Canada's first sextuplets were born to Jehovah's Witness parents. They were born at 25 weeks (not 40 weeks as is common with full-term). Due to their prematurity, they will most likely need blood transfusions. Even with blood transfusions, they face many complications. However, modern medicine suggestst that they have a 50/50 chance at life surmounting these obstacles (provided, of course, they get blood transfusions). Without the transfusions, I think all will die. The JW media men are, basically, trying to own the Canadian media by giving false information and trying to build pressure that these 6 should have bloodless treatment.
These 6 babies need your help contacting all of the Canadian media, especially in the Vancouver/Brittish Columbia area where the lie in an ICU. I wrote the following. Please feel free to use it as a base, or to pen your own.
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Dear (Newspaper):
I write in the hopes of helping to save 6 little lives. It is clear that these sextuplets will likely need a blood transfusion, but are born to Jehovah's Witness parents.
The Jehovah's Witness church purports to not accept blood or blood products. They base this belief that mankind should abstain from blood, and that blood, once removed from the body, should be covered in dust (i.e. not reused). Yet, you might be surprised to learn that the Church's "no-blood" policy allows its followers to accept "blood fractions" (all derived from donated blood), that if added together would equal a whole unit of blood from which they were derived (see www.ajwrb.org for a chart on the allowed blood fractions). Most followers, medical community, and media are unaware of this sly change.
Not all Jehovah's Witnesses and many ex-followers do not follow the Church's official "no blood" position. They see it as nonsense. The Church purports to "abstain from blood", and that blood should be covered in dust and not reused. Yet, all of the allowed fractions were derived from multiple, if not thousands, of units of donated blood, and has the nerve to call this treatment part of its "bloodless" program. A rose by another name smells sweeter.
Last year, the Associated Press and BBC reported on a peer-reviewed legal article, "Jehovah's Witnesses, Blood Transfusions, and the Tort of Misrepresentation" which appeared in the Journal of Church & State. I invite you to read it, available through www.ajwrb.org. The article looks at the Jehovah's Witness Church's misquoting of medical writers, and the various "flip flops" in the Church's official policy. I noticed that the Vancouver Sun reported that church officials suggested the use of erythropoietin injections to help build up the baby's blood. In fact, the Church tells its followers that this drug works "very quickly". The legal article explains that this shot takes 3 weeks to work. Is that "very quickly" in your mind? The legal article also looks at the various "flip flops" in the Church's official policy. In the 1950's, fractions were not allowed whatsoever. This changed through the years. However, in the October 15, 1992 Watchtower, the Church officially banned the fraction "hemoglobin". Hemoglobin is, basically, the insides of the red blood cell and is responsible for transporting oxygen to the cells. The Church unofficially began allowing its followers to take hemoglobin in 2000, and last year officially announced this change to its followers.
These 6 little ones should be allowed to have needed blood transfusions, and not enslaved to the Jehovah's Witness church's ever-changing, nonsensical view that it "abstains" from blood. Let these sextuplets have a fighting chance at life. We can not allow this Church to make martyrs of precious little babies.
