Abstract. Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions but accept solid organ transplants.
Jehovah's Witnesses – According to the Watch Tower Society, the legal corporation for the religion, Jehovah's Witnesses do not encourage organ donation but believe it is a matter best left to an individual's conscience. All organs and tissues, however, must be completely drained of blood before transplantation.
Abstract: While Jehovah's Witness (JW) patients refuse transfusions of blood or blood products, they are willing to accept renal allograft transplantation.
BOSTON – For the first time since its first heart transplant was completed in 1985, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) on Friday, March 10 successfully completed a heart transplant for a Jehovah's Witness patient while using no outside blood products.
Jehovah's Witnesses represent a tremendous clinical challenge when indicated to liver transplantation because they refuse blood transfusion on religious grounds and the procedure is historically associated with potential massive peri-operative blood loss.
Jehovah's Witnesses appreciate high-quality surgical and medical care. They value life and want to do whatever is reasonable and compatible with their beliefs to prolong it. Patients who are Jehovah's Witnesses are typically well informed both doctrinally and regarding their right to determine their own treatment.
Jehovah's Witnesses accept medial and surgical treatment. They do not adhere to so-called “faith healing” and are not opposed to the practice of medicine.
Since Jehovah's Witness (JW) patients diagnosed with leukaemia refuse blood transfusions, they are often denied intensive chemotherapy for fear they could not survive myeloablation without blood transfusion support.
Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood transfusions, including autologous transfusions in which a person has their own blood stored to be used later in a medical procedure, (though some Witnesses will accept autologous procedures such as dialysis or cell salvage in which their blood is not stored) and the use of packed RBCs ...
In 1984, the church declared that accepting a bone marrow transplant was up to the individual [5]. Even though Jehovah's Witnesses can willingly accept a bone marrow transplant, the very source of blood production, they still maintain that receiving a blood transfusion merits disfellowship from the organization.
Diet. Jehovah's Witnesses reject foods containing blood but have no other special dietary requirements. Some Jehovah's Witnesses may be vegetarian and others may abstain from alcohol, but this is a personal choice. Jehovah's Witnesses do not smoke or use other tobacco products.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that it is against God's will to receive blood and, therefore, they refuse blood transfusions, often even if it is their own blood. The willing acceptance of blood transfusions by Jehovah's Witnesses has in some cases led to expulsion from and ostracisation by their religious community.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that a human must not sustain his life with another creature's blood, and they recognize no distinction "between taking blood into the mouth and taking it into the blood vessels." It is their deep-seated religious conviction that Jehovah will turn his back on anyone who receives blood ...
Jehovah's Witnesses allow married couples to use birth control: Jesus did not command his followers to have or not to have children. Neither did any of Jesus' disciples issue any such directive. Nowhere does the Bible explicitly condemn birth control.
Conclusion. Using various strategies to optimize hematopoiesis and minimize blood loss in conjunction with modified chemotherapy regimens, Jehovah's Witness patients can undergo SCT without blood product transfusions.
Jehovah's Witnesses scorn these memorial events because they imply that something in a person survives death, which is a patently false notion according to the religion. However, it is acceptable for family and friends to visit the grave of the deceased in years to come, so long as the visit is made for their own sake.
Jehovah's Witnesses may select to have either a burial or a cremation following the funeral services in the Kingdom Hall. At the graveside or crematorium chapel, the scriptures are referenced and a prayer is read.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that an individual's life is contained within blood, and that accepting transfusion of blood and blood products is sinful. The administration of blood to a Jehovah's Witness who has refused to accept transfusion may lead to criminal or civil proceedings.
Jehovah's Witnesses fund their activities, such as publishing, constructing and operating facilities, evangelism, and disaster relief via donations.
Jehovah's Witnesses love life and do whatever is reasonable in order to prolong it. Hence, they seek quality health care and accept the vast majority of medical treatments. However, for Bible-based religious reasons, Jehovah's Witnesses do not accept allogeneic blood transfusion.
“To us, going door to door is an expression of our God's impartiality,” he said. “We go to everyone and let them choose whether they want to hear us or not.”
Tennis champion Serena Williams was raised in the Jehovah's Witness faith and continues to practice many of her beliefs stemming from the religion today. The Jackson family was raised in the Jehovah's Witness faith, but several of the family members, including sister Janet, no longer practice the religion.
Jehovah's Witness funeral etiquette
Mourners of other faiths and beliefs are normally welcome to attend the funeral of a Jehovah's Witness. It is acceptable to offer food and flowers to the bereaved, but remember that there will not be a reception.