Search the Community

QUEBEC, CANADA A judge orders a 14-Year-old witness to be baptized with blood. A judge from Quebec has decided that a 14-Year-old Jehovah's witness who has cancer must undergo blood transfusions, despite his express desire not to receive them. The Adolescent, who is not named, learned in June that she has hodgkin's lymphoma, a rare form of cancer affecting white blood cells. He has an excellent survival rate, if it's early. Treatment involves chemotherapy, which often requires blood transfusions. But as Jehovah's witness, the faith of the girl states that it is against God's desires to consume or be transfused with any blood. The girl, who had just turned 14 at the time of her diagnosis, refused to accept any transfusion. Under the québec law, children under the age of 14 may reject certain health services. However, if the parents of the child or a hospital want to administer these services, they may request the permission of a judge. In his decision issued earlier this month, judge lukasz granosik noted that the girl had embraced his religion at an early age and was baptized at 12 years of his own agreement. McGill University Health Center, where the girl was being treated, argued that the girl was not mature enough to make those decisions and was under the pressure of her parents to refuse transfusions. In his judgement, granosik noted that the girl was brilliant and expressive, but also said he was talking about death "almost with resignation". Noting that the law is designed to protect children even from themselves, he ordered the girl to submit to any blood transfusion necessary to save his life The girl's Hematologist-oncologist says that the girl's prognosis with full treatment is excellent, with 97 percent of recovery possibilities. The hospital has promised to use blood transfusions only if the child's life is in danger, and use other methods to avoid transfusions when possible. No update on the current adolescent health status is known. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/quebec-judge-orders-jehovah-s-witness-14-to-undergo-blood-transfusions-1.3599486