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Jehovah's Witness mother dies after refusing blood transfusion after giving birth to twins
Last updated at 21:37pm on 05.11.07A young mother died hours after giving birth to twins because her faith prohibited a life-saving blood transfusion.
Emma Gough, 22, was able to hold her son and daughter after the natural delivery, but suffered a sudden haemorrhage and lost a great deal of blood.
As a Jehovah's Witness, Mrs Gough had signed a form before the birth insisting that she should not be given blood.
Staff at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital begged her husband Anthony, 24, who is also a Jehovah's Witness, and other relatives to allow the transfusion. But followers believe that blood transfusions are prohibited by the Bible and the family would not sanction the treatment.
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Blissfully happy: Emma and Anthony Gough on their wedding day
Mrs Gough, a shop worker from Dawley, Telford, Shropshire, died early on October 25.
The twins are being cared for by their father, who yesterday led the mourners at his wife's funeral.
Mr Gough said: "We are coping the best we can. There will be an inquest and issues will arise from that."
The couple married on the Caribbean island of Barbados in December 2005 in a ceremony attended by 30 family members and friends.
At the time, Mrs Gough was a secretary working for her husband's gas fitting and plumbing business.
Friends said the Goughs were teenage sweethearts and Emma had been "ecstatic" to learn she was expecting twins.
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Scene of the tragedy: The Royal Hospital in Shrewsbury
Their best man, Peter Welch, 24, said Mrs Gough's death had devastated both sides of the family, all Jehovah's Witnesses.
Mr Welch, of Sutton Hill, Telford, said: "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 bond with her twins before the complications set in."
Mrs Gough's parents, Glenda and James Delaney, a long- distance lorry driver, were too upset to comment at their Telford home yesterday.
Mr Gough's father, Ian, who runs a car window tinting business, said: "We are awaiting a report from the coroner."
But an elderly neighbour criticised the family for sticking to their beliefs.
She said: "How could she make that decision not to have a transfusion and leave those babies without a mother? It's terrible, I don't care what your beliefs are, to refuse treatment like that is awful."
Another neighbour said: "A friend of the family told us she had suffered a haemorrhage after giving birth to the twins naturally and had refused a transfusion. They couldn't understand why she hadn't been given a Caesarean."
A member of the Kingdom Hall congregation in Madeley, Telford, said: "The basis of the faith is that we follow commands from the scriptures and it is a scriptural command to abstain from blood.
"It is one of a number of things in the scriptures about things you can and cannot do. It is, of course, up to the individual to decide how strongly to follow these requirements. I accept that the faith will receive criticism over this. Some of our beliefs do attract criticism."
He denied that Mrs Gough was being selfish by putting her own beliefs before the needs of her children, adding: "Children are always a priority. We respect life. We seek the best medical attention we can get but the requirement we have is that we do so without receiving blood. It is very sad and there is a lot of support for the family."
Dr Maggie Blott, a consultant obstetrician, said women pregnant with non-identical twins are at increased risk of needing a blood transfusion at birth. She added: "When women give birth, they bleed from the placental bed - the area of the uterus to which the placenta is attached.
"With twins there are two placental beds and so twice the bleeding."
She added that the risk applied regardless of whether the babies were delivered naturally or via Caesarean section. But births carried out by Caesarean increase blood loss - and therefore the need for a transfusion - because there is surgical blood loss on top of the normal bleeding from the placental bed.
Last year only 17 women died in childbirth in Britain.
The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital said it could not make any comment about an individual patient's care and treatment.
• The Jehovah's Witness movement, an offshoot of Christianity, was developed by the American preacher Charles Taze Russell in the late 19th century.
Its adherents believe Christ's second coming is imminent, and that soon afterwards the world will be destroyed and 144,000 of the most faithful believers will ascend to heaven.
They consider the Bible to be the word of God - whom they call Jehovah - and interpret many of its scriptures literally.
Witnesses believe three Biblical passages explicitly prevent them from receiving blood transfusions. However the faith's ruling Watchtower Society allows Witnesses to receive organ transplants, as long as the organ is completely drained of blood.
There are 6.5million active Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide, 125,000 of them in Britain. Followers include Michael Jackson and tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams.
