Posted on 08/28/2004 11:05:43 AM PDT by UnklGene
Father sues Jehovah's Witnesses, hospital over teen's death -
Fri, 27 Aug 2004
CALGARY - A Calgary man who waged a bitter battle to have his daughter receive a blood transfusion – against her wishes – is suing his former church bretheren and doctors at an Edmonton cancer treatment centre.
FROM JULY 11, 2002: Top court refuses to hear dying teen's case
"I was B's father. I had a right to see my dying daughter. I had a right to know what her treatment was," Lawrence Hughes, painting his case as David vs Goliath, said Friday. "I had a right to tell her I loved her. If I had been with her, she might still be alive today."
Bethany Hughes died of leukemia two years ago, after making a public stand for her Jehovah's Witness faith, which prohibits blood transfusions.
Her father broke with his church and his wife over treatment for the 16-year-old.
He fought a lengthy court battle to have Bethany given blood, which she finally received after being made a temporary ward of the province.
Now he is suing his former wife, the Watchtower Society of Canada – the organization that represents the Jehovah's Witness religion – and doctors at the Cross Cancer Institute.
In a statement of claim, Hughes alleges that Bethany's mother and other Jehovah's Witnesses misled his daughter about the merits of blood transfusions.
He claims they exerted undue influence by telling the teen she would be eternally damned if she agreed to the transfusions.
Hughes also says in his statement of claim that they moved Bethany to the Cross Cancer Institute, which he says gave her an alternate treatment without proper consent.
Bethany Hughes was moved to the new hospital after being discharged from the Alberta Children's Hospital in July 2002, where doctors said she was too ill to continue being treated with chemotherapy and transfusions.
She died less than two months later, just after turning 17.
"It makes me sick today to think that Bethany would still be alive if she had received the proper treatment and blood transfusion," he said. "What they did was immoral, criminal, evil."
None of the statements in the claim have been proven in court. Those mentioned in the lawsuit – some of whom haven't been served notice – weren't prepared to comment.
But Shane Brady, a lawyer with the Watchtower Society, said Hughes has made similar claims before, notably during his divorce. "Hughes is entitled to his day in court, as anyone is, but he's already had his day," Brady said.
Interesting case --- parental rights, father's rights, freedom of religion.
Not exactly an adaptive religion, at any rate.
Due to their interpretation of the Bible's prohibition against misuse of blood, given first to Noah, then in the Law of Moses, and finally reconfirmed as binding on Christians in the Book of Acts.
Most modern Christians disagree with this interpretation. However, the principle is exactly the same as that of Christian Scientists and others who reject all medical treatment. A person is legally allowed to choose what medical treatment they will accept, which incorporates the right to reject certain treatments.
When it's your own medical treatment you're choosing to reject or accept, that's fine. When rejecting it kills an innocent child who had no choice in the matter - nor did her father - it may be another matter.
I read the bible on my own (when I can) and dont rely on priests, ministers, or other clergy to "interpit" for me. If my child was dying and the Pope himself said I could not do "this or that" due to this scripture or that scripture, I would ignore him IMHO. God is love.
A 16 year old person cannot in this context be considered exactly the same as a 6 year old.
It's obviously a tragic situation, but I seriously doubt that courts are the appropriate venue to deal with such things.
This is perhaps the most emotional situation imaginable, and it is often difficult to understand another person who has an entirely different viewpoint than you do.
However, what if the medical treatment prescribed required you to do something you sincerely believed to be against God's Law?
To use an example, in many African and Caribbean countries, magical healing rites may require the murder of another person, often a child. Surely you would not kill another child to treat your own?
I'm not trying to say the two examples are the same, merely to point out that I doubt you would do ANTHING to save your child's life.
This was not an "innocent child". She was sixteen years old and she did make a choice. She chose to refuse blood transfusions, but they were forced on her anyway.
What standing does he have to sue Jehovah's Witnesses? They didn't forcibly keep the girl from receiving the blood transfusions.
And you can't become a Jehovah's Witness without knowing their beliefs regarding blood transufions. So why did this man join if he didn't agree?
Apparently, he once believed the cult's doctrine, but when he saw that it would kill his child, he decided to reject it.
Cancer killed her, not doctrine. They forced the blood transfusions on her and she still died. Same thing happened with my grandmother who had leukemia. The blood transfusions actually hastened her death.
I think a sixteen year old who can clearly articulate her views should be allowed to have a choice in this matter. The article doesn't specify what the girl's viewpoint was although I infer that she was opposed because the father is claiming she was "decieved".
When I was her age, I was quite rational and able to make my own decisions in this regard. I was well aware of the scriptural grounds against blood transfusions and could have argued my case well in front of any judge. Most Jehovah's Witnesses can. I am very grateful that I never dealt with a serious illness at that age, but if I had, there is no way I would have agreed to a blood transfusion.
Yes, they can be. My son is 11. He's taking his insulin whether he likes it or not. When he is 17, he will take it whether he likes it or not. When he is 18, if he chooses not to take his insulin, I will have him declared mentally incompetent and he will take his insulin whether he likes it or not. My grandmother did this with my step dad when he was 45. Her and Grandpa went to my dad's house, wrestled him into the car and took him to the hospital. He was declared "deranged" and was given treatment for his long-neglected diabetes. They even fixed his teeth and acne against his wishes. He was grateful afterward.
A *minor* is a *minor*. Parents can ground them (wrongful imprisonment?), make them do chores (slave labor) and swat them on the butt if they ask for it. (assult?) This father was denied the right to be a parent to his minor child. He had every right to deman that she get medical treatment. The mother should've been jailed for medical neglect. If I choose to stop all diabetes treatment for my son, I'd face charges. (And I'd deserve it.)
deman=demand
The Jehovah's Witnesses do accept medical treatment, just not blood transfusions.
Oranges and apples.
Why does a person with leukemia require transfusions?
Leukemia, myeloma, and many lymphomas involve the marrow and prevent it from producing normal numbers of red cells, white cells, and platelets. Thus, it is common for patients with these diseases to develop anemia (low red cells) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets), and in some cases, leukopenia (low white cells, either granulocytes or lymphocytes or both). This can happen even before any treatment is begun because the cancer cells inhibit the production of normal blood cells in the bone marrow. The drugs to treat these diseases (chemotherapy) that stop the progression of or, in some cases, cure these diseases, often have as a side effect the injury to the normal cells in the bone marrow. These precursor cells normally go on to produce red cells, white cells, or platelets. This injury to normal cells can cause side effects such as very low red cell or platelet counts for a period of a few weeks in most cases.
from http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org/
Well said!
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