NoBlood

http://www.canada.com/vancouver/stor...7-1120cc5ce44c

Jehovah's Witness teen allowed to transfer to New York hospital

Greg Joyce Broadcast News
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

VANCOUVER (CP) -- A British Columbia teenager being treated for cancer and in a legal battle due to her Jehovah's Witness beliefs has been transferred to a hospital in New York City for chemotherapy treatment.

In a statement issued Wednesday, her lawyer, Shane Brady, said the girl was transferred to Schneider Children's Hospital from Children's Hospital in Vancouver.

The transfer came after a B.C. Supreme Court ruling Tuesday that allowed the transfer based on an agreement reached between the director of child, family and community service, the teenager and her parents.

The statement said the family and the ministry would not have any further comment. Brady, whose office is in Georgetown, Ont., could not be reached for comment.

"The teen, who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses, chose to go to New York but needed consent of the director and a court order to be free to make the transfer," the statement said.

The New York hospital has a "blood avoidance program" aimed at avoiding or minimizing the use of blood in treating their patients.

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that blood is a sacred source of life not to be misused or tampered with under any circumstance.

The teenager, who turns 15 next month, was in a court in Ontario earlier this month trying to get a different result than one she received in a B.C. court earlier.

But the Ontario judge said he did not find any fault with Justice Mary Boyd of the B.C. Supreme Court, who ruled April 11 that the girl, because she is a minor, could not refuse transfusions if doctors deem them medically necessary.

The girl's lawyer said at the time his client wanted to get the Ontario court to consider the evidence of Schneider Hospital in New York, which has experience in treating cancer like the girl's without using blood transfusions.

The girl and her family want to receive the chemotherapy for osteogenic sarcoma at the New York hospital.

__________________
Mr. Jan B. Wade
Blood Management Consultant
Enhance Outcomes - Control Cost
For Information Call - 360 296-1807
Email

That's wonderful news! I'm sure many prayers were said for this result.

I agree Dave. I applaud the BC government for allowing the family to bring her to the states for treatment. Nice first step.

This is the second very public case in Canada over the past few years. One hopes that the government will eventually see the need to bring Blood Avoidance protocols into general use.

It's a shame that good medicine, good results and higher-level patient care isn't always enough to motivate change.


By the way, I was interviewed by the CBC last week. They wanted to know whether there were other treatements available. I mentioned Rainbow in Cleveland, Childrens of Central California, St Christophers in Philly. The reporter didn't realize that here in the states many children's hospitals have established protocols for non-blood treatment of children.


Perhaps the press in Canada will influence some change there. http://www.noblood.org/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif

__________________
Mr. Jan B. Wade
Blood Management Consultant
Enhance Outcomes - Control Cost
For Information Call - 360 296-1807
Email