For the record, I never said it was dumb to celebrate your baby’s birthday. I just think it’s dumb to spend a fortune on some kind of epic birthday party for a one-year-old. They won’t remember it. But by all means, of course you should throw a party for your baby’s birthday. Get some fried chicken and a nice cake. Let your baby have some ice cream. Make it fun for adults too. Just don’t spend thousands of dollars – or hundreds of thousands of dollars – on it. Surely there’s a happy medium with celebrity kids though? Apparently, Serena Williams doesn’t do anything to celebrate birthdays – her own or her baby’s. So I guess she didn’t do anything to celebrate Olympia’s first birthday last September. Fair enough, I guess. Again, the baby won’t remember. Just like she won’t remember the “just because” extravaganza party Serena threw Olympia over the weekend.
She revealed last year that she wouldn’t be celebrating her daughter Olympia’s first birthday as she is a Jehovah’s Witness. But Serena Williams proved that a party any other time wasn’t off the cards, showing her daughter with a barnyard and carnival themed event on Saturday. The 37-year-old beauty took to Instagram Stories to share all the kids having fun while showing her 10.7 million followers around her backyard.
‘This is so fun, Olympia,’ she said. ‘We wanted to just do something fun, because we don’t do birthdays.’
I’m including some shots from Olympia Day below – this party was held in Serena’s backyard in Florida, where I think Serena lives in a gated community. Clearly, Serena and Alexis spent money on this party – rented kid-sized trains and popcorn stands aren’t cheap – but it’s not like they rented out Universal Studios or whatever (which is what Kylie Jenner did).
A day in the life of Olympia Ohanian ☺️ pic.twitter.com/CMALocrsoB
— All Things Serena (@all_serena) February 17, 2019
Olympia’s day of fun in the sun is so pretty ☺️ pic.twitter.com/I1x1KjwtYZ
— All Things Serena (@all_serena) February 16, 2019
Ok, we'll get some chickens & ducks. 🐓🦆 https://t.co/yXc00Tj2Jv pic.twitter.com/sIduhOYuV5
— Alexis Ohanian Sr. 🚀 (@alexisohanian) February 16, 2019
Also, not only does Serena NOT celebrate birthdays, she doesn’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. Is this all about her Jehovah Witness faith??
I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day so it was nice to have a girls day. Having @alexisohanian be supportive and understand is one of a kind. I’m so fortunate for him to get it and respect my beliefs. pic.twitter.com/36p887WKEX
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) February 15, 2019
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Instagram.
I had no idea she was a JW. That makes me sad for some reason. Seems – in a way – like she wants the excess of a HW kids bday but wants to performatively act out her faith. Hmmmmm… maybe I’m just a cynical atheist but it seems hypercritical to me. Still thinks she’s fantastic; but no one is perfect!
Yeah, that was my first thought. Somehow I think throwing an extravagant celebration on another day isn’t exactly adhering to the JW tenets.
The only JW I knew was a young co-worker who was incredibly close to her family but also incredibly sheltered. It did make me a little sad — it was obvious she was torn between loyalty to her family and their faith and wanting a little more freedom in the world.
Then I’m as cynical an atheist as you are, SK. We had/have a couple of large families of JWs at the government school where I teach. Their beliefs extend to many areas of school life, too. For example, the children were/are not permitted to make Easter, Christmas, Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day etc. card or gifts, or take part in any associated activities. They were/are not allowed to share in the many birthday cakes parents bring in to share with classmates. I guess that’s common enough, but they were/are also segregated when we celebrate NAIDOC Week – National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee) Week is an Australian observance lasting from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday. NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The week is celebrated not just in the Indigenous communities but also in increasing numbers of government agencies, schools, local councils and workplaces.
For NAIDOC Week, we always have special guests – artists, damcers, Indiginous community leaders, sportspeople etc. The children love taking part learning indigenous arts, crafts, dancing, learning about bush tucker, or just listening to stories of the Drmtime, inspiring or funny recounts from local and national indigenous identities. Sadly, the JW children are not permitted to take part in any of these wonderful experiences. Instead, they sit in the foyer reading, colouring in or drawing, supervised by the office staff, since teachers are supervising their own classes.
