# The rule change that came too late

> Jehovah's Witnesses lifted a ban on blood transfusions 23 days after a young man died refusing one. His twin brother wants answers.
- Title: The rule change that came too late · BBC News | Shortify
- Summary: Jehovah's Witnesses lifted a ban on blood transfusions 23 days after a young man died refusing one. His twin brother wants answers.
- Keywords: jehovah's witnesses, blood transfusions, isaac valdez, jacob valdez, waxahachie texas, paul gillies, religious doctrine, medical ethics, governing body, BBC News
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx5ynly549njo
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: jehovah's witnesses, blood transfusions, isaac valdez, jacob valdez, waxahachie texas, paul gillies, religious doctrine, medical ethics, governing body, news, world
## A seizure in the library
In August 2026, 26-year-old Isaac Valdez had an epileptic seizure while browsing in his local library in Waxahachie, Texas, causing him to convulse and strike his head against the ground.
## Brain haemorrhage
Isaac lost consciousness. In hospital, doctors discovered he had hit his head with such force it caused a brain haemorrhage, a serious injury requiring urgent treatment.
## The no blood card
As a Jehovah's Witness, Isaac carried a no blood card indicating he would not accept treatment involving any form of blood transfusion because of his religious beliefs.
## Treatment refused
Because of Isaac's no blood card, a procedure to drain fluid from his brain did not take place.
## Isaac dies
Isaac slipped into a coma and his condition worsened rapidly.He died on 26 August 2026 when doctors turned off his life support.
## The rule changes
Just 23 days after Isaac's death, the Jehovah's Witnesses' Governing Body announced a seismic change in teaching that would have given Isaac the religious green light to have the life-saving treatment he had refused.
## What changed
The change means the vast majority of medical procedures using donated blood are no longer prohibited to followers. Decisions on whether to accept such treatments are now left to individuals rather than forbidden by doctrine.
## Jacob's anger
Jacob, already dealing with the death of his twin, was angered at the Jehovah's Witnesses' leadership for not coming to their conclusion sooner.
## The original ban
The rule on blood transfusions dates back to 1945, towards the very end of a war during which blood transfusions had been increasingly widespread.
## Why the change now
Paul Gillies, the Jehovah's Witnesses international spokesperson, says the change is the application of Bible principles to modern medicine and its methods. He describes it as a fresh look at scripture and at medical advances.

> The change is basically the application of Bible principles to modern medicine and its methods.
## Whole blood still banned
Gillies insists the basic teaching has not changed and that the transfusion of whole blood is still prohibited.
## The contradiction
Critics ask if it was not a huge overreach 81 years ago to ban blood transfusions in the first place, when transfusions are not specifically mentioned in the Bible.
## Jacob's plea
Jacob texted prominent figures from Isaac's congregation in Texas after Isaac's death, asking them to consider the part they played in encouraging people to refuse treatment.

> I want to ask them if they could apologise directly, I would like not to have a deflected answer, just straightforward apology.
## The death toll
It is extremely difficult to say how many Jehovah's Witnesses among the estimated nine million followers worldwide died each year having refused blood transfusions.
## No clear explanation
Gillies offers little clarity about why the change did not come earlier, saying it takes time and does not necessarily mean a magic change has taken place.

> Why has it taken this time? Well, I guess because it takes time, it doesn't necessarily mean that there is some magic change that's taken place.
## Key takeaway

Jehovah's Witnesses changed a ban on blood transfusions in September 2026, but Isaac Valdez died in August after refusing treatment. His twin Jacob believes Isaac would be alive if the change had come sooner.