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Yann Rodrigues (fprominent), 25, he knew in his childhood the pain of losing a loved one because of belief in a faith. 15 years ago, his grandmother died after refusing a blood transfusion – a decision made in the name of the.
The experience deeply marked the autonomous, who broke with religion at age 15. Years later, he founded the movement to help the victims of Jehovah’s Witnesses (MAV-TJ), an organization that denounces practices that considers abusive within the Church.
Belief, based on interpretations of Bible passages (Genesis 9: 4; Leviticus 17:10; Deuteronomy 12:23; Acts 15:28, 29 and Leviticus 17:14) condemns blood transfusions for believing that any form of blood intake is forbidden by God.
Jehovah’s Witnesses refusal to accept blood transfusions, even in death -risk situations, is one of the best known and controversial practices of religion.
In some cases, church members even register a power of attorney to ensure that their refusal to blood transfusions are respected in case of an emergency medical. This power of attorney, also known as an early directive or vital will, specifies that the person does not want to go through the procedure, even if this may be necessary to save their life.
The case of Yann’s grandmother led him to fight for the cause. In his perception, the religious doctrine “refers to the lives of people.”
“There are numerous cases of people who lost their lives because of this regrettable issue. My grandmother died for refusing to go through transfusion as an act of faith. It was something that shook me a lot. Even, it was one of the things that motivated me to get out of this sectarian religious organization, because I saw that there is nothing of God there.
Protest
On Wednesday (14/8), the young man and a group of other former Jehovah’s Testers were in front of the Federal Supreme Court () to protest the deaths without transfusion, in the “name of Jehovah”.
The act happened days before the Supreme Court put the appeal of the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) that asks to review last year’s decision on the subject, which defines that a person’s religious freedom can justify the cost of health care differentiated by the Unified Health System (SUS).
The embargo aims to discuss the doctor’s conduct when there is a risk of life of the patient, in cases where there is no possibility of alternative treatment, such as serious accidents, where there is a lot of blood loss.
“We are in favor of equal public health for all Brazilians. Religious belief should not be above science. Within religion, Jehovah’s Witness is between the cross and the sword. Either you die to your relatives, or you literally die from religion. Those who accept transfusion are expelled from the church,” argues Yann.
He stressed, however, that there was already an important victory. Thanks to previous protests, Minister Flávio Dino included an amendment in the STF’s decision that ensures that children and incapable people cannot refuse blood transfusion. “But it is still more missing,” he said, referring to the new trial that will define conduct for adult patients.
For him, there are still possible financial and administrative consequences for SUS, if health -based health care are implemented, such as increasing operating costs, diversion of resources and inequality in access to public health.
MAV-TJ organizes public demonstrations and denunciations in cities such as Sao Paulo, Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro, seeking to sensitize authorities and legislators for the impacts caused by these doctrines.
Read too
“God in the first place”
In the magazine “Awakening!”, Produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses, they are reported and the guarantee of life in “paradise”, even if, with the choice, they died. In the religious publication it is described that the young man receives “power beyond normal” when he decides not to accept blood transfusion.
“In the past, thousands of young people died because they put God in the first place. There are still young people like this, only today the drama happens in hospitals and courts, having as its point in blood transfusions.” This is how the issue of the magazine “Awakening!”, May 1994.
One of these stories is that of Adrian, who discovered a stomach tumor at the age of 14. The boy’s parents, who followed Jehovah’s Witness religion, even considered a necessary transfusion to save his life, but the boy would not have allowed it.
“Mother, this is not a good business. Unducting God and prolonging my life a few years now and hence, because of my disobedience to God, losing the resurrection and life forever in his paradise land, this is not being intelligent!”, He would have said Adrian, according to the excerpt from the magazine that tells its story.
See below some excerpts from the magazine:
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Cover magazine “Awaken!
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Death of Jehovah’s Witness
The São Paulo Court of Justice (TJSP) denied, for the second time. The 2nd TJSP Chamber of Public Law upheld the decision of the 1st Civil Court of Indaiatuba, in the interior of São Paulo. The second negative took place on July 17 this year.
According to the court case, as a witness to Jehovah, relatives of women refused surgery appointed by the medical team of the Institute of Medical Assistance to the State Public Servant of São Paulo (Iamspe), as it involved blood transfusion procedure.
Because of this, the hospital opened a protocol to seek another health unit that performed the procedure according to the patient’s wishes. Together with Iamspe himself, the elderly relatives sought and got a place in a private hospital to perform surgery in the religious molds. Despite this, the patient died days later
What said to justice
- In the decision of the second instance, the judge rapporteur of the appeal, Marcelo Martins Berthe, dismissed the responsibility of the hospital and said that the medical team made available the necessary treatment.
- In addition, the magistrate said that Iamspe sought another hospital so that the surgery could be performed and provided bed for return, which would take place after the procedure in the private hospital.
- “Thus, the mere affirmation of the occurrence of damage is not enough for the conviction of the Public Treasury to the payment of compensation,” he explained.
