Posted by Marilyn [Felicity] on March 30, 1999 at 16:34:00 {.Oe37V.qjQeyTkGBtHIUOJmDKI0QM2}:
In Reply to: *DR.Laura NO-Blood LETTER nice! posted by Cygnus on March 30, 1999 at 16:18:25:
:::Yes, that was a nice letter. There are more and more ways to deal with certain procedures without resorting to transfusion of whole
blood or red cells, and that is certainly good news, particular for the health care facility as they
no doubt profit greater from the
no-blooders.
I was just talking with the tv producer of the Australian documentary done on JWs/blood here recently. They had interviewed medics and family involved in the most recent JW death - an 18 yr old girl, who suffered an aneurysm in her upper leg. The bottom line was that she had to have a blood transfusion or die. She died. I heard the sequence of events, and though there was a little time lost with diognosis (aneurysm is extremely rare in a young person), everything that could have been done was done. She needed a blood transfusion.
We all prefer to avoid blood transfusions, but the blood debate is about 'do or die' situations. I'm pleased that hospitals have worked hard to develope bloodless surgery, but JWs muddy the waters by saying people go home quicker, and do better without blood. Tell that to the JW father who lost his beautiful daughter. He is in terrible distress three months on from her death, and he's apparently in a state of deep emotional pain and grief - he's withdrawn from his normal activities to live a solitary life on his boat. I hope he isn't waking up to this waste.
Marilyn