Daily Mail article today UK Newspaper
Jehovah’s mother chose death before baby
A dying mother refused a life-saving blood transfusion despite nurses holding up her new-born son in a desperate attempt attempt to get her to change her mind. As the nurses cradled the infant in their arms by her bed, a woman doctor appealed to the mother, a Jehovah’s Witness. “Take a look at your little baby. This child is more important than your faith.”
But 32 year old Irmgard Christoph shook her head. Twice she said No as her husband at her side nodded in agreement. Mrs Christoph died of massive blood loss 13 hours after giving birth to a healthy son, leaving the little boy and a 3 year old daughter to be brought up by her sister in law.
“We all suffered the whole night. It was a drama none of us ever want to experience again.” Dr Bernd Probach medical director at the hospital in Germany, said yesterday…. “We twice warned her she would die and the child would not have a mother if she didn’t accept a transfusion.”
Nurses held the baby in front of her while a woman doctor pointed out at the healthy little boy and begged her to look at him and put his future before her religious beliefs. Twice she firmly said No and shook her head. Her mother was also at the bedside and we begged her to try to influence her daughter but she just told us “If I interfere, they will get upset and I won’t be allowed to see the grandchildren.”
Horst Lambrecht a local Jehovah’s Witness leader said, “Blood is holy and signifies the life of other people. If she had been forced to break our biblical laws she would have upset her relationship with god..” A relative of the woman said “We are disgusted. These people are fanatics. This was murder.”
Jehovahs mother chose death before baby
by trevor 59 Replies latest watchtower medical
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trevor
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shera
*Siiiighhhh*
How sad.
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kwintestal
The poor kids.
Kwin
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daystar
!!!!!
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freedom96
That is so sad.............. it makes me very angry as well.
And what happens if/ when the WTS changes its mind on blood transfusions? This child will never know its mom, because a stupid rule that the governing body decided on, and even all of them are not convinced.
The WTS is bloodguilty!
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shera
The WTS is bloodguilty!
So true!
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Bumble Bee
That is so, so, so sad. Those poor children! And the husband too!
My step mom went through something similar when she had her son. She lost so much blood, she was close to death, and they did the same things to try to get her to have a transfusion. She did refuse, but fortunately she recovered, although it was almost a year before she regained her strength again.
BB
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Elsewhere
And the child will go through life as the proud son of a martyr.
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jeanniebeanz
A relative of the woman said “We are disgusted. These people are fanatics. This was murder.”
I agree. I was in the same position and chose death before 'unfaithfulness' in 1983. Fortunately, my doctor had more luck than this one and I survived by the skin of my teeth. I would have left two children motherless, with an abusive alcoholic father. I would have never lived to know that it was all a lie and my 'sacrifice' was meaningless.
It is unbelievable to me looking back, but I honestly believed that I was doing what Jehovah wanted me to do.
Poor sick woman. I feel so badly for the children. I think it happens much more often than we read about, too.
J
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Rayvin
No worries.. the little baby will see the mom when she is resurected in paradise!!! And after a long sad depressing life as a faithful JW where she/he will suffer because thats our right as followers of the JW religion since we are born in sin we must suffer till paradise. Which should be just around the corner. If you live life as if there is no tomorrow you could disrupt your relationship w/ God. But you will also lose alot of chances to do what comes natural to humans.. love, live, laugh. OH.. i forgot- doing so is taking away from field service and meetings.
Sorry.. just an irritated rant! Hope the sarcasm doesn't bother anyone.