Jehovah’s Witness Emma Gough Died After Refusing Blood Transfusion
Filed under: News | By: Kerry
Posted on: November 5, 2007 | 42 Comments
Friends of Emma Gough where told last night how the devout Jehovah’s Witness cuddled her newborn twins then died just hours later after refusing a blood transfusion.
Emma who was just 22 whose life could have been saved after complications set in ticked a form before the birth insisting she should not be given blood.
It’s reported that Medics begged her husband Anthony and other members of Emma’s family to overrule her after she suffered severe blood loss and began slipping away.
But because Jehovah’s Witnesses are barred from having transfusions they refused insisting the young mum would not want to betray her principles.
Stunned friends last night described her grieving husband a fellow Witness who has been left to bring up the motherless twin boy and girl as distraught.
Peter Welsh who was the couple’s best man at their wedding said that “We can’t believe she died after childbirth in this day and age, with all the technology there is. What makes it even more sad is Emma had time to hold and start to bond with her twins before the complications set in.”
But the truth here is that the medics could have probley saved Emma but because of Emma’s faith they could not. I think that if someone could be saved especially in these circumstances then her family should have done what ever it took whether that is against their faith just to save her so she could have been with her babies.
What do you think?
Emma died in the early hours of October 25, a week last Thursday.
Both sides of the family including Anthony’s parents Sham and Ian Gough closed ranks and remained tight-lipped.
A woman relative mixing baby feeds for the twins at Emma’s home insisted: “We have nothing to say.”
Best man Peter – also a Jehovah’s Witness – said: “Luckily Anthony is part of a big family.”
Part of the Jehovah faith says the Bible prohibits the “consumption, storage and transfusion of blood” and quotes the book of Acts and its said that some Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that to have a transfusion is the same as consuming or eating blood.
A spokesman for the local Kingdom Hall, where Emma and Anthony worshipped, said: “This is a terrible time for the whole family. They are all grieving terribly. The entire Witness community is distraught and including them in their prayers.”
A coroner’s office source confirmed: “We are investigating why she did not have a transfusion. An inquest will be held.”
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Emma had the twins and was sent home thinking everything was ok. she died because the doctors didn’t notice that she was bleeding internally. Nothing would have saved her by the time they found out.
Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Dissident Jehovah’s Witness speaks out.
No tolerance,the Jehovah’s Witnesses are a cult because they try to cut you off from others who do not have the same beliefs, including family. The Watchtower is an oppressive organization if there ever was one!
The ‘message’ is their false Gospel that Jesus had his second coming already in 1914.The problem with this,is it’s not just a cute fairy tale, Jesus warned of the false prophets who would claim “..look he is here in the wilderness,or see here he is at the temple”
The Watchtower’s Gospel “kingdom” is a man-made “different version”.(Gal.1:8)
The Watchtower is a truly Orwellian world.
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Danny Haszard Jehovah’s Witness X 33 years and 3rd generation
How many people have died for their believes in war. Millions, so then what is the difference if one dies for lack of a blood transfusion. I’ll tell you ,President Bush cannot bring those back to life who died in Iraq fighting for their country. Jehovah can bring those back to life those who died for lack of a blood transfusion.
very sad,to go from a moment of great joy and happiness,to a extreme dread and fear watching a loved one die before your eyes my heart goes out to all family and friends.this is a situation of faith and stength of faith.this lady died because of medical reasons that as to go before an inquest.she was not a junky or drunkered i don’t see how people(mainly ex JW’s can be so critical of this poor woman for making and having the strength to go through with her belief i don’t know if i could have such courage and conviction. once more my thoughts and well wishes at this time . And to all you bitter ex JW’s why not get on with your own lives instead of critising a life style you have chosen as adults not to follow of your own free will .
I stoped associating with jehovahs Witnesses a couple of years ago for personal reasons, but I would like to put right some of the ideas put out on here.
You are not forced or dictated to by anyone. You have free will and can use it as you wish. JW’s follow the Bible and stick strongly to the Bibles principles and laws, one of which is the abstain from Blood.
This young lady would NEVER have been forced to make this decsion, it would have always been her decision.
This was her choice, se had a belief and principles nd she chose to stick to them, and no one has the right to condemn her or her beliefs.
JW’s are not perfect and have never claimed to be, many of the comments on here it is obvious have been made by people who hate the witnesses for whatever reason, and it’s very sad that some people here, who have no idea of what JW’s believe and why , will just listen to them.
Jehovahs witnesses are law abiding moral people with a very strong faith, and I admire that.
When I chose to no longer associate with JW’s i was never jumped upon, or tried to be dragged back in, but was met with kindness and an open door if I ever wanted it.
And would I refuse blood, just last year i refused blood in surgery because of the medical implications.
The onlyr eason they wnted to give this poor girl blood was to increase the volume of her blood, JW’s accept NUMEROUS non-blood components, incluing a cell saver machine (which jw’s have bought and donated to hospitals) and these increase the volume of the blood.
So please don’t condemn what you don’t understand, but have sympathy for this young ladies family.
We were born with free will, and we ALL have the right to use it, regardless of our religious preference
I think emma was utterly selfish to bring two children into this world without their mother. Is their “god” thinking of her now? dont think so. Who the hell is going to tell them poor children their mother chose her “faith” over being with them.
I was born a 3rd generation Jehovah’s Witness in 1957 and endured the Watchtower’s no blood commandment with longstanding bleeding Crohn’s disease.
The Watchtower leadership expects followers to die for their dogma and many have.The medical staff get blamed and are ‘damned if they do damned if they don’t’.
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Danny Haszard
Some of you people need to go see a shrink. This is yet another case of religion screwing up peoples lives.
The only positive point in all this is that i wasn’t the children that had to die because of some stupid belief.
Did no one read this comment from their local Kingdom Hall? It is total insincerity from a spokesman for the religion, how can it be that when religions develop or some would call it evolve! they go backwards when it comes to modern values and ethics. IN ANY INSTANCE IT IS NOT THE CHOICE OF INOCENT CHILDREN TO BE DEPRIVED OF A PARENT BECAUSE OF A DECEISION MADE BASED ON MISINTERPRITATION OF CONTEXT. HOW DEEPLY WILL THE DECISSION MADE BY THE CLOSEST PEOPLE AROUND EMMA AFFECT GENERATIONS TO COME?
A spokesman for the local Kingdom Hall, where Emma and Anthony worshipped, said: “This is a terrible time for the whole family. They are all grieving terribly. The entire Witness community is distraught and including them in their prayers.”
A call for reasoning on behalf of the hypocrisy.
i believe the mother and father jimmy and glenda delaney should have stepped forward to preserve the life of there only daughter and grandchildren and over ridden all decisions made at this crucial time and let medics do there job………which would have allowed to tiny babies the a life which included there mom. no words describe how sick and twisted these people are…….i believe witnesses are brainwashed with silly beliefs after all, what god wants to tiny babies not have the love and cuddles of there mommy……….