Letter to All congregations, 1991-10-15: Medical directive-blood card
Download: PDF — Letter to All congregations, 1991-10-15: Medical directive-blood card
WATCHTOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF NEW YORK, INC.
25 COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK 11201, U.S.A.
PHONE (718) 625-3600
October 15, 1991
TO ALL CONGREGATIONS
Dear Brothers:
This letter is provided for your use in connection with the following matter. With the annual supplies for your congregation, you received a quantity of a new, updated Medical Directive. At a Service Meeting in early January, a copy of the Medical Directive will be provided for each baptized Witness who is not disfellowshipped or disassociated. Prior to that distribution, the point should be made in the meeting that each Witness completing the document should do so as a voluntary expression of his or her solemn wishes. For the discussion in the meeting, review the comments about the use of the Medical Document in our letter of January 1, 1990.
Let us now provide information about completing the revised and improved document to be used starting in 1992.
Advanced Medical Directive/Release: This is the main part of the document. Under the title, in the first line of text, PRINT your legal name. Below, about midway down the text, are two short blanks. In the first write the number of years that you have been a dedicated Christian; write your age in the second blank.
In the bottom portion of this document are lines for your signature, address, and telephone number (with area code). Two adults should be present to observe you signing this document, and they then will sign below as legal witnesses. Since the last two lines are for the witnesses to your signature, you should not have elders or others sign without their having actually witnessed you signing the document. No additional information is needed about the two witnesses. But you should be sure you have filled in the date, your address, and telephone number (with area code).
In Case of Emergency, Please Contact: On the other side of the document are spaces for you to provide the name, telephone number (with area code), and address for two individuals who do not have to be present as you fill in this information. You can best decide who these should be, perhaps one will be a close relative who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses or who knows and will support your decision about blood. The alternate contact might be one of Jehovah's Witnesses who would not likely be with you in an accident and who thus could be contacted about your decision. Before you put any names on the card, you should have let these two know that you want to list them and gain their consent. Inform them as to your firmness about not having a blood transfusion under any circumstance. Make sure you do this before coming to the Service Meeting early in January at which time you will receive and complete the new, updated Medical Directive.
Allergies ... The remaining three sections are for you to provide information that might be helpful to medical personnel, such as whether you are allergic or sensitive to penicillin, etc. If you have no major medical problems, nor are regularly taking any medications, you can leave one or more of these sections blank.
Completing the document: It is very important that you complete this document, preferably before you leave from the very meeting where you received it. Double check to see that all needed information is supplied, especially the date and the signatures. When you have done so, fold it first along the line of dashes running across the width of its face. Next fold it on the dashes above the words in red "NO BLOOD". By folding the document in this way it will be the same size as the card that was used in the past years.
You should then put the Medical Directive in your wallet or purse in a spot where it will be visible to any emergency personnel checking for your identity or for relevant information about treatment. Some authorities recommend keeping such a document with or near your driver's license, if you have such. The words "Medical Directive" should definitely be visible, and it is desirable to show the words "NO BLOOD" and the symbol below that. If you change wallets or purses, be sure to transfer this document so that you always have it with you.
Finally, all should bear in mind that these documents can serve their valuable purpose only if they are carried and available at all times.
Identity Card: As explained in our letter of January 1, 1990, unbaptized minor children can be given the Identity Card by their Witness parent(s). In a divided household, the Christian likely will want to discuss with his or her mate the value of a child's carrying the Identity Card; the mates may be able to reach a mutually agreeable decision on using it. In families with only one parent, only that person should fill out the card; no non-parent should sign it, as the card represents the wishes of the child's parent(s). When giving this card to a youth, the parent(s) ought to stress the value of carrying the Identity Card. This may be a good time to review the article "Walk as Instructed by Jehovah" in The Watchtower of June 15, 1991, especially pages 15-18.
Your brothers,
Watchtower B.V.S. Society
OF NEW YORK, INC.
P. S. Please read this letter at the first Service Meeting in December. A week before the Service Meeting early in January, remind the congregation of the need to have the information on who to contact in case of emergency.