The Sun London, England
June 6, 2008
For God's sake By NICK PARKER and JAMES CLENCH
Inset: A declaration to doctors that believers will not accept blood:
This legal directive is an exercise of my right to accept or to refuse medical treatment in accord with my deeply held values and convictions. I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and I make this directive out of obedience to commands in the Bible, such as: "Keep abstaining from blood." (Acts 15.28,29). This is, and has been, my unwavering religious stand.
A MUM sobbed over her Jehovah’s Witness hubby as he fought for life last night — but still refused to let him have a life-saving blood transfusion.
Sheila Edwards insisted that horrifically-injured hubby John, 57, would not want doctors to give him blood because their religious faith bans it.
But her agonising decision has left the family in a nightmare situation.
Their sons Jonathan, 36, and Tom, 29, do NOT share their parents’ beliefs and can only look on helplessly as John lies close to death.
It was unclear last night whether they had begged their mum to change her mind — or had accepted their father’s fate.
Warnings
John suffered massive injuries to his left side when a car driven by a suspected drink-driver hit him near his home in Southall, West London.
Sheila, 61, said council worker John had signed a Witness form banning doctors from giving him blood in the event of an accident, in line with the controversial doctrine of their faith. She has not been able to find the form. But medics have been obliged to act on her instructions because she is John’s next of kin.
And she is resolutely rejecting pleas to allow a transfusion — despite warnings that without intervention he could have just two or three days to live.
A family source said: "Sheila is adamant that John must not have blood. She says giving him a transfusion would be like assaulting him — and he wouldn’t want to live knowing he’d disobeyed his God. She’s in a terrible state, constantly in tears at his bedside, but won’t give in to requests from anyone."
Devoted
"Her sons are both with her but her position hasn’t budged." A woman who identified herself as the Edwards’ lodger and a fellow Jehovah’s Witness told last night of the family’s ordeal. The woman, who refused to give her name, said: "There’s a real question over whether John will pull through. There’s no doubt that non-Jehovah’s Witnesses would automatically have a blood transfusion in the same circumstances. Sheila and the boys are all devastated."
The woman said John was hit just streets away from his three-bedroom semi on Tuesday night. She said: "He was on foot and the car piled into him doing 60 mph as it came around a corner. By chance, the police were on the same road when it took place. They breathalysed the driver and he was over the limit.
"Many of John’s bones were broken and there was a lot of internal bleeding." The lodger went on: "Both John and Sheila are Jehovah’s Witnesses but neither of their sons are. They have been married around 40 years. Both were brought up as Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are very devoted to the religion and he’s a highly-respected elder, who sometimes gives talks to the congregation. John’s also a keen sailor and has just returned from a competition with his brother. He’s a happy, outgoing person. It makes this even more of a tragedy."
John and retired languages teacher Sheila are members of the Yeading Brook congregation, which meets at the Northolt Kingdom Hall in West London. Believers can absolve medics of responsibility by signing forms or carrying cards stating they refuse blood and are aware of the risks.
But doctors still face dilemmas while treating life-or-death situations.
