The parents of the four surviving babies born in a historic sextuplet birth last month are no different than other devoted family members and are not religious fanatics, said a member of a Kingdom Hall in the Greater Vancouver Area.
Ed Ladubec, a senior member of the Kingdom Hall, said the actions of the Jehovah's Witness parents are often misunderstood and denounced by people who are not of the same faith.
"We are not fanatics. These parents want the same for their children as any other parent," Mr. Ladubec said yesterday. "There are principles from the Bible here, there is understanding of the Resurrection. We want to safeguard the welfare of our children. If they refused [blood transfusions], there must be a compelling reason for the welfare of the children."
Mr. Ladubec would not comment on specifics about the family. A court-ordered publication ban forbids disclosure of the family's name and address.
Adherents to the faith are not against all medical intervention, said Mr. Ladubec, who has had knee surgery but without a blood transfusion.
"Our Creator knows how our bodies work," Mr. Ladubec said. "He designed it so we get the best use of the body we've been given."
The family had turned down repeated requests for information about the sextuplets, who were born Jan. 7, and released only a few details, such as confirmation of the births and their religious faith. All other details, including the deaths of two of the infants days later, were not released to the public.
But their demands for privacy were quickly thwarted last weekend when the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development stepped in and allowed doctors to give blood transfusions to three of the four remaining babies.
The family filed an application in B.C. Supreme Court and the court documents, including an affidavit filed by the father, provided details of their heartbreak at losing two newborn boys and their grief over the government's decision to give a blood transfusion to some of the surviving babies.
"[We] deeply love our babies and want them to live," the father said in his affidavit.
The parents had been advised during the pregnancy to have a procedure known as selective reduction, and that they place non-resuscitation orders on the babies after the premature births. They declined to do either.
The blood transfusions do not change how the parents feel about their newborns, the family's lawyer, Shane Brady, said.
"Their religious belief is really important to them and they're deeply hurt that the state forced an unauthorized treatment on their children contrary to their beliefs," Mr. Brady said. "They love these children very much and they love each other very much. Their dispute is with the state."
The issue of transfusions is such a fundamental tenet of their faith that followers who allow them say they have been shunned afterward by family members and other members of the faith.
Jehovah's Witnesses consider blood transfusions violations and assaults on their bodies.
Mr. Brady said the family did not want to be thrust into the public eye but had to appeal to the courts.
"They wanted privacy. This was something they wanted to stay between themselves and their doctors," Mr. Brady said.