Reader views (22)
there are other alternatives,there are bloodless tranfusions that have been done very well and person lived but lot of things can go wrong during birth and there are situations that cannot be controlled weather its blood trasfusions or not,will it still matter if she accecpts blood or not?
- Chantel, brooklyn,new york, 16/12/2009 15:11
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i watched an episode of kavanagh QU the other day {john thaw} and it was about a young boy that require a blood transfusion and his mother refused and he died .i am not a religious person but i don't mind anyone having a belief but when they take it to extremes like the Taliban etc what has happen to this beautiful young lady to me its no better than the twin towers incident ,this is belief gone mad its 2009 not 1400 and something this religion dose need to look at this part of its policies and review them what a waste of life not to mention the children loosing there mother .i could not see my wife die for any religion in fact i would give anything to keep her alive .i feel sorry for the children and ..well i wont say any more
DR straker
- Dr Straker, Liverpool, 16/10/2009 02:07
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It is so sad however, a "cell-saver" machine puts back into the body the patients own blood. Quite frankly, I would not want anyone else's blood running through my vains and if the doctors had overuled Emma's decision, she would have felt severely violated, like being raped.
Many deaths are caused through blood transfusions, there are many diseases, some as yet unknown that are passed on in this way. Emma and her family made the right decision and they will be rewarded in Paradise Earth.
- Glynis, Southampton,England, 11/11/2007 20:48
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This was a mistake because now her twins will grow up with out a mother. her husband will have to raise these children himself. Give up a lifetime of happiness, tears and the joy of raising your children because you think the bible says that it's wrong to have a blood transfusion? Stupid is what i think of everyone that has said no. A young mother is dead, she will never see her son ride his first bike or see her daughter marry the man of her dreams.
- Jessica, tooele, usa, 08/11/2007 00:14
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I think when the family refer to 'all the technology', they clearly know what they are talking about far more than you do Trunk! Living in the US you should know that bloodless surgery is at the forefront of modern medicine and is actually cheaper and more effective. 30% of individuals requesting bloodless surgery are not Jehovah's witnesses, they are just people who want the best possible medical care. What this highlights is the fact that medicine in the UK is way behind the times. Even in emergency circumstances such as this, there are alternatives to blood, try googling 'bloodless surgery' and you will be amazed at the options available. Knowing that this young lady would not accept blood and was giving birth to twins, the hospital should have been better prepared and it is not fair to the medical staff that they have insufficient knowledge and training to deal with a situation like this. There are so many Jehovah's witnesses in the UK that they need to address this problem! I think it is amazing that this young lady had such conviction that she was able to stick to her beliefs under such traumatic circumstances. Instead of criticising, these people need to get there facts right and feel some compassion for the poor husband and family who now have to cope with nationwide condemnation while coming to terms with such a terrible loss, which I can assure you, as Jehovah's witnesses, they would find it impossible to view as God's will.
- Pinkandfluffy, UK, 07/11/2007 11:08
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Ultimately this lady put her religion before her children, which to most people is unacceptable. This religion needs to take a long hard look at itself.
- Shirley, London, 06/11/2007 21:45
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There is nothing in the Bible about refusing a blood transfusion, only about not drinking the blood of sacrifices. These people claim to be Christian, but do not even believe in the deity of Christ. I weep for those twins and the hospital staff who had to endure what must have been an emotional and ethical nightmare.
- Blind Pugh, Addlestone, UK, 06/11/2007 15:51
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I like the way that on one hand these people put all their faith in God, but on the other complain about how "with all that technology" nothing could be done. Tragedy compounded by misplaced blame. In fact, according to her beliefs, there is NO blame to be placed: it was God's will.
- Trunk, US, 06/11/2007 15:48
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How any faith can believe that it is right for a mother to die having just given birth to her children.
The next time a group of these people knock on my door they will not receive my normal polite reply they will be told were to go in no uncertain terms.
- Mike, Bedford, England, 06/11/2007 15:41
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Whilst the mother's death may have been tragic to us as onlookers, it was her considered choice to not partake of another humans blood. As such, it is a mortal sin and not forgiven.