When we have school assemblies, the JW children are kept outside until the Acknowledgement of Country is completed, then brought in to rejoin their classes. I could go on… These things just leave a bad taste in my mouth. Religious beliefs and observations are one thing, but aren’t the JW children also a part of wider society?
“but aren’t the JW children also a part of wider society?”
No, the whole point is that their religious society takes precedent over everything.
It makes me sad, too. We had one JW kid in class growing up, and he never got to do anything, and you could see how hurt he was being left out of class activities, but his parents raised a stink the one time a teacher tried to include him in making paper chains for Christmas. That just meant that our entire class could no longer do holiday/birthday activities, which made the other parents furious. It ended with class going back to activities, and the JW kid sitting alone in the hallway, while the class made crafts or shared birthday cake. Eventually his parents pulled him out for homeschooling. I always felt bad for that kid. He was nice, and just wanted to do the things his classmates were doing. I don’t think he even connected it to religion in his mind, he just wanted a Valentine’s box, and a Halloween treat bag, and to share class birthdays. It was sad.
Hi, Algernon: ‘’…the whole point is that their religious society takes precedent over everything.’’ You’re absolutely right, of course. Yes, everything you described about your little school friend is exactly what I’ve seen and experienced. It’s so sad and unnecessary; just a way of keeping control of the flock. I just don’t understand how learning about our Indigenous peoples’ history, culture, beliefs, foods, achievements etc., impacts negatively in any way on their own beliefs. To not even be permitted to listen to the Acknowledgement of Country – a 30-sound speech of respect given at all government schools and most public events, is just bloody-minded, wilfully ignorant and utterly ridiculous.
That was my thought too – oh, we’ll just call it something else and then we can do the wretched excess NotABirthdayParty and purport to be good JW’s. I find the whole thing strange. The JW’s I’ve known barely socialize with “non-believers” – so this seems even more suspiciously performative to me…
And @annakist – I read one of their pamphlets once – subject was “should
you accept Christmas gifts from your employer.” Seriously. (The answer was no, unless it was cash in which case you could look at it as a bonus and not a Christmas gift. Seriously). Any religion that forbids higher education gets a big no from me.
Tsk. Once again, reorganising their ingrained beliefs to suit. Gifts, bad. Cash, good.
We know some people who are JW,I they are ALWAYS at church and surround themselves with only other church members.
I find it ironic what people will condemn in the name of their religion,but will do what they condemn,but just under a different name.No B day but shopping trip that day,if I can figure out what they are doing I’m pretty sure God can too,so …
One thing that has always amazed me is the irony involved in the beliefs of the Amish people,(we have many just an hour away)They don’t drive because that’s a sin ,but will ride in a car as long as someone else is driving,they don’t believe in electricity,don’t have indoor plumbing,don’t believe in telephone- but will go to phone booth or use somebody else’s phone,and from personal experience I know ,they are happy to use your *forbidden*toilet they just won’t have their own.🤔
Yep, they don’t let their kids go to college and if they do they are shunned. Very controlling cult.
Some sects are really strict and uncomfortably conformist about it. I had a friend whose life fell apart after high school because she was pressured to marry right out of high school by her JW parents, and it ended badly.
OTOH, I worked with a woman who took a progressive approach to being JW. They didn’t celebrate holidays, but she didn’t freak out about parties at work or her kids taking part in school activities. She was of the opinion that religious faith needed to be spiritually genuine but that the actual dogma shouldn’t be considered so reverent that it couldn’t change with the times.
Takes all types, I guess.
Yes, it is. JW’s *say* they don’t celebrate holidays OR birthdays, but all I’ve known definitely do. They just don’t call it a birthday party.
One friend would get a big shopping trip “just because” but it was always on her birthday. And another would have a “special date night” on Valentine’s Day, ffs, but would still claim it wasn’t because of Valentine’s Day.
If you want a special treat watch Leah Remini’s Jehovah’s Witness Special. It’s a cult, just like the rest.
One of my students, when I taught elementary school, was JW. She also didn’t celebrate her birthday, but for some reason on THAT day was brought by her mom to the shopping mall and ended up with a bunch of new clothes. Hmmm….
