blood cell transfers during breast feeding while banning white blood cell transfers through transfusion therapy. You may wish to quiz the JW leadership or spokesperson on the issue. If leadership representatives tell you that breast feeding is natural and transfusions are not natural, remind them that their own official policy found in the June 1, 1990 and June 15, 2000 Watchtower magazines allow albumin (part of plasma) transfusions because albumin “naturally” travels between fetus and mom during gestation.

This leadership has been changing their doctrine many times (http://www.ajwrb.org/history/index.shtml#modern ). In fact the leadership supported blood therapy before 1940.

Today, the leadership bases their interpretation on certain science and medicine literature more than the Bible. In support of its logic, the leadership sites the breakdown of blood in "Emergency Care" (a textbook for emergency medical technician students). The Associated Jehovah's Witnesses for Reform on Blood (www.ajwrb.org ) indicate that scientifically, the breakdown is neither authoritative nor definitive. Alternatively, consider the list of major blood components as listed in Modern Blood Banking and Transfusion Practices (pages 237-248, 1999) by Denise M. Harmening, Ph.D. "Red blood cells, RBC Aliquots, Leukocyte-reduced red blood cells, frozen - deglycerolized red blood cells, platelet concentrate, single donor plasma, cryoprecipitated antihemophilic factor, granulocyte concentrates, factor VIII concentrate, porcine factor VIII, factor IX concentrate (Prothrombin Complex), immune serum globulin, normal serum albumin, plasma protein fraction, Rho(D) immunoglobulin, antithrombin III concentrate". It is noteworthy that of the sixteen major blood components listed in this definitive and widely respected textbook on transfusion medicine, nine are definitely permitted by Jehovah's Witnesses policy.

Just think about haemoglobin for a second. Ninety seven (97) percent by weight of a red blood cell (ie. haemoglobin) is allowed to be used by a JW in a medical procedure but add just three (3) more percent (ie. a membrane) and the product is banned.

You may wish to ask the leadership where in the Bible does it state red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets or plasma are not approved blood therapies but haemoglobin, albumin and the many other blood therapy products or blood transfusion therapies such as Intraoperative Autotransfusion (http://www.ajwrb.org/basics/what.shtml ) are allowed?

No one wants blood therapy if it can be avoided. But, there are times when this procedure helps to sustain life and prevent premature death as any medical doctor will tell you. Since the leadership is asking their members to make a life sacrifice or face harmful shunning by families and friends, it is important for the leadership to be honest and transparent on what they teach.

A lot of times the lawyers for the JW family (which in reality are from the Watchtower's Georgetown Ontario complex) will comment about how blood is very dangerous or that it is not medically necessary. A lot of people buy into the argument. A lot of times people including the press miss the point that blood transfusions are life saving therapies that save thousands of lives every year and that the past stored blood crisis was not caused by the blood itself but by certain individuals who decided not to properly test the blood.

If you would like to speak to a lawyer knowledgeable on the subject please contact Kerry Louderback-Wood at xxx She has already provided information in a recent CP story on the sextuplets and published a lengthy legal report on the issue in the United States of America.

Take care and feel free to contact me if you need something further,