Fall guy,
No doubt if you are in need of a transfusion you are not in the best situation to begin with. But blood still remains a VITAL component and tool in modern medicine. A plethora of drugs and treatments are made from it, and there are trauma situations in which nothing else will do. As we hopefully develop less and less need for it (as a finite resource that can only be stored for so long), JW's will no doubt continue to pat themselves on the back.
If I could avoid it, I would. If i couldn't, I would take the risk as I would any medical treatment meant to save my life. I would do the same to my children. Doctors would also do the same for themselves and their children. Just ask one.