Jehovah's Witness mother dies after refusing blood transfusion after giving birth

[SparklingWaves]

"Witnesses believe three Biblical passages explicitly prevent them from receiving blood transfusions. However the faith's ruling Watchtower Society allows Witnesses to receive organ transplants, as long as the organ is completely drained of blood".


Are they against donating their "own" organs? I see here they are not opposed to "receiving" organs.

They do not donate their blood for others, but they have their blood drawn for their own testing purposes and they can "receive" blood fractions from donors. (I understand that part).

I am interested in the part about organ donation. Does anyone know?

 

[Shimmer]

Jehovah's Witnesses

According to the Watch Tower Society, Jehovah's Witnesses believe donation is a matter of individual decision. Jehovah's Witnesses are often assumed to be opposed to donation because of their belief against blood transfusion. However, this merely means that all blood must be removed from the organs and tissues before being transplanted.

I love google.

 

[SparklingWaves]

I was doing the research on this and I found the three verses that was requested.

Acts 15:19-21 - "19 Hence my decision is not to trouble those from the nations who are turning to God, 20 but to write them to abstain from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For from ancient times Moses has had in city after city those who preach him, because he is read aloud in the synagogues on every sabbath.”

Leviticus 17:13-14 - “‘As for any man of the sons of Israel or some alien resident who is residing as an alien in YOUR midst who in hunting catches a wild beast or a fowl that may be eaten, he must in that case pour its blood out and cover it with dust. 14 For the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood by the soul in it. Consequently I said to the sons of Israel: “YOU must not eat the blood of any sort of flesh, because the soul of every sort of flesh is its blood. Anyone eating it will be cut off.”

Genesis 9:3-4 - "3 Every moving animal that is alive may serve as food for YOU. As in the case of green vegetation, I do give it all to YOU. 4 Only flesh with its soul—its blood—YOU must not eat."


Also, I did find where they are not opposed to donating their own organs.

 

[Shimmer]

Unfortunately, JWs don't believe that the New Testament's story of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and resurrection made those laws unnecessary.
They base most of their beliefs around the OT, which is important, but as far as Biblically speaking goes, the NT trumps the OT.

 

[SparklingWaves]

That's right.

 

[SparklingWaves]

"Be fruitful and multiply" --- This was done! The world is overpopulated. Oh, that one was a poor choice on my part. I can get in big tt. Hey, that was in the OT.

 

[SparklingWaves]

Not all the time, but in a lot of cases those twins are born by c-section. This was a natural delivery. I was just thinking (tap tap) Maybe, that doc didn't want to do surgery on this woman.

That sudden loss of blood may have been a rupture of her uterus. Who knows? I am just think...

They don't give you enough medical info. about the size & weight of the babies and how far along did the doctor allow her to go. Natural can mean with or without drugs to speed up the delivery.

I am thinking too much...

 

[Shimmer]

That information really isn't anyone else's business.

 

[SparklingWaves]

When conducting nursing research, there are specific nursing jounals that have cases of law suits with all of this information in it. OB/GYN is actually at the top for law suits. That is just one of the many reasons why there is a shortage of doctors going into that speciality. It's a high-risk area like surgery. You are dealing with blood all the time. Doctors insurance is going up. More and more people are not insured, etc.

I am sorry. I am having a throw back of my research days. I get all side tracked.

You are right. The public doesn't have the right to know.

 

[Raerae]

Look who snuck back onto the forums! *waves*

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye One should never be forced to do anything they do not wish to do- if this is so then there is a direct violation of our personal freedoms and liberties. That being said it is so sad that many religions/Christians in particular choose to follow the traditions of man and not that of God. I will not pass judgement on them at all but I will say that nowhere in the Bible does it state that there is to be no blood transfusions etc-especially when it involves saving a life. Nowhere. Not Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Hebrew....nada. I suspect that many johovas witnesses may be confusing it with another topic (and that will open a can of worms) but my reply to that would be...read the Bible. Know what you are reading and don't listen to the traditions of man but of God. I am of the opinion that I admire her for being willing to die for her faith but my thought is, if God gave the gift of this new technology, we should use it. I do think that she listened to the ideologies of man and that is what cost her her life. Had she read the Bible and understood it (and again, I don't know if she did or did not but seeing the circumstances.....as provided)- she would know that God is a God of life and not death and she would've accepted the Blood transfusion. -speaking on the spiritual terms of course. I won't go on the common sense terms....that would just be too easy

 

[Hawkeye]

*waves to Raerae then ducks back out of the forums*
meh it caught my eye while I was on the clearance bin.

 

[jenii]

I think it's incredibly foolish. Then again, I'm not real big on religion in general.

 

[Dark_Phoenix]

I wonder if Jehovah's Witness allow autologous donation (when you have blood drawn to be stored and used at a later date, it's used for elective surgery and other planned surgeries).

Quote:

I have no idea what they do with people who have genetic bleeding disorders.

