# Witness dying w/o Blood

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Posted by Thes [Thesaurusx] on November 17, 1999 at 13:42:53 {xx2d.1sWpQrnQc.SC0UsqEZbwA6cGE}:

Friday November 12, 5:08 PM

Witness dying after refusing blood

By Sophie Daniels

A 36-year-old Jehovah's Witness is seriously ill in a coma in a London hospital today after she banned
doctors from giving her a life-saving blood transfusion.

Juliet Mulenga suffered severe blood loss after surgery to remove her womb. Her lungs have collapsed
and she has been connected to a kidney dialysis machine.

When she was admitted to Greenwich District Hospital, Miss Mulenga signed a binding document
drawn up by Jehovah's Witnesses forbidding her from accepting blood even if it could save her life,
instead of the normal consent form.

Her family hope she will regain consciousness long enough so that they can persuade her to undergo a transfusion even
though it is against her religion.

Doctors, treating her in intensive care, fear she may not make it through the week.

Her next of kin, aunt Catherine Rugira, with whom Miss Mulenga lives in Eltham is sleeping at her bedside.

Close family friend Bernard Stanbury, 70, said it was unlikely that anyone could change Miss Mulenga's mind.

"Her aunt is traumatised and believes that if only Juliet comes round she could talk some sense into her. But doctors seem
to think that she is very strong-minded and are obliged to respect the document. Juliet is a very placid and quiet girl. I do not
believe she has ever had a boyfriend. Once those religious people got her in their grasp she could not wriggle free. How
can they call themselves Christians? It is not up to them to play with other people's lives.

"Juliet has been a member of the Jehovah Witnesses for 12 years. The only chance is if she comes round but she seems to
be getting worse. She is lying on her stomach in intensive care. You can barely see that she is breathing."

The family has apparently abandoned the idea of going to the High Court to challenge the document after similar cases
failed, but her aunt has vowed to lobby the local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses should her niece die.

The hospital confirmed Miss Mulenga was admitted last week and that she had signed a form stating that she would not
accept a blood transfusion for religious reasons. A spokeswoman said: " We always explain the consequences of their
decision, but it would be illegal if we went against a patient's wishes even if they were unconscious."

New medical guidelines this year gave Jehovah Witnesses the right to die if they chose. *

- Link to article

Follow Ups:

- *Witness dying w/o Blood Flip 20:00:06 11/17/99 (0)
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- *Witness dying w/o Blood The URL 16:24:42 11/17/99 (0)
- *Witness dying w/o Blood Alan 15:06:45 11/17/99 (4)
  - **Witness dying w/o Blood Disko 11:32:23 11/18/99 (2)
    - ***Witness dying w/o Blood FRED HALL 12:58:18 11/18/99 (1)
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- *Witness dying w/o Blood Ed 15:01:54 11/17/99 (2)
  - **Witness dying w/o Blood FRED HALL 13:02:02 11/18/99 (0)
  - **Witness dying w/o Blood FRED HALL 13:01:25 11/18/99 (0)

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