LISTEN | Motsoaledi to ask hospital to approach court to save teen’s life

Health minister Aaron Motsoaledi says a Johannesburg hospital must approach the high court to save the life of a 15-year-old boy who needs a liver transplant but his family refuses to allow blood transfusion for the procedure on religious grounds.

Motsoaledi described the incident which is unfolding at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital as unfortunate, stating that there was no way a liver transplant will ever be done without blood transfusion because the teenager is going to bleed.

“I am going to phone Charlotte Maxeke and ask them because they must go to court if they really want to save that child,” Motsoaledi said.

The minister was commenting on the case of the Mpumalanga teenager battling kidney and liver disease but whose Jehovah’s Witness family made it clear to medical staff they won’t allow blood transfusion during the surgery due to their religious beliefs.

According to Motsoaledi, the surgery to save the child’s life will be major as his liver will have to be removed, resulting in bleeding. “Don’t you think it’s double standards to accept a liver and not accept blood? What’s the difference?” he asked.

Motsoaledi said while everyone has the right to religion, the right to life supersedes any other rights. “The parents cannot take a decision to send their own child to death,” said Motsoaledi.

Since February last year, the teenager has been travelling from KwaNdebele to Charlotte Maxeke three times a week for dialysis, leaving home at 4am and returning at around 5pm.

His father, Monde Magoloza, said when his son was first admitted to hospital, his haemoglobin levels had dropped dangerously from 11 to 4.

“That’s when he was put on machines to help him breathe, but doctors managed to revive him without giving him blood,” he said.

He said doctors had respected the family’s religious beliefs and successfully performed two procedures using alternative methods to regenerate blood.

“We told the hospital multiple times that we do not infuse blood because of our religion. They sat down with our church leaders and came to an understanding that my son would not receive blood, but they would use whatever they could to regenerate his blood,” he said.

Now, Magoloza said, the situation appears to have changed.

The transplant is expected to be conducted at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. Magoloza said the family was informed that the transplant could not proceed without the possibility of a blood transfusion. “If they don’t want to help us because of our religion, I’m afraid my son might get even worse,” he said.

Magoloza also expressed frustration that other children in the ward have received transplants. “They are getting healed, but because of our belief my son has been skipped,” he said.

The Gauteng health department has confirmed that the teenager, who has a rare metabolic disorder affecting his liver and kidneys, is in a stable condition and receiving specialised treatment.

It explained that no final decision has been taken to place the boy on the transplant list, as the paediatric transplant panel determines decisions about a child’s eligibility for a transplant.

“The child has not yet been formally presented before the panel, and deliberations are still underway,” the department said.

It also referred to the Children’s Act, which states: “No parent, guardian or caregiver may withhold consent solely based on religious or other beliefs unless there is a medically accepted alternative available.”

The department maintains that all decisions are being made in accordance with South African law, with the boy’s best interests remaining the primary consideration.

Open-Eye Foundation’s Mosa Mphore, who is on a mission to raise awareness about the life-saving power of organ donation, said families are normally given clear and detailed information about the medical situation before an organ transplant. They are also informed on the consequences of not proceeding with treatment, he said.

Mphore, himself a kidney recipient, said families are also guided in seeking counsel from their religious leaders or others in their faith community so they can make the most informed decision possible.

“Religious leaders can also play an important role by having more open conversations with their congregations about the realities of illness and medical treatment,” he said.

“They (children) deserve a fair chance at life and the opportunity to grow up and make their own decisions about their health and beliefs.”

Mpiyakhe Mkholo from the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities, said while freedom of religion is constitutionally protected, a child’s best interests and right to life remain paramount.

Sowetan