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Blood doctrine · Claim record

Bethany Hughes, 16-17, was transfused under Alberta court orders in 2002 (about 38 transfusions) after the court found she could not make a free choice; the treatment failed and she died in September 2002. Her father's later action against the Watch Tower Society was dismissed.

Claim ID claim-blood-case-hughesConcerns 5 September 2002Outcome
Outcome · 5 September 2002 Supported

Bethany Hughes, 16-17, was transfused under Alberta court orders in 2002 (about 38 transfusions) after the court found she could not make a free choice; the treatment failed and she died in September 2002. Her father's later action against the Watch Tower Society was dismissed. The Globe and Mail, 6 September 2002Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, 10 April 2002Alberta Court of Appeal, 25 May 2009Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty, Inc. (CHILD) newsletter, 2007

Show the evidence (4 sources)
Reputable reporting Verified

The Globe and Mail, “Teen who fought transfusions dies”

6 September 2002 · Dawn Walton · The Globe and Mail

“Bethany Abigail Hughes, the Calgary teenager whose fight against government-imposed blood transfusions landed her in court and divided her family, died yesterday after a seven-month battle with leukemia. She was 17.”

Diagnosed in February 2002 with acute myeloid leukaemia; 'about 38 blood transfusions but no decent prospect for recovery'; Alberta argued successfully that she was not mature enough to decide.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened.

Corroborated by. src-abqb-2002-bh-alberta

Notes. Death occurred despite court-ordered transfusions.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-globe-2002-0906-hughes

Official public record Supported

Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, “Director of Child Welfare (Alta.) v. B.H., 2002 ABQB 371”

10 April 2002 · Kent J. · Alberta Court of Queen's Bench (summary on vLex)

“freedom of religion is not absolute and may properly give way to an order...in a child's best interests”

Appeal from apprehension and treatment orders for Bethany Hughes (16, acute myeloid leukaemia) dismissed; the court found she could not make a free, informed choice owing to undue influence.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. Opened the vLex summary only; full judgment not opened (CanLII blocked).

Corroborated by. src-globe-2002-0906-hughes, src-abca-2009-hughes-estate

Notes. The court overrode the refusal; treatment failed; she died 5 Sept 2002.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-abqb-2002-bh-alberta

Official public record Supported

Alberta Court of Appeal, “Hughes Estate v. Hughes, 2009 ABCA 187; (2009) 454 A.R. 190”

25 May 2009 · Alberta Court of Appeal (summary on vLex)

“dismissed the father's appeal”

Lawrence Hughes's action against the Watch Tower Society, its lawyers and doctors (misrepresentation, deceit) failed; 'there was no genuine issue to be tried' on causation; 'Bethany understood her medical situation and options'.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. vLex summary opened; judgment not opened.

Corroborated by. src-abqb-2002-bh-alberta

Notes. Living-person care: Lawrence Hughes.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-abca-2009-hughes-estate

Discovery source only Verified

Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty, Inc. (CHILD) newsletter, “Dennis Lindberg — Boy dies after refusing blood”

2007 · pp.No. 4, 2007 · Rita Swan · CHILD, Inc., Sioux City, Iowa (child-welfare advocacy NGO)

“In 1993 the Supreme Court of Newfoundland ruled 15-year-old Adrian Yeatts a “mature minor” and rejected Child Welfare's petition for court-ordered transfusions.”

Also: Dennis Lindberg 'died at Children's Hospital in Seattle' on 28 Nov 2007, 'had turned 14 in September'; Bethany Hughes 'after 80 chemotherapy treatments and 38 transfusions'.

Official source

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. PDF opened and text extracted. Treated as advocacy (discovery-tier) for authority, though it supplies law-report citations.

Corroborated by. src-ap-2007-1128-lindberg-heraldnet

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-child-2007-lindberg-newsletter

Claim page

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