Judge: 14-year-old Jehovah's Witness can refuse blood transfusion

by Gilberto 38 Replies latest watchtower medical

  • Gilberto
    Gilberto

    A 14 year old can refuse a blood transfusion. This is against the wishes of his parents.

    http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_jehovahs_witness_transfusion.html

    Judge: 14-year-old Jehovah's Witness can refuse blood transfusion

    THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

    MOUNT VERNON, Wash. -- A 14-year-old Jehovah's Witness sick with leukemia has the right to refuse a blood transfusion, even though doing so might kill him, a judge ruled Wednesday.

    Skagit County Superior Court Judge John Meyer denied a motion by the state to force Dennis Lindberg, of Mount Vernon, to have a blood transfusion. The judge said the eighth-grader knows "he's basically giving himself a death sentence."

    Doctors diagnosed the boy with leukemia on Nov. 6 and began treating him with chemotherapy at Children's Hospital in Seattle, but stopped a week ago because his blood count was too low, the Skagit Valley Herald reported. The boy refused the transfusion on religious grounds.

    However, his birth parents, who do not have custody and flew from Idaho to be at the hearing, believe their son should have the transfusion and suggested he has been unduly influenced by his legal guardian, his aunt, who is also a Jehovah's Witness.

    Several friends of Lindberg and of his parents attended Wednesday's hearing, and some ran out crying when the judge announced his decision.

  • kls*
    kls*

    So the Aunt and the Judge handed this kid a death sentence. I would bet the Aunt walked out feeling how proud she is by handing this kid a death sentence . Won't Jah be pleased

  • Tatiana
    Tatiana

    So, he's not old enough to vote. Not old enough to drink legally. Not old enough to drive a car? But, he's old enough to decide to die? Who the F is this judge? I want to strangle the aunt!

  • Junction-Guy
    Junction-Guy

    I hear ya Tatiana, I hear ya.

  • dinah
    dinah

    Who in their right mind would let a JW aunt raise their kid in the first place?

    Something is seriously wrong here. You can't enter into a legal contract at 14. You can't really do anything at 14. Judges are scared to go against religious freedoms.

    I've seen other stories when children were denied medical care at all because it's against their religion. It's pitiful and it's a crying shame.

  • maowr
    maowr

    .

    Look at the bright side as she may become a potentail plaintiff for the future in the event someone may take out the core to the Watchtower's Blood god.

    .

  • Nathan Natas
    Nathan Natas

    OK, the kid is making a fatally dumb mistake, but how come his parents don't have custody of him?

  • stm345
    stm345

    You might want to make a comment on this blog http://blogs.king5.com/archives/2007/11/a_matter_of_fai.html

  • purplesofa
    purplesofa

    my thoughts as well TAT

  • freedom96
    freedom96

    This just sickens me.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit