Would you honor your relatives request for no blood?

free2beme

As I get older, I realize that a time could come where I could find my spouse and I in a situation where we could have our parents in a situation of needing blood to live and us having to speak on their behalf. With that in mind, I know that the medical directive is not enough and they do try to get family members to do the blood to save them. I know this, as it happened with my mother and my dad had her take blood. So with this in mind, if you were confronted with this situation and you had to make the decision for an active Witness, who could not make it themselves. Would you push your thinking into the equation and say, "yes" to blood or would you let their cult beliefs be what killed them and let them die and allow them not to follow the doctors treatment?

candidlynuts

i would honor my elderly parents wishes yes. they're in their late 70s and i'd honor any decision they make about anything.

my children however are a totally different issue all together!

inbyathread

Am I being hypocritical? I don't know but IF, and it is a huge IF an active witness asked me to be their health care agent I would abide by their wishes. Before consenting to this I would let them know of my personal feelings regarding the societies rulings on the blood issue. If they still wanted me to be their agent then I would.

Of course standing in an emergency room could change my thought process.

blondie

Before a medical emergency presented itself, I would help any JW family members fill out a healthcare power of attorney to select the best person and alternate who will support their decision. Most JWs do not select non-JWs for this but find either a JW relative or a JW in their congregation who is willing to take on this responsibility.

If they don't have such a document, then I let them know they take the chance that I will okay a blood transfusion for them if the hospital/court determine I am the legal representative.

I'm sure they will get that HC-POA right quickly knowing that.

Blondie

dobbie

Its impossible to know how you'd react until it happens to you, but i said no to blood for my baby, and although hes ok its something i'll never forgive myself for.I've already told my husband i'd say give him blood but he was fine with that anyway!

Wordly Andre

Some of my relatives I would even go as far as no oxygen

skeeter1

Yes, but I'd sign them up for a pint of hemoglobin, a teaspoon of albumin, a tablespoon of immunoglobulins...until I had made a whole unit of blood. (I better add some Jack Daniels to the mix).

parakeet

Not in a hundred years. If I had any say in the matter, I'd OK the transfusion. I'd rather have an alive and angry relative than a dead one. Even if he/she never spoke to me again, I'd sleep well at night knowing I had a hand in giving them more life.

fullofdoubtnow

Well, I haven't got any jw relatives, or friends now I'm da'd, but if I did have I quite possibly would honour their request. I know how I would have felt if someone had forced blood on me when I was a jw. I doubt I'd have been very kindly disposed towards them afterwards.

I wonder though, if the roles were reversed, if a jw would try to prevent an ex jw relative from taking blood, even if they had said they would take it?

Honesty

I would.....

and not get involved.

If they want to commit assisted suicide they have to find a Dr. Jack Kevorkian.

Would you honor your relatives request for no blood?

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