A two-week-old baby boy was given the chance of life when a High Court judge ruled in favour of a blood transfusion, against the religious beliefs of his Jehovah's Witness parents.
After being approached by a doctor, legal aid attorneys arranged a late court sitting on Friday in the hope a court ruling would save the boy's life.
Port Elizabeth's legal aid board advocate Lilla Crouse said the order for the transfusion was given about 7pm.
"I arranged for the judge, the stenographer and registrar to be at court at six," she said.
The court heard that the baby boy had been born 10 weeks prematurely on June 23 by emergency caesarian section.
"The parents' religious belief did not allow blood or blood products to be administered to them or their children," Crouse said. "They knew their refusal meant signing the death warrant for the child."
She said the fact that the Constitution protected human life had saved the boy's life.
The doctor testified in the court that the baby's condition had been deteriorating since last Monday and that he would probably die that evening.
Judge Ronnie Pillay explained his reasons for giving the go-ahead for the transfusion to the parents.
Pillay made a High Court order that would speed up the blood type matching and the child was admitted to Greenacres Hospital for the transfusion, which reportedly went smoothly.
Officials said the baby was still in good health on Wednesday
Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080710054457407C873527
Yiz
Court rules against Jehovah's Witness parents
by Yizuman 2 Replies latest watchtower medical
-
Yizuman
-
SirNose586
And yet the parents are probably going to be sad because their boy was "violated"--nevermind the fact that he has a much better chance of surviving!
-
wha happened?
or worse yet, sue the hospital that saved their baby's life