Anyone lost or nearly lost a loved one because of the WTS's blood rules?

BLISSISIGNORANCE

The reason I ask this question is because when I became a JW I had 3 little children who relied on me for everything, including making the right medical decisions for them.

It really terrifies me when I think back to that time because I was so committed (I should have been actually) that I use to send my kids to school with the 'NO BLOOD' card hanging around their necks...........OMG. I also filled in all their medical forms with 'no blood' in the 'special instructions' box.

Well, since then, many bad things have happened to me and my family at the hands of the borg and individual dubs. Also, many other things have come to light (not their light) that has proven the WTS wrong and dangerous. Some of their mistakes haven't been life-threatning...........but some have!!

I have been thinking since leaving the borg, that I regret many things about my life there, yet most of my regrets can be made up for and in time, even forgotten. But WHAT IF I had let one of my family die because of what I believed and trusted then, yet now I know is totally wrong?????????????? How could I ever get over a regret like that? It makes me feel sick in the stomach whenever I contemplate it.

Both my parents had major surgery several years ago, and the blood issues came up. Fortunately neither of them needed blood, but if they did they would have died because they didn't want blood then and I would have made sure their wishes be respected. I would be sitting here now kicking myself for a wrong decision. What a regret! What a waste of life!!

I'm just so glad that I never had to make that sort of a decision, but what scares me is the power and influence the WTS has over it's people. JWs have died because of the religion they're involved in, not because they had to.

Please note.........this does not mean I would take blood easily, for medical reasons I do have concerns about using it. But there are other options, and having the freedom to choose is a gift and I cherish that. And when push comes to shove, I'm pretty sure I'd choose to have my child alive taking a risk, rather than surrendering that chance to life because of what some guys in NY say, after all they have got a FEW things wrong before right?

Any opinions, thoughts or experiences you'ld like to share?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers, Bliss

garybuss

Yes! See my story on the link below.

The Way I See it http://www.freeminds.org/buss/buss.htm

UpAndAtom

I knew (step-family) that almost died as a result of the blood issue. Really stupid too. This poor woman was on the brink of death, and all the congregation could talk about was, "What's her blood pressure?" On the one hand they didn't want her to die, but on the other they did everything possible to make sure she stayed in the danger area, and to provide her with false comfort. She didn't want to die, but somehow I got the feeling the congregation could go either way on the issue. I didn't feel any love in the air.

Their God is someone to FEAR... I didn't once feel it was a loving God of mercy and forgivness. This fearful attitude is just absolutely crazy! They are constantly fearful, worried... just as you still seem to be... and why? Because they have conditioned you to think in this manner. This is what they want. Fear of the world, fear of the consequences, fear of not doing the right thing!

Fear is what holds people back from realising their true potential. There's a motto some successful people live by, it's called "Fail-Fast-Forward" It means, don't be afraid of making mistakes. If you fail, make sure you fail fast, so that you can move forward quickly and go onto the next thing to fix (or fail). The important thing is moving forward.

JW's don't move forward. They are fearful of making mistakes. When they fail, they justify the failure in a theocratic light. After this... it just becomes a quagmire of rules and regulations to prevent further problems. It's just so weird, it's just wrong. Your worry about past actions is only evidence that you value truth higher than the men in that place do. Get out while you can. You will fail, you will make mistakes, but you should be prepared to make these mistakes today (or tomorrow, and not next year), in that way, you can fix them, then move forward. If you God really does love you - don't you think he would help you?

smack

13 years ago my first son was born. He was 32 weeks and had stopped growing. He weighed 1.5 kilos. He has Down Syndrome and was also born with a blind aesophagus (sp). For the first 3 months of his lifehe was either in a humidicrib, or on an operating table. He was struggling to live one day (about 2 months old) when the peadiatrician casually said that 40ml of blood would make all the difference. I had been out for about 8 years at the time and still had trouble wit the decision. I said to jmack that it was her call, that I would support her decision, but just don't tell my parents. It saved his life.

Now, I would not hesitate to take blood. I haven't gotten around to donating yet, guess I should.

A few years ago I heard my dad spouting some shite about how each hospital gets gumbermint funding to use blood, they get so much $ per litre. He got this gem of info in the same way that he found out about the evils of aluminium in cooking utensiles.

cruzanheart

Yeah: me. When my mom was pregnant with me she was studying with the Witnesses. Dad was in the Navy and they were in Honolulu. She could have had me at Tripler Army Hospital but because she was going to have a Caesarian, they wanted to give her a pint or two of blood as a matter of course (she had a lot of female problems and surgeries, and one miscarriage before me). She nobly refused and went to a "back street hospital" called the Kapiolani Maternity Hospital (it's now pretty big and beautiful!) and had me with four doctors in attendance, losing less than a cup of blood in the process. Now, remember, that's HER version. Mind you, she's also the one who made the dramatic statement: "If my child won't be a Jehovah's Witness, it might as well be born dead."

Last year, one of the times he was drunk, Dad told me that three years later he personally hand-carried blood from the blood bank to the hospital so that my grandmother (Mom's mother) could have a blood transfusion that was supposed to save her life. They never told anyone.

Shows where I stood in the family, didn't it?

Nina

Mecurious?

after all they have got a FEW things wrong before right?

More than a few. I lost my sister 4 years ago to the blood issue, very sad, still hurts. I can't seem to be able to really talk about it right now....sorry.

Merc'

bittersweet

My former step-fathers first wife died after giving birth because she wouldn't take a blood transfusion.Of course all the witnesses say she would have died anyway, but the doctors said differently.It was big news in the town for years.

My little sister ( step, but to me my real sis ) will never know her real mother, and my step brothers lost a person that meant the whole world to them. So very sad.

Valis

My grandmother had bone cancer...she probably would have survived with bone marrow transplants and transfusions, but I can't say without a doubt she would have lived much longer. She tried everything....even went to Mexico for some weird treatments....it went into remission and then came back after about 5 years....except it killed her the last time.

Sincerely,

District Overbeer

Kenneson

Yes. My cousin's wife (18 years old) died in 1958. She agreed to surgery for the removal of a brain tumor, but did not consent to blood (which she needed). Her death created quite a stir in my small hometown. People were accusing JWs of murder.

razorMind

My grandmother was going to let her grown son die (my uncle) without a blood transfusion.....and he hasn't stepped foot in a Kingdom Hall in my entire living memory. I'll be 33 years old. I don't think he's been inside a Kingdom Hall since his early teens. He's at least approaching early 50's now.

She's his power-of-attorney. She was scrambling around trying to contact those "WT Blood Liason" people (don't know the exact name) From what I remember, my elder dad was telling her it was useless to contact them because of Uncle's status (if one ever existed) in the org. This whole incident happened about 2 years ago. I remember his non-JW kids being terribly upset and begging her to change her mind.

I'm deeply sorry to all those who've lost friends/family members on the board to the blood issue.

Anyone lost or nearly lost a loved one because of the WTS's blood rules?

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