Bloodless Medicine | Tammy's Story

Tammy Martin-Whorley was having severe heart troubles. The Christiansburg, Virginia, native had an aortic valve regurgitation-which occurs when a person’s aortic valve, located on the left side of the heart, doesn’t close tightly-along with an ascending aortic aneurysm, which was affecting the blood flow from the heart to the rest of her body. After being turned down by two major academic medical centers, Tammy, a Jehovah’s Witness, had her surgery performed at Johns Hopkins without the use of a blood transfusion. To learn more about the Center for Bloodless Medicine and Surgery at Johns Hopkins, visit www.hopkinsmedi... or call 877-474-8558.

[@FearonlyAllah-fh5kw]

Thank you, John Hopkins Medical Center, for your innovative approach to bloodless medicine!

[@shelleytas1964]

hope your recovery has been good I am a JW in australia we rarely ahve issues with blood here good on you for staying faithful xxxx

[@redael81]

I'm not a witness but I refused blood last month for my hysterectomy. I feel so good. I healed faster.

[@jeansmith7421]

My dear sister so happy you made it through the surgery to be with your family and still serving Jehovah.Agape love to you and your family and entire congregation.

[@freakfilicon]

not happy enough to allow her a blood transfusion to make sure she would be ok, what's the difference between a transfusion and eating? jehova doesn't seem to know... Leviticus 17: 12-14 "...No soul of you shall eat blood...whosoever eateth it shall be cut off" Acts 15: 29 "That ye abstain...from blood..."

[@FearonlyAllah-fh5kw]

@@freakfilicon leave JW’s alone! I’m a Muslim, but I cannot be silent when you are berating someone for their sincerely held religious beliefs! Why should you care what she does or does not want to put into her body?! It’s not your concern! She’s not stopping you from doing whatever medical treatment you feel appropriate for you! Show some respect for people of different beliefs!

[@Glasstable2011]

@@FearonlyAllah-fh5kw what about situations where a blood transfusion is the ONLY way to save a life? And it’s the life of a child with JW parents. And they make the decision for the child not to allow blood. And that child dies. Why should anyone respect that?

[@CaptainChapin]

How much hate towards these people when they’re just practicing their believes they’re not forcing it on anybody else.

[@vandalayindustries8036]

Do you think it is ok for a JW to refuse against medical advice a run of packed red cells for their child? How about treatments made from antibody rich plasma. Should they be able to refuse that for an elderly relative or child? If you make the decision to take a forbidden product.....you are subject to the groups communal shunning program, which also means your family may not speak to you. So maybe not "forced". But what is the word almost as strong as forced but stronger than coerced? Because that is the word.

[@FearonlyAllah-fh5kw]

@@vandalayindustries8036 yes, it is ok for JW’s - or anyone else for that matter - to refuse medical treatment for themselves and anyone they are legal guardians over. Doctors are fallible humans too, and they can and do very often make mistakes. There is no guarantee that what a doctor recommends will cure an illness. It’s up to the patient - or the guardian(s) in the case of children/elderly relatives, who have delegated power of attorney to someone else they trust - to accept or refuse treatment for any reason. It’s not for anyone else to decide for them.

[@vandalayindustries8036]

@@FearonlyAllah-fh5kw not when it's a minor. The courts agree with that, as just because you are a parent, you are not somehow allowed to endanger your child. Ethics boards in hospitals all have dealt with this question at one time or another. Also, calling it a choice is only partially accurate. It is NOT a good faith choice when you are a JW. Why not? Because one of your potential choices leads to shunning and being cut off from your entire social structure and most likely your family as well. Personally if some 75 year old man wants to refuse blood potentially at his own peril I don't really care. But he should be able to make that choice free of coercion. And he should NOT be allowed to make that choice for his grandchild if other avenues of treatment have been exhausted. Doctors lack of perfection aside (since that's a ridiculous argument). I mean.....mechanics aren't perfect, but they damn sure know more about my car than I do.

[@christianalexanderthegreat8941]

Not forcing it on anybody else? LOL. Not even their child?

[@FearonlyAllah-fh5kw]

@@vandalayindustries8036 stop with your hate! There are risks with doing a blood transfusion too! It must be the decision of the guardian, not you or anyone else. It’s obvious you have a bone to pick with JW’s, and it’s disgusting! I’m a Muslim, but I must stand up for my JW brothers and sisters! The hate people are showing them is outrageous! Get a life, and worry about yourself and your own children (if you have any), and do what you feel is best for them. However, leave JW’s and anyone else who you disagree with alone to do what they believe is in their and their loved ones best interests!

[@doeroftheword262]

The CHOICE of having a bloodless transfusion should be the patients option regardless of religion. The many Bloodborne diseases, doesn't discriminate whether you're rich poor, black white, old or young! As the phrase goes: An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Ijs

[@vandalayindustries8036]

And it usually is as long as the planned procedure allows for that. However, having a religion forbid it's use, as a tool in the toolbox for the professionals in an emergency setting, as part of a policy that makes absolutely no sense biblically, morally, or scientifically......is a bridge too far. Especially if you can be communally shunned for doing so, loosing the ability to have your friends and family communicate with you.

