David, I really appreciate your posting this thread. Unfortunately, the public is subjected to continuing pressure to accept the belief that blood is always life-saving. Nothing is always life-saving. Chemotherapy can cause obvious intense suffering and recognizable physical symptoms like hair loss, bloating, nausea, wasting, etc.. Perhaps viewing a child so inflicted by these side effects pricks the sentiments of those who sympathize with parents seeking alternative remedies that promise cure without such suffering. These parents are, indeed, viewed as champions for the rights of their children; whereas by contrast it is made to seem so incontrovertibly simple and obvious that blood transfusion is easy, life-saving, painless, with little or no negative sequelae, and parents who would refuse their children treatment with this admittedly dangerous body fluid are seen as monsters with no feeling, fanatics, or child abusers. "Blood is life", "Give the gift of life...give blood", etc., is the public relations litany that has been accepted as gospel, both by the general public and, before that, by many in the medical profession. It is dangerous when judges in any land also become so indoctrinated to a traditional treatment method and so convinced that they are working hand in hand with the doctor heroes to save lives, that they cannot be reasoned with. Paternalism unfortunately has higher value than parenthood in many cases like these. Especially the public can be paternalistic, feeling en masse that it has the proper view of what is best for a particular patient or group of patients. Those who engage in this may never be able to see the logical inconsistency of the positions they foist on others. It is sad that the children referred to by Dr. Hord are allowed to have the comfort of going home to die in the arms of their loving families, but the parents and children of Jehovah's Witnesses are forced to accept treatment that is spiritually and even physically repugnant both to them and to their families. Both groups of children may be facing the same eventual outcome - they may die without a certain treatment. One group is sympathized with, and one group reviled. Fickle, indeed.

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Jan Grossberg, RN, BSN
Editorial Team