[Moses]

I am not a JW. In my practice I take care of a lot of JW patients as part of a "bloodless surgery" program. I have had countless lengthy discussions with JW's about their medical choices. These people are not irrational and they do not have a death wish. It's about faith. Faith does not require outside validation.

In my early days I struggled with the idea that patients might make decisions that might put them at risk. I thought long and hard about "Do Not Resuscitate" orders and the concepts of self determination and personal liberty. I am completely at peace with the JW traditions regarding blood transfusion. In fact, working with JW patients in our bloodless surgery program is one of the most satisfying parts of my practice.

Yes, there are tragedies. Even preventable deaths. It's important to remember that a JW's faith puts no one at risk but himself.

Another point to remember; our new bloodless surgery techniques have been pioneered to a large degree to meet the demands of the JW community. We all benefit from that technology. If there weren't a large JW population in the Bay Area, I doubt we would have a bloodless surgery program. These programs are saving the lives of non JWs every day.