Faith v. Medical Treatment- Teenage Witness Refuses Blood

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 9:57 am

Teen Jehovah's Witness Leukemia Patient Dies After Refusing Blood Transfusion

Thursday , November 29, 2007

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. —

A few hours after a Mount Vernon judge ruled that a 14-year-old Jehovah's Witness sick with leukemia had the right to refuse a blood transfusion, even though that refusal might kill him, the boy died in a Seattle hospital. Dennis Lindberg of Mount Vernon died shortly before 9 p.m. Wednesday in his bed at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, the boy's biological father, Dennis Lindberg Sr., told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Hospital spokeswoman Teri Thomas said she could not confirm or deny anything about the case at the request of the boy's legal guardian, who is an aunt.

Earlier Wednesday, Skagit County Superior Court Judge John Meyer denied a motion by the state to force the boy 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 in early November and began treating him with chemotherapy at Children's Hospital, 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, Lindberg Sr. and Rachel Wherry, who do not have custody and flew from Boise, Idaho, to be at the hearing, believed their son should have had the transfusion and suggested he had been unduly influenced by his legal guardian, his aunt Dianna Mincin, who is also a Jehovah's Witness.

Mincin has declined to talk about the case.

The boy's father told the P-I the ruling shocked him but after visiting his son later in the day Wednesday, he decided not to appeal. He said doctors told him Wednesday evening that the boy, unconscious since Tuesday, had likely suffered brain damage.

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

"Dennis does present himself as a very mature man. But he really is just a child trying to please the adults around him," said Jan Curry, whose daughter, Morgan, is his friend.

With the transfusions and other treatment, the boy had been give a 70 percent chance of surviving the next five years, the judge said in court, based on what the boy's doctors told him.

Still, the judge said his decision was based strictly on facts.

"I don't believe Dennis' decision is the result of any coercion. He is mature and understands the consequences of his decision," Meyer said during Wednesday's hearing. "I don't think Dennis is trying to commit suicide. This isn't something Dennis just came upon, and he believes with the transfusion he would be unclean and unworthy."

crazygal · Post by **crazygal** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:57 pm

Oh JW really **** me off. How can any parent watch their child die because they're a JW? :-5

Pheasy · Post by **Pheasy** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:59 pm

Don't get me started again :wah:

crazygal · Post by **crazygal** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:03 pm

Oops sorry but even an adult refusing blood because of religion, please!

Pheasy · Post by **Pheasy** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:23 pm

crazygal;728363 wrote: Oops sorry but even an adult refusing blood because of religion, please!

:wah: Yes I agree.

My 'don't get me started' comment was because not long ago I ranted and raved about the 'iffy' bits on 'certain' religions :wah:

crazygal · Post by **crazygal** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:31 pm

ThePheasant;728388 wrote: :wah: Yes I agree.

My 'don't get me started' comment was because not long ago I ranted and raved about the 'iffy' bits on 'certain' religions :wah:

Well to me, religion is just an excuse to do or not to do things or to get away with things that others wouldn't. A load of pants.

Lon · Post by **Lon** » Thu Nov 29, 2007 3:55 pm

crazygal;728355 wrote: Oh JW really **** me off. How can any parent watch their child die because they're a JW? :-5

The same way that some Moslem's can watch their suicide bombing kids blow them selves up.

K.Snyder · Post by **K.Snyder** » Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:03 pm

In cases that death is absolutely inevitable and is known within I'd say 98%+ probability then I completely understand someone not wishing to go through treatments because I would have to imagine this would not only put themselves through hell but all those who know and love the patient.

This issue is very thin in this regard...

But, equally as crucial, is the importance in being absolutely certain of the prognosis because this issue is so sensitive, and not to others but the patients and the lives affected. Anybody would have to be stupid in allowing a child to have the decision to refuse treatment when the prognosis is even slightly encouraging let alone any figure above 50%!

Let's show a little compassion and empathy ffs!

The use of peoples brains along with love and compassion is the best medicine I know of so let's use it