My understanding comes from my late mother-in-law who chose a slow and painful death on dialysis rather than top-up her own body with blood transfusions following a failure of both kidneys. It was a nasty experience for all concerned, but she could not face the thought of passing on having committed a mortal sin.
- Graham, Reading, England, 06/11/2007 13:52
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In this case it is religion that needs a good dose of common sense.
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 06/11/2007 09:44
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I can't believe that the best man made a comment like that...in this day in age I'd think that a person's life, a mother's life, is worth more then a belief.
I feel bad for the innocent babies that won't know their mother.
- Nikki, Long Island, New York, 06/11/2007 06:36
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I agree with Elizabeth! How could a mother hold her own babies and decide to die? I don't get it. To refuse something so simple as a blood transfusion? Somehow I think she has some explaining to do to God.
- Jennifer, Athens, USA, 06/11/2007 03:44
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Religion is a personal belief not a science. What a senseless death.
- Brandon Thomas, London, UK, 06/11/2007 01:03
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The decision not to receive a blood transfusion must have been a very difficult one. I don't think anybody has a right to criticise this poor young woman's faith. She chose not to compromise her beliefs, even in a life-or-death situation. Who are you or me to say that her choice was the wrong one? She obviously believed very strongly that God prohibits blood transfusions. I would hope that faced with a situation where my faith was being challenged, I would be able to remain steadfast until the end. Any critics of Mrs. Gough would do well to think of that.
- Renee Gonzalez, San Antonio, TX, US, 06/11/2007 00:33
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It is always sad when a person chooses to die for their religious beliefs, which is precisely what this lady did.
Despite our natural inclination to attempt to intercede in such situations, what right do we really have to do so?
Personally, I would have preferred the medical staff to have administered the blood transfusion against the patient's will and risked her wrath, but where do we draw the ethical line?
It is important to remember that no matter how misguided or deluded we consider this unfortunate lady to have been, the decision to refuse treatment (specifically a blood transfusion) was hers to make and, having done so, she paid the ultimate price.
- Ian Bartlett, Hartlepool, United Kingdom, 06/11/2007 00:05
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If a patient refused life-saving treatment on the ground that the Tooth Fairy or Easter Bunny prohibited it, medical staff would surely be within their rights to declare the patient mentally unfit to make decisions about their own treatment. They would save the life, even under protest.
Granted, belief in God is widespread and church laws a more socially-acceptable system of guidance than the Tooth Fairy.
- Thom Rolfe, London, UK, 05/11/2007 22:33
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There are always 2 sides to every argument. Many may feel she died because she was misguided, or even misled. Others, including many from the medical community accept that blood may not have saved her life had she had accepted it. How many of them have died through not having blood, who knows, but how many people have died from infected blood or other transfusion related complications, who knows too.
At this stage, my thoughts go to the family. I guess like many people, they never thought they would find themselves in a position where they were facing the loss of a daughter/sister/wife/mother.
I would suggest that her family are left to grieve without others standing in judgement.
- James, UK, 05/11/2007 21:40
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I would think that she shouldn't have been concerned with her religion if she knew she was going to die without the transfusion. Even God forgives sins, and she should have known that. What happened is terrible.
- Jessica, Newport News, VA, 05/11/2007 21:27
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I'm sorry this happened. It is a terrible, sad story but how can the family be devastated when they turned down professional medical help and they know that, under their religious belief, this outcome could happen in the way it did. It was also a very selfish action to take when two babies are now without a mother. I'm sorry but it is totally unbelievable in this day and age and especially hard for the doctors when they have to sit and watch a human being die for no reason.
- Philip, Atlanta, GA, 05/11/2007 21:23
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God certainly moves in mysterious ways.
- Alan, London, 05/11/2007 21:03
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I note that the Best Man was quoted as saying that they coudln't believe this happened with all the modern technology - these poor misguided folk chose to ignore the pleas of the medical staff to utilise all the technology available including transfusions...what a needless tragedy. I hope that the precious twins are doing well. As a British trained nurse and midwife of 45 years standing I am always shocked to hear about these cases.
- Elizabeth, Atlanta, USA, 05/11/2007 15:28
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