It’s a cult, and their shunning policy is just as bad as Scientology’s. I used to work with a woman who was former JW as was her husband. They met in a survivors support group. Why did they need a support group you ask? Because if you leave the faith your entire family and all your JW friends are expected to cut you off completely. It’s a dangerous cult. Oh and it’s run entirely by old white men who cover up the rampant sexual abuse of children in the “church”
Whenever I see a celeb or otherwise spending lavishly on clothes or parties or vacations, I comfort myself by thinking of all the stimulation of the economy that’s happening!
I hope her hubby got to celebrate his daughters first birthday and is able to celebrate her future birthdays. It shouldn’t just be about him respecting her beliefs and wishes but she should also respect his.
So they should respect each others beliefs?
So they should decide what is really important and what is not.
And i guess a birthday celebration isnt on the list.
Except they had this huge NotABirthdayParty, so it *was* on the list and the compromise looks like having a party on another day and calling it “Olympia Day” instead of “Olympia’s birthday.”
If they can come to an agreement on how to raise their child and how to respect each other, that’s what is important. This may sound bad but I always wonder how people with such radically different lives, outlooks, cultures, beliefs, etc, manage to have a lasting and happy relationship. I am happy for everyone that makes it work, but I have always thought relationships are hard enough when you both agree on everything and share the same culture, beliefs, etc. How much harder is it when you share nothing?
But Serena is a dedicated and amazingly focused person who knows what she wants. I don’t know anything about her husband except he must be Armenian. But they seem to love each other and I bet if anyone can make it work, they can. I am rooting for them and Olympia is SO CUTE!
I’m actually wondering if that’s what this was, tbh. I’m betting her husband isn’t JW, so they made a trade off in semantics. Hey, whatever works. Marriage is compromise.
I’m no expert but I did have one classmate growing up who was a Jehovah’s Witness. They celebrated nothing. No birthdays, Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc. If we did crafts related to the holidays she went to another room. She didn’t celebrate her birthday and wasn’t allowed to come to any of our birthday parties. We sang a song in the spring concert that had the word “magic” in it…once…and her parents pulled her from participating.
Muslim students taught us about their holidays, we learned about Hanukkah and lit a menorah, one of my Jewish friends absolutely loved Christmas trees and almost always came over when we would decorate. All in good fun. In all honesty I’m sad for Serena’s daughter. She will by her parent’s choice be excluded and have to exclude others who do not adhere to a very narrow set of beliefs. They have a right to those beliefs….I’m just saying what I think of it.
One of my childhood bffs was a JW also and she was never allowed to come to birthday parties or have one herself.
One of my childhood friends was also JW. I remember her not going to school for Halloween and staying in the basement of their house with the lights off that night. I don’t remember anything about Christmas though. The weird thing is, I remember her birthday but never any party so why do I know what day it was? I don’t remember her at my birthdays but I also don’t remember thinking about it or thinking it was weird and we were really close for a few years, like best friends playing everyday in elementary school.
Sadly she moved away and about two years later when we were freshman in high school she passed away. I still think about that and think about how I didn’t understand why her parents cremated her because I thought you had to keep your physical body intact because they believe you are just basically sleeping until Jesus comes back.
Why would you be sad for Serena’s daughter?
I can think of other children that need help, so instead of being sad be pro-active, and donate to a children’s charity.
Thanks for the advice, but I can multitask. Don’t worry I’m also sad for migrant children, the starving children of Yemen, and my niece when she fell and broke her ankle. I contain multitudes. 🙄
A friend of mine is a JW. She doesn’t celebrate birthdays, but for a while every year around my birthday she would send me a card saying she was thinking of me and include little pieces of art she had made. She is a great person and so talented.
Valentine’s day is a fake holiday to sell chocolate, flowers, and expensive dinners.
I never celebrated it in my life.l except getting discount chocolate the next day.
I love the idea of just celebrating just because.
Enjoy like now and not waiting for a day in the calendar.
