Jehovah’s Witnesses, particularly those in positions of oversight, need to fully come to grips with the toll in human lives and suffering the Watchtower’s bizarre policies on blood have amassed over the past sixty or seventy years.
In this section we will examine some of the stories that illustrate the impact the policy has had on those indoctrinated, unduly influenced and in some cases coerced by Watchtower leaders.
Family Choices, Silent Heroes — Grandpa Gust’s life was saved by his nephew
As a little girl, I observed that my Grandpa Gust had a damaged eye. I was told the story of his accident many times — how he had almost died, but a talented brain surgeon saved his life. However, I never knew the full story … until now. I am a 4th-generation...
Share Their Story – Honor Their Legacy
Help us document and remember the lives of Jehovah's Witnesses who have passed away due to refusing blood transfusions. Your contribution can make a difference.AJWRB.org is dedicated to educating Jehovah's Witnesses and their healthcare providers about the Watchtower...
Kalila Danisi – The Heartache and History of the Jehovah’s Witness Blood Doctrine
by Anonymous Jehovah's Witness correspondent* Is it truly acceptable for a 20-year-old to die from a potentially preventable cause? This question compels me to stop procrastinating and write about the poignant ethical dilemma faced by Jehovah’s Witnesses regarding...
Components of Blood are the Issue
By Dieter Parczany During the early 1990's, I was a member of the Hospital Liaison Committee (HLC) in Berlin, Germany. Since I was a Jehovah’s Witness elder with special training and knowledge about Watchtower's blood policies, I served as the chairman of the...
Personal Research on Blood Transfusions May Have Saved My Life
By Tami Davis on September 29, 2019 Before telling you my story, you should know that I was born to Jehovah's Witness parents and baptized at twelve-years of age. Like all Witnesses, I was well-versed in the No-Blood doctrine. My parents had practice sessions with me...
Hematologist Helps Open the Eyes of Pregnant JW
I looked forward to the birth of my third child. I had decided on a surgical birth (my third cesarean). Since each subsequent cesarean is more likely to become complicated, I would be at a higher risk of blood loss during and after the operation, and as an active...
Chaunte Cardwell – from Near Death to Freedom
Shortly after I was born, my parents decided to become Jehovah’s Witnesses. My dad was an elder, and everyone in our family pioneered during the summer while I was growing up. I was baptized in 1986 at thirteen years of age, in Ogden, Utah. We were the picture-perfect...
Former HLC Chairman’s Confession: A Victim Can Become Guilty of Harming Others
This article borrows from chapter seven of "Acquiring Freedom From Fundamentalist Religious Thinking" written by Dieter Parczany (under his pen name Peter Porjohn). The author is a member of the leadership team of AJWRB. It is not easy for me to write my story, but it...
Evelyn’s Story
I had stopped going to the meetings for six months. Before that I was fading, but it wasn’t deliberate. The stress of being a Jehovah’s Witness and the daily treadmill on Watchtower’s hamster-wheel was too much for my physical and mental health. In early 1992 I moved...
Saving A Thousand Lives a Year
The Open Minds Foundation has published a two-part story that recounts some of the early history of AJWRB, and the circumstances that drove Lee Elder to take a deep interest in the Watchtower's blood transfusion policies. His story is a personal one that includes how...
Watchtower Sacrificial Lambs
Featured on the cover of the May 22, 1994 Awake! magazine are the photos of 26 children, with the caption: “Youths Who Put God First.” Inside the magazine proclaims: “In former times thousands of youths died for putting God first. They are still doing it, only today...
JW Elders Pressure Non-Believers to Conform
My name is Robert Weslowski Jr. (Bob), and I am from Tucson, Arizona. Back in 1996, my father, Robert, who was 72 years old, entered a local hospital via the emergency room complaining of severe stomach pains. This was not unusual for him as he suffered from severe...