Dying Teen Awaits Word on Appeal

by RunningMan 5 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  RunningMan

  I finally got around to browsing through yesterday's paper, and saw the above headline on page 4. Unfortunately, my paper only keeps the current day's headlines on line, so I can't reprint the article (it came from Canadian Press, if anyone else can find it).

  The article begins:

  "A Calgary teen who fought blood transfusions in her losing battle with leukemia learns Thursday whether the Supreme Court of Canada will hear her case.

  "The decision won't likely affect the 16 year old girl: the Alberta government last week stopped forcing treatments on the dying Jehovah's Witness after 38 transfusions and four rounds of chemotherapy failed to stop the cancer.

  "She is not expected to see her 17th birthday on Aug. 20.

  "But the hight court, should it hear her appeal, could proceed even after her death to clarify the rights of young people who reject medical treatment.

  "'My case is about rights,' the girl, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, told a makeshift provincial court set up last week in her hospital room."

  ..... There isn't anything new in the article, but there were some interesting comments...

  "In a move that split the family, her father went against his wife and daughter to support the procedures.

  "'How many parents would actually sit there and watch their child die?' he said in an interview.

  "'If you have a 50 per cent chance, you take it.'

  "The father's agonizing choice has cost him everything - including his faith, he said. He blames the powerful religious sect, which he has left.

  "'It has ruined my life, destroyed my marraige and my family.'

  "'They're going to the Supreme Court to fight for human rights? What about the human rights of their members? If you question anything, you're cut off from your friends and family.'"

  ..... Those bastards. If your're reading this, Shunned Father, we're all with you, man....

  Above the article was a map of Canada, showing the age in each province at which a person is legally able to make their own medical decisions

  Edited by - RunningMan on 11 July 2002 10:18:20
• 

  RunningMan

  The issue here is not the right of an adult to choose their medical treatment. Neither is it the correctness of the specific blood doctrine.

  The issue is: At what age does a child have the right to make their own medical decisions?

  In Canada, that right is granted at either 16 or 18, depending on your province. As well, the court can deem the child to be a mature minor, and grant the right even earlier.

  Really, though, the issue never arises among sensible people. Most parents have their child's health as their paramount concern. Even if they are a little unorthodox, they still want their child to live, more than anything else in the world - but not JW's. They have obedience to the organization as their main concern. Their life and the life of their child is second. So, there are times when JW parents and health professionals are not able to reach an agreement on treatment.

  This considerably confuses the issue. Also confusing the issue is the lack of accurate information available to JW children, the pressure placed by the organization, and the human rights of dissenting members.

  This is an ugly, ugly, issue that never fails to make me feel sick.
• 

  Bona Dea

  I agree that a person should be able to make their own decisions regarding medical procedures...but I also agree that this girl was too young when these treatments began AND that her decision would be based on completely biased information. It is doubtful that she is aware of any info (health related) or that she has ever heard any theological reasoning about blood transfusions outside of the borg. A person can hardly make a sound decision regarding this issue based on what you would learn from just the WBTS.

  Just my .02
• 

  SixofNine

  As a JW, at the age of 35, it would have been impossible, in an emergency situation, for me to use "informed consent" in order to refuse a blood transfusion. But I certainly would have refused.

  Loyal JW's just do not have the information it takes to be "informed". Notice the similarities between the two words.

  I guess there has to be an age were we, as a society, just let people kill themselves. Can we make that age, oh, I don't know, 26? 27? Pretty please? Can we just at least get these kids thru college, give them a chance at life?

  This breaks my heart. For her, for her father.

  Edited by - SixofNine on 11 July 2002 11:38:17
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  deddaisy

  all I can add to the comments is if, like the lawyer that tried to convince a judge that a twelve year old JW was mature enough to make her own medical decisions, minors are, in fact, fully capable of making life and death decisions, then why was Dr. Kevorkian in court on criminal charges for aiding an adult that made his or her own life and death decisions?

  If a judge truly wants to know how "informed" these kids are about the religion that they are willing to die for, he should ask them if their religious organization was ever registered as an NGO with the U.N. How about if their religious organization's name is listed as an owner on the SEC Filing of a company that has government defense and military contracts......how about why some of the Bible is taken literally while other parts are not? how about why they consume red, bloody, meat? Did CT Russell forbid blood? Witnesses do not make informed decisions because Witnesses do not make decisions. the last decision they made was to become baptized, and I doubt that was an informed one................they become just puppets on a string. how else could the Witnesses in "shunned father's" congregation see what this man is going through and not see something wrong in the organization's treatment of him?

  I don't doubt that some of the Aztec kids that were sacrificed to the sun gods believed that their parents knew what they were talking about.

  Edited by - deddaisy on 11 July 2002 14:15:4
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  justhuman

  The most tragic thing is the ingnorance of the JW regarding W.T policies during the years. Indeed W.T is bloodguilty like the other religions. Perhaps if the rank and file had idea what was preached as "truth" in the past, like vaccinations, organ transplants, they would consider what is the best for them.

  I believe that the Watchtower is controled by higher dark forces that we cannot imagine... What kind of religion is this to send innocent children and people to death as a result of the loyalty to their Organization. Do you believe that the Governing Body of this organization is really has a divine guidance? What kind of guidance is this to see people dying over the years, and their bloodthursty God is happy about their stand?

  It reminds the muslims that they are willing to carry a bomb and kill innocent people, with the promise that they will inherit paradise.

  Regarding the Judge's I'm sure thay they are also been controled that is why over the years only a few had managed to win a case against the Watchtower, and this is a fact.