Most people with genetic bleeding disorders do not use transfusions for prophylaxis. They're bulky, take hours, and are only used after inhibitors develop. I was on them for the past few months and they're a complete pain (woot! finally switched back to recombiants)

Recombiant factor products can increase clotting by directly infusing clotting factors (genetic bleeding disorders are from a factor deficiency i.e. vWD III is an abscence of vWD and factor VIII).
Recombiant factors can be derived from pigs, humans, or Chinese hamster ovary tissue (<has no plasma products in it). Recombiant factors are very expensive (usaully a few hundred thousand dollars a year for prophylaxis). Concentrates, which are blood derived from only pigs or humans, are cheaper.

 

[SparklingWaves]

I had to look up the answer to the topic about autologous donation. They do not believe in that.

Interestingly enough, on a side note, I found that they aren't against dialysis.

 

[Briar]

I agree, it does seem selfish to deprive these children of their mother, but we all have the right to refuse any medical treatment, and I am a passionate advocate for that right.

As a RN I've encountered situations similar to this and while it is never easy to sit back and watch someone die when you know that help is so readily available, a person's life is their own, and that includes the right to die if they choose. I think it is truly hubris for the medical community to decide what is right and wrong in these cases. Its not about medicine and machines, its about hearts and souls.

 

[ratmist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Briar I agree, it does seem selfish to deprive these children of their mother, but we all have the right to refuse any medical treatment, and I am a passionate advocate for that right. As a RN I've encountered situations similar to this and while it is never easy to sit back and watch someone die when you know that help is so readily available, a person's life is their own, and that includes the right to die if they choose. I think it is truly hubris for the medical community to decide what is right and wrong in these cases. Its not about medicine and machines, its about hearts and souls.

Have you had to watch an minor die because of their JW parents' decision? If not, how would you feel about that?

I think everyone agrees that an adult, as recognized at the age of majority, making a decision for his or herself, has the right to accept or refuse medical treatment on whatever grounds. Hell, people make bad decisions all the time, and that's our right. I agree with the OP that it's a selfish decision, to deprive children of your life, but that's just my personal opinion. JW's have the legal right to refuse treatments for themselves, providing they are above the age of majority.

But the choice of a child's medical care lies in the hands of the parents or guardians. Is it hubris for a medical community to want to push towards a vote for treatment that has been proven in countless studies and patient cases to help save a child's life, over the spiritual needs of his/her parents?

I'm not asking that as a rhetorical question, by the way. I'm genuinely interested to see what you, as an RN, would argue, since you're passionate about patients' rights.

 

[Beauty Mark]

While I find it terribly sad, I feel like this is along the vein of whether one should be allowed to have the right to die. I assume she was of sane mind when she signed the papers.

As for how one raises their children, there is a lot of questionable albeit legal parenting that goes on. Raising your kids to be racist? Allowing your children to become morbidly obese?

I think it's very gray area about denying children health care because of religious belief.

 

[Shimmer]

It is gray, it's also a line that becomes hazier the more defined it becomes.

 

[Briar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratmist Have you had to watch an minor die because of their JW parents' decision? If not, how would you feel about that?

You know, that's a hard question and one I haven't formed a firm answer for myself on yet. I think I would have a hard time watching a child die when treatment is available (especially something as simple as a blood transfusion). On the other hand (and this is where I'll probably get flamed by someone) I don't believe every child on the planet, or even this country, should be saved.

If it were my child I would want the decision to be left up to me, but we all know that not all parental decsions are in the best interest of the child.

In many cases if the parent desires to allow a child to die rather than receive proven life-saving treatment the hospital or physician will go over the parent's heads and get a court order for the treatment, or ask Child Protective Services to step in at the least. We might think that parental rights trump all else, but they don't, most of the time the medical professionals won't allow a child to die when easy treatment is available. Whether that is right or wrong I haven't made up my mind about yet.

And no, I haven't watched a minor die due to parental religious beliefs. I have been at the bedside when parents had to make the agonizing decision to remove their minor child from life support and allow them to die. I believe that most parents truly want what they believe is right for their child, and allowing a child to die is never an easy decision no matter what the circumstances. I have to believe that JW parents who go that route have their child's spiritual well-being at heart when they make the decision. That doesn't mean I agree with, or like their decision however.

 

[SparklingWaves]

As I mentioned, I did see a minor die and it haunts me to this day. It's something I will never forget. This wasn't my patient, but I was in the ER and my patient was in the other area right across from the boy. The entire ER knew this child died. The nurses and doctor cried. I had to dissociate myself from it to finish my shift. Patients families were crying.
The JWs were stoic.

Like I said, he was 7 y/o. He died right before the court gave the okay to give the transfusion. If he hung on just 30 minutes more, he would have been saved. This was before HIPPA laws were in place, so every floor of the hospital knew this boy died over a fracture. The hospital appeared in grief. This wasn't a pediatric hospital. I never will forget that angel's face laying there pale and motionless.

I concurred with the state's decision to intervene on the boy's behalf to get him the blood transfusion. But, the timing wasn't on the boy's side and he perished. I too am an RN.