[@lucyelly3532]

More and more drs are using bloodless surgery. I was in danger last year after a miscarriage. I lost ALOT of blood. I flat out refused blood. They were able to resort to another alternative and I recovered quickly. I was raised a witness and have returned from being inactive and I admit the blood subject is hard for me to understand fully it can be confusing and I need someone to help clarify it more for me but I will never do anything that Jehovah commands us not to do.

[@freakfilicon]

lol, a hardcore atheist explaining a theist the motive for her own religion to deny science xD... ok, here we go: Genesis 9:4 "But flesh (meat) with...blood...ye shall not eat" Leviticus 17:12-14 "...No soul of you shall eat blood...whosoever eateth it shall be cut off" Acts 15:29 "That ye abstain...from blood..." Acts 21:25 "...Gentiles...keep themselves from things offered to idols and from blood..." somehow Jehovah, all knowing in it's all mightyness, doesn't know the diference between eating and transfusion. But you're asking questions when you should simply have faith. Maybe you should read science reports instead of medieval fantasy books but that's just a suggestion...

[@vandalayindustries8036]

Lucy.....Jehovah has never said not to use blood for it's intended purpose in your body. The idea that the symbol of life has been elevated above life itself is striking. JWs in the year 2000 formally laid out the idea of blood "fractions" being ok. But these fractions come from the same donor pools as the fractions you are not allowed to have. Does that make sense? I am glad you are ok, but not everyone has that outcome. Sometimes a person needs packed red cells, or they die. When Jesus said that God "wants mercy, not sacrifice".......how do you think that applies? I met a woman who let her small child die rather than accept blood. She is an adult now and left the religion over a great many things. Her guilt rips her apart inside every day. Please do not be careless with your child's life. The JWs are wrong on this in every way imaginable. It is a complicated thing to untangle, but they are 100% wrong on it.

[@Downtherabbithole446]

What was the alternative!?

[@Gam3B0y23r0]

if you won't do it for yourself, at least don't murder your children!

[@viscalso1120]

😂😂

[@wasabi6507]

Can someone answer me is one blood guilty when refuse blood transfusion and died.

[@ianrowe9337]

its amazing how so many argue against people who refuse a transfusion & yet they dont give their own blood for someone else ...

[@vandalayindustries8036]

I give blood every 8-10 weeks like clockwork if I can. It's good for me in addition to being able to help someone potentially.

[@gisellep177]

Exactly

[@rebeccaabel4589]

Would love to meet you sister you are an inspiration to all who served Jehovah

[@reggiekray723]

Would these doctors recommend a blood transfusion to someone bleeding to death after a car accident? Probably

[@halfhumanhalfzombie]

It's depressing that religion doesn't condone blood transfusions.

[@sammiegirl883]

But it kick started an innovative idea that might make blood transfusion obsolete. Never have to worry about keeping blood banks full.

[@nh4ci295]

Bloodless is the future, a lot of doctors and scientists refuse blood transfusion. I did when I wasn't a Jehovah's Witness, so don't go spreading hate. You might benefit from reading testimonials of people who refused blood and ended up recovering better and faster than patients who did

[@EuropeanQoheleth]

The Jehovah's Witnesses don't represent every religion. It's allowed by my (Catholic) religion and as far as I know Protestantism, Orthodoxy, Judaism and Islam.

[@halfhumanhalfzombie]

@@EuropeanQoheleth That's interesting it's allowed by your Catholic religion, they are accepting.

[@GamerGuats]

@@halfhumanhalfzombie Accepting of thing not accepted by God.

[@mvrdvrer4910]

Who’s here for a test about bloodless surgery and bloodless medicine? me lol 😅

[@flowsky7339]

Its cool to see progress in medical technology, but its sad that its based on a misinterpretation if the Bible

[@shannonmayer18]

What the hell is with this doctor, and what time. Is he practicing medicine in? The risk of hepatitis and things like that from what transfusion are so low these days

[@nh4ci295]

Low is still not good enough

[@vandalayindustries8036]

@@nh4ci295 actually yes it is. In particular if you risk death due to refusal of packed red cells. Hep C affects one in 300,000 or so. HIV affects 1 in 1.1M. And of course at this stage, neither one of those diseases are a death sentence. On the other hand, about 3,000 people or more die from taking Aspirin each year. All medical interventions have risk. All of them. Some much higher than others. JWs should be able to weigh these decisions on their own, without the false choice that they are presented to either be shunned and displease their God, or be "faithful" and increase their risk. In particular when the Bible is silent about these things, and their repeated failures in biblical exegesis.

[@cellarghostmusic]

It is NOT courageous to refuse blood transfusions. It is ignorant, and dangerous. Anyone encouraging another person to refuse a life saving procedure should go to PRISON.

[@redael81]

Ignorance is not knowing transfusion alternatives. I'm not a Witness but I just had a abdominal hysterectomy and I refused blood. I healed a lot quicker and the doctors were more careful when I was being operated on.

[@rebeccaabel4589]

It's not just witnesses bloodless surgery or treatment is a choice a personal one and it's safe

[@shasharamos2237]

Bad cult leader never ever win