JW mother refuses blood transfusion and dies leaving newborn twins

[WendyWeber]

report

"We can't believe she died after childbirth in this day and age, with all the technology there is."

They all share the responsibility for her death - her family, his family, the church, all of them. Can they really believe they all did the right thing?

I saw this this morning and couldn't believe it.. so sad As an ex-JW I can see why she didn't want blood but I find it very messed up that people will die in this day and age when medical advances mean they can save you, especially since the bible was written 1000s of years ago.

My parents are JWs and I am their director of their wishes, TBH I am begining to question whether I actually will be able to say 'no blood' if something happened to them.

It said something about not being allowed willingly to accept a transfusion, which I guess is why they decided to overrule the original intention - it's just so sad it wasn't in time.
That said people do still die from PPH and it isn't clearcut that she would have been saved if it had been given a while earlier. We only have the Sun's word on that and I am reluctant to take it as fact.
Lissie, I am so sorry for your sister and this poor girl

This is such a sad story. Personally I see this from a medical rather than a religeous point of view as this is my job and I was involved in something similar a few years ago. We had a 20 odd year old JW attend our dept haemorraging due to a gynae problem and she too refused blood products. It got to the point where she could die and neither she nor her family would change their minds. The staff dealing with her case in our department were traumatised it was horrible. Here we were in a hospital trained to save lives yet unable to do anything to help this girl. I remember feeling really angry that they were expecting us to do nothing but watch her die - what ever their beliefs JW don't have the right to do this to medical/nursing staff. Luckily in this case the girl did not die but she came bloody close if she had I would of found it very distressing and hard to live with and might of left nursing altogether as I would never want to be in that situation again.
If a JW child needs a transfusion then the Consultant can overide the families wishes and court orders can be obtained so treatment goes a head. Personally I think this should be extended to adults.

Very sorry to hear of the loss. I can't understand the principle involved but have to respect their right to their descision.

Very sorry to hear of the loss. I can't understand the principle involved but have to respect their right to their descision.

Superwitch, I agree that in any event it is traumatic to lose a patient who you have tried so hard to save.

In the situation we are discussing here, where religous beliefs preclude or prevent life saving intervention to the point that ultimately,it is too late, and a seemingly needless death occurs, the trauma for the staff involved is so much greater.

In obstetrics the blood loss can rapidly be vast and life threatening and time is not always on the side of the obstetricians who are trying to deal with it.

Those two small words

'if only'

assume so much more importance.

came to this thread late, as it was blocked at work

Just wanted to add a few things:

JWs don't just "tick a box" before they have an operation/procedure; there is a special consent form that goes into a lot of detail as to the risks.

Cell saving even if available, probably wouldn't work quickly enough in this poor girl's situation. neither would erythropoietin as mb said. Plasma expanders don't contain haemoglobin, so wouldn't save her life.

I've been involved at work in a similar situation where the JW died as a result of refusing blood. In light of that nothing. Could have been done to save his life.

Unfortunately the family then chose to sue the hospital as they blamed us for the death. I and several colleagues spent a couple of VERY unpleasant days in court being cross-examined by a JW lawyer who (unusually) was very ill-informed about the alternatives to transfusion and how quickly they work.

I respect the decision that the poor girl made, and fel for her family and friends, but hope to God that the family don't then try to blame the medical staff for what happened. (Unless of course they really did do something that caused her death).

How awful. They do all share responsibility, I agree. Those poor babies.

'I think if you rae on your death bed and saying this, the docs should be able to section you and force you to have treatment. She'd have thanked them for it when she got to see her dcs first words, first steps, first day at school etc. '

This is completely unworkable. Because you can't draw a line or make it clear when treatment should be forced on someone who is of sound mind.

It is their fundamental right to decide for themselves how they wish to be treated medically.

What about people who refuse chemo? Should they be forced to have it because the doctors feel that's best for them - total strangers who don't know them or have their best interests in mind?

Maybe she felt, maybe her faith was so strong, that death is not hte final chapter. Perhaps she was not afraid of death.

Perhaps she believed that God would take care of her children.

Very sad.I have nursed 4 (adult) JW patients who refused blood products on religious grounds which led to their untimely deaths.It is very difficult but you cannot contravene someones religious wishes if they are an adult.Poor family.

that poor girl. what a completely SHIT thing to say, olala.

well lukcy them. Hope god can give them a really nice cuddle when they fall over and hold their hand down to school on the first day, sew the name tags into their clothes and cheer them on at sports day, hope God can schmooze the other mums and get other kids back for play dates and hope God can explain periods and sex and be there with a tissue when the first boyfriend doesn't work out. What utter nonsense.

I think when a simple blood transfusion will save your life, the state should force it upon you if it is going to give you a good qulity of life. THey can alwyas kill themselves after if the trauma of having a blood transufion is too much. But I just don't think they will.

maybe its a shit thing to say, but... is leaving your children motherless ok?

why is 'its my religion' an excuse?

If it was my religion to walk out of my house right now and never return to my children....is that ok?
how?
why?

Imagine the healthcare profession routinely able to over ride the wishes of sane, rational people regarding their own health because of their own value judgements?

Just imagine that sort of world.

No morning after pill for you, teenage girl, you'll thank me for it later when you see your baby's first steps.

No vasectomy for you, mister father of 4, you'll thank me for it later when you hear the fifth child you can't support's first words.

Sir, even though you feel you've had enough, I'm going to force you to have chemo, life-prolonging treatments, you'll thank me when your first great-great-grandchild comes along.

This consenting adult mother had no right to determine the future for her lo`s to be spent motherless and live with the guilt of their mothers death for the rest of their lives.

Fair enough if its one adult alone deciding for themselves, but she has decided for her dc too, and that is wrong. Incredibly wrong.

Olala, spoke harshly but to the point and totally right imo.

nonsense expat, none of that is the rational extension of what I am saying. This is an extreme case, with extreme consequences. If she was a cancer patient who;d had enough, or someone who'd be delivered to a life of suffering, or a mum who didn't want another child....fine, completely ok, more than ok, my full full genuine support. But this? this is just so awful and blind and tragic. and its not the person who took the decision whos elife will be blighted by it for ever. Its that of her tiny children.

'nonsense expat, none of that is the rational extension of what I am saying.'

Afraid not, ol. There is already a serious issue of healthcare professionals refusing to distribute morning after pills, for example.

A person's body is their domain and should be treated as such, so long as that person is of sound mind.

I cringe to imagine a society in which this is not so. There already are such societies in this world, nearly ALL with shocking human rights abuses and extreme mistreatment of women.

Morning after pill for a teenage girl is acceptable. Her baby is not yet born or even formed.

Chemo for the man who feels like he has had enough is acceptable, as it is likely he will suffer side effects, prolonging his agony and undoubtedly still result in the same end anyway. (sad but true)

A vasectomy for a father of 4 is acceptable as he is making a responsible descision to stop having further children he knows he cannot manage.

A jw refusing blood when otherwise she is fit and healthy and has a responsiblity to her newborn lo`s, is not acceptable.

Message withdrawn

McCann threads getting boring, haychee ?

olola, haychee, how fucking DARE you?
i have refrained from swearing thus far on this thread but you really are nasty pieces of work. read the whole thread! they agreed to a transfusion, it was too late. those twins are being raised by a father who has to live with his guilt for the rest of his life, hows that for a sentance?

lissie, ignore them. they are talking out fo their arses.