On March 20, 2026, the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses quietly reversed a 65-year prohibition on autologous blood storage — and said nothing about the tens of thousands who died under it. No acknowledgment. No apology. No help for the millions of members who still cannot access the procedure they just "permitted."

"My Daddy didn't get a 'matter of conscience.' He got a funeral."

Those words were written this week by Lisa, an ExJW Trauma Specialist whose father died faithful to the blood prohibition. She is one of hundreds of thousands of people sitting in grief right now, the day the Governing Body moved the goalposts without looking back at the bodies left behind.

This fund exists because they won't help. We will.

Who We Are

David Claus is a former Jehovah's Witness elder from a five-generation JW family, now an MA Theology candidate at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He has published a theological analysis of the blood prohibition, "The Blood of the Covenant," on ajwrb.org.

Lee Elder founded the Advocates for Jehovah's Witness Reform on Blood (AJWRB) over thirty years ago. He personally warned a sitting Governing Body member — Dan Sydlik — of the policy's dangers in the late 1990s. They continued the policy for nearly three more decades.

What the Reversal Actually Does — and Doesn't Do

The March 2026 change applies only to patients who can afford preoperative blood storage, live near a hospital equipped to perform it, and have time to prepare. It does nothing for trauma victims, emergency patients, children with cancer, or most mothers hemorrhaging in childbirth. Four of the fifteen largest JW populations are in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, and Angola — where autologous storage infrastructure simply does not exist.

Peer-reviewed research estimates JW mothers face a risk of maternal mortality 44 to 65 times higher than the general population. In major hemorrhage cases that risk rises to 130 times higher.

The Rising Death Toll

The cumulative toll from the blood prohibition may have already reached 150,000 lives — 70,000 more than died immediately at Hiroshima. AJWRB estimates 1,220 deaths in 2016 alone. That is more than died at Jonestown, repeated every single year. The Watch Tower Society has never released its own mortality data and still denies that its policy costs lives.

What Your Donation Could Do

One unit of preoperative autologous blood storage costs $200 to $500. Most surgical procedures require one to three units. A $500 donation covers one patient's unit. A $1,500 donation covers a full course of preoperative storage for one person whose life may depend on it.

How the Fund is Governed

The fund will operate under published Policies and Procedures. All disbursements over $250 require dual authorization. Quarterly transparency reports will be posted publicly. Funds will be sent directly to medical facilities wherever possible.

Many days after the reversal The Governing Body's own website still described claims that JW members die from blood refusal as "totally unfounded." Their clinician page still lists autologous blood storage as "prohibited by several Biblical passages." They have not updated their website. They have not helped a single person access the procedure they just permitted.

Every year at their Memorial Celebration of Jesus' death, Governing Body members raise a glass of wine and drink alone, while all other Jehovah's Witnesses pass Christ's blood from hand to hand unreceived, as they have done for over a century. And the families of those who died upholding an unscriptural rule, stubbornly enforceed, sit with their grief and no apology.

We are done waiting for them to do the right thing.

Please donate. Please share. And if you or someone you know needs help accessing autologous blood storage and cannot afford it, contact us directly.

This fundraiser is "dedicated to helping Jehovah’s Witnesses who can demonstrate a genuine need for autologous blood work. By providing financial support, we aim to ease the burden of their medical expenses and ensure that those facing health challenges have access to the care they need. The funds raised will go directly toward covering the costs of blood storage and related medical procedures, making a real difference in the lives of those who might otherwise go without.

Even people who no longer share Jehovah's Witness beliefs care enough to try to help save their lives. Your support, whether through a donation or by sharing this fundraiser, can offer hope and practical assistance to individuals in need. Together, we can show that compassion transcends beliefs and help those who need it most.

If you or a family member is a Jehovah's Witness facing surgery and cannot afford preoperative autologous blood storage, please contact us, describe your situation, and we will do our best to help.