I was thinking about what I would do if a family member was in the situation of refusing a blood transfusion. If the doctors were trying to force them to accept a transfusion, would I support my family members right to choose or would I take the position that they are brainwashed and are incapable of making a rational choice on the matter?
Well, if they're an adult, you might not have much choice. When my dad almost died last September due to a bleeding ulcer, I inadvertently saved his life by telling the doctor that plasma was on the list of 'accepted' things that a Witness would take. Since we did not have his blood card with us at the time (and I've long since tore mine up), and being in an extremely stressful situation, I truly thought that plasma was on the list of "approved" therapies. While my dad was initially very upset when he found out he had been given a transfusion, I think that secretly, both he and my mom and Dub sister were all relieved that he got it. Plus, since I was the one that authorized it, they've got nothing to feel guilty about.
I remember when the doctor first asked mom if it was her wish that dad not be given a transfusion, she really wavered because in effect to refuse it meant that he was going to die. He was bleeding internally at such a rate that a transfusion was the only thing that would save him at that point.
I have no regrets about doing this and no one in my family has ever even suggested that we 'did the wrong thing' and naturally no one in our family would even think about telling the elders. When I explained to my parents that dad did not receive "whole blood", but only plasma, which is made up of the fractions of components that they're allowed to accept, along with water and vitamins, etc., they seemed to be fine with that.
The ironic thing is: I'm more informed about the whole blood issue (thanks to this site) than what either of my parents or even my Dub sister are. They all admitted that the new blood card is very confusing and most Witnesses don't understand it. I told my sister that I believe that was done intentionally, so that people would check off "no" to everything and if they died, the WTS couldn't be held liable.
With that said, I don't know if I could "support" a decision to let a family member die due to refusing a transfusion, since we know there is no biblical basis for it at all. Plus, the only reason Witnesses refuse the transfusion is because they're trained to believe that Jehovah will murder them for trying to save their own lives---another fabrication invented by the Governing Body. It would be a tough decision.
