The Law & the Life

In Chicago's family court last week, Dr. Morten Andelman, health department pediatrician, gave his expert conclusion: "Without a transfusion, I will say absolutely, this child cannot live; or, if it should, could not live without permanent brain injury." His chief, Health Commissioner Herman Bundesen, backed him up: "The one chance this baby has is to get a transfusion."

The baby was Cheryl Lynn Labrenz, seven days old. Her red blood cells were being destroyed because her blood, like her father's, contained the mysterious Rh (for rhesus) factor and her mother's did not. From her mother, Cheryl's blood had picked up an antibody which was attacking her own Rh-positive cells. These could win the battle only if reinforced by a transfusion.

In the second row facing Judge Robert Dunne sat Cheryl's parents, Darrell Labrenz, 25, and his wife Rhoda, 20. They had been childhood sweethearts at Dalton (pop. 400) in Wisconsin's dairyland. Little more than a year ago, they joined Jehovah's Witnesses and moved to Chicago with their first child, Kit. (As often happens in cases of Rh incompatibility, there had been no difficulty with the first-born.) Now, red-eyed and distraught, each with a Bible in hand, they fought off the city health authorities.

To each parent the state's attorney put only one question: "Will you now agree to a transfusion?" Both refused. Darrell Labrenz' position, as he had explained it to Bundesen: "The sanctity of the blood is a thing we cannot tamper with. Everybody knows that blood is the life force and we do not have control of life. Only Jehovah has that. Transfusion, which is a form of drinking or eating blood, is forbidden to us who are Jehovah's Witnesses."

Judge Dunne was more impressed by the medical evidence. He promptly ordered Cheryl Labrenz put under the guardianship of a court official (because of the parents' technical neglect). The guardian at once authorized transfusions. The apparatus had been set up in advance at Michael Reese Hospital. Not a minute was wasted in giving Baby Cheryl 60 ccs of blood. Within 48 hours, her red blood cells seemed to be winning the battle, and the doctors were confident that her life had been saved.

But for a whole week Darrell and Rhoda Labrenz had rejected the appeals of their own obstetrician, Dr. William Wieand, and city health authorities, to allow a transfusion. In that week the brain might have been seriously damaged. Said Dr. Wieand: "We won't be able to tell a thing about that for eight or nine months." Darrell Labrenz, stubbornly opposed to all that had been done for Cheryl, said: "Those who forced the issue are the ones who are responsible for sinning." Said Rhoda Labrenz simply: "Of course I want my baby to live. And I pray that she does."

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