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More doctors honor religious objections to blood transfusions
RELIG HEALTH-JEHOVAHS-TRANSFUSIONS 1 TB
Dr. Christopher DeWald examines Tracy Picket in her first appointment after scoliosis surgery in Chicago. DeWald was able to honor Picketts religious beliefs against transfusions during the surgery. - photo by Zbignew Bzdak
CHICAGO — As a Jehovah’s Witness, Tracy Pickett always has enjoyed knocking on doors and introducing strangers to the tenets of her faith. But by the time she reached her mid-40s, scoliosis made every step excruciating and her spiritual mission impossible.Walking again would require surgery that often involves tremendous blood loss and a transfusion — a medical procedure to replenish the blood supply forbidden by her church. "Even though I love life and I don’t want to die, I want good medical care without blood," said Pickett, 49, of Crown Point, Ind.