I left something out of this story, but now feel like I want to share it.
This elder has been on the stage at assemblies in the past recounting his experience with one of his kids. His child was born very premature, and they refused blood, the child lived, but barely. Very horrible and touching story about what this family went through. This child is the apple of his eye, so I could not resist saying to him during this conversation,
"God forbid, but what XXXX had died from not you not allowing a blood transfusion and now XX years later, you find out that you COULD have allowed potentially life saving blood fractions to be given to XXXX!"
He didn't say a word
"Oh well, no use thinking about 'what-ifs' eh!" I said to end the conversation.
Jez