Di Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Governing Body don announce big change to dia teaching on blood transfusion, just 23 days after one 26-year-old member, Isaac Valdez, die for Texas after him family follow him religious wish and refuse treatment wey need blood.
Isaac, from Waxahachie, Texas, bin get epileptic seizure for August while e dey browse inside him local library. Di seizure make am convulse and strike him head on ground, and e lost consciousness. For hospital, doctors find out say di force of di head injury cause brain haemorrhage.
Treatment serious complicated because Isaac na Jehovah’s Witness and e carry ‘No Blood’ card, meaning say e no go accept any treatment wey involve blood transfusion because of him religious belief. As a result, procedure to drain fluid from him brain no happen. Him family encourage when e regain consciousness and start to talk again, and e confirm say e still stand by him no-blood beliefs.
But di relief no last. Isaac slip into coma and him condition worsen fast. One neurosurgeon tell di family say di only way to save him life na emergency operation, but di operation require blood transfusion. Him family decide to respect Isaac wishes as lifelong Witness and no accept di procedure. Isaac die on 26 August 2026 when doctors turn off him life support.
Him twin brother, Jacob Valdez, describe am as intelligent man wey love volunteering and helping elderly people. Jacob bin dey deal with di death of him twin when, 23 days later, di Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Governing Body announce di change. Di new teaching mean say vast majority of medical procedures using donated blood no longer prohibited for followers, and decisions on whether to accept such treatment now dey left to individuals.
Jacob tell BBC News say e vex with di Jehovah’s Witnesses leadership for not reaching di conclusion earlier, and e believe Isaac fit still dey alive if dem had done so.
Di original rule on blood transfusion start for 1945, towards di end of a war wen use of blood transfusions dey spread well well. Leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses announce say believers no permitted to accept transfusions. Dem base am on dia interpretation of Bible verses from Old and New Testaments wey prohibit consumption of blood, including one from Book of Acts wey instruct believers to abstain from blood, from food offered to idols, and from things wey dem strangle. Di Governing Body, based for New York state, now change di rule 81 years later.
