The life of a critically ill Mpumalanga teenager who needs a liver transplant hangs in the balance because his father has refused the blood transfusion process for religious reasons, reports The Citizen.
The father said that as a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the family is prohibited from undergoing blood transfusions.
The 14-year-old boy from KwaGuqa, in Emalahleni, had been admitted to the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital where doctors found he was suffering from kidney failure caused by kidney stones.
“The doctors told us his severe liver problem required a liver transplant. They said that during the surgery, he might lose a lot of blood, and suggested the need for a transfusion – which I will not allow to happen because there are other ways that can be used to increase his blood volume,” said the father.
“Hospital officials told me my son was supposed to be taken to the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre for a liver transplant, but the institution does not want to allow us to have a meeting with them to suggest alternative ways of raising the blood volumes. All I am asking is that we should be given a chance to suggest.”
He said his family, with the assistance of church management, tried in vain to convince the two hospitals to have a meeting with the church and them. The father claimed the teen previously underwent several operations whereby alternative ways were used to increase his blood, so he was surprised the facility refused to do the same now.
“We will continue trying to arrange a meeting with the authorities. My child was healthy until he turned seven-years-old and started getting ill. His condition has deteriorated and he has been out of school for two years now. It hurts… to see him in that condition.”
Doctors confirmed to The Citizen that during a liver transplant a patient might lose a lot of blood, so a transfusion was essential.
Constitutional rights shift for child patients
Shaheda Omar, clinical director for the Teddy Bear Foundation, said Jehovah’s Witnesses believers refuse transfusions based on their interpretation of biblical texts.
For competent adults, this refusal is legally protected under constitutional rights to freedom of religion, bodily autonomy and human dignity. However, when the patient was a child, the legal framework shifted significantly.
“Most Children’s Acts (in jurisdictions like South Africa and others with similar frameworks) are built on the best interests of the child, which is paramount in all matters concerning the child.
“Key principles generally include a child’s right to life, their right to basic healthcare services, and protection from neglect or harm. It is the state’s duty to intervene when a child’s well-being is endangered.”
When parents refuse life-saving treatment based on religious belief, courts consistently prioritise the child’s right to life over parental religious rights. The law recognises religious freedom – but it does not allow parents to place a child at risk because of those beliefs, she added.
“In liver transplant cases, blood transfusions are often unavoidable. A three-month delay for a transplant significantly increases risk and may constitute medical neglect if the refusal prevents essential treatment.”
Omar said children are independent right holders, not extensions of their parents’ religious identity.
Head of Transplants at Wits University Jerome Loveland said they did not receive a formal request about the teenager’s situation.
“If we receive it, we will follow proper procedures before making a decision.”
The Gauteng Department of Health has not commented on the issue.
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