I completely agree about Valentine’s Day. It is a made up holiday for commercial gain. Watch the price of flowers skyrocket the week of the 14th. We don’t celebrate. As for JW I have always thought it was a cult. It’s all about the tithe. Much like Scientology & The Mormons. Believe what you wish but in Serena’s case (whom I adore) I have always been skeptical. She doesn’t celebrate birthday’s but has at least one tattoo. Which is verboten in JW land. So we pick & choose? I completely understand that but if that is your choice maybe stop using the “we don’t because we are JW argument”
I’m actually Orthodox but I’m not a huge holiday person. Except Easter which I LOVE. So much of it is a cash grab and an excuse to waste money. And there’s just too much to celebrate. Like there’s Christmas than Epiphany than Mardi Gras and then Valentine’s Day (they can overlap), then St Patrick’s Day then Easter, and on and on! I guess the biggest $$$ holidays are Valentines Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween (which I don’t like), Thanksgiving and then the Christmas season, which is endless nowadays. It’s overload! I like to celebrate other days with little things, like I’m making a cherry pie for Presidents Day and we’ll talk about the presidents, and I always do our slava and St George’s Day, and a few other saints days. So I’m not against holidays but I like the ones that are important to us and in a way “belong” to us and aren’t commercialized.
JWs only celebrate wedding anniversaries. Everything else is a big nope.
I have a coworker who is JW and they don’t celebrate. Not birthdays nor Christmas nor Easter. They don’t participate in Independence Day celebrations or eat Halloween or Valentine’s candies. They don’t stand for the pledge of allegiance or national anthem. It’s all against their faith.
They actually do stand for the pledge of allegiance and the national anthem.
Is that new, then? Decades ago when I was in school none of the JW students did, they would just sit at their desks looking uncomfortable.
Not sure if they used to sit decades ago but when I was in school they stood as a sign of respect just didn’t put their hand over their heart.
No Halloween costumes, either.
I’m not a JW but I don’t celebrate my birthday which is on Valentine’s Day. It has nothing to do with religion, I’m just into it either of them.
My husband’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day! We don’t celebrate V day and it’s a pain to do anything on his birthday (forget going out to dinner) so we celebrate a few days after. Actually, we celebrate on the day by getting each other a gift we can eat. That’s pretty much our rule for gifts – you have to be able to eat it. So cookies, pie, bread, etc. Yeah, the man is happy with a sourdough baguette.
JW’s always cannot marry someone who is not JW, unless they have not been baptized into the religion. Around 16, you must decide. If you decline, you are big an official JW.
So I’m guessing Serena did not get baptized as she married a non-JW.
My brother’s wife grew up JW. Her father refused to meet my brother until the day of the birth of their daughter. My niece spent a lot of her early years with her other grandparents. She–when age 6 or 7–explained to me that ‘celebrating’ anything like Christmas or birthdays or holidays was ‘evil’. And yet, one of her favorite ‘let’s pretend’ games was ‘birthday’, which she definitely knew about from my side of the family. We’d make pretend birthday cakes & sing the birthday song. One day, when playing in a park we were making mud pies down by the creek–mud pies, mud cookies, mud pizzas, mud birthday cakes. As she grew older & her JW grandparents moved away, she let go of that stuff. Easier to do when you’re still a kid. Although having her mother make the split a lot earlier helped.
I’m a former JW, and I imagine that she has avoided getting baptized so that she won’t get disfellowshipped for the various sins supposedly worthy of it. They also tend to be much more lenient towards wealthy and famous JWs.
Yep, much like Scientology.
It’s her business, and I’m sure her baby is adored and celebrated. But I think it’s kind of…sad not to acknowledge milestones.
Fine, don’t celebrate birthdays or Valentine’s Day, but it is weird that she makes a point of pointing out that she is not celebrating them.
Exactly! Posting photos of a big bash then declaring you’re not celebrating birthdays because you’re so devout is deserving of a huge eye roll. My husbands friend stopped drinking 2yrs ago and constantly points out in person and social media how he’s not drinking or just water for him or some comments on how he’s a topo Chico man for life now. Dude nobody but you cares that you’re not drinking anymore! Same goes if you’re not *technically* celebrating things but making sure to post pics of not celebrating but in fact celebrating! Seriously no one cares as much as you do
My husband has been raised in the Church of Christ, his family along with another 2 families worship in a small building on his grandmothers property. They all take turns reading passages from the Bible and then they discuss the meaning. They aren’t those kind of evangelical, performative Christians that have political views that would make Jesus angry, and they don’t celebrate Christmas or Easter (Pagan holidays) or Valentine’s day (a Catholic saint). The Christmas and Easter thing really surprised me in the beginning, as here in the South these holidays are a huge deal for most Christians with lots of social media bragging about their religious beliefs (pictures of their kid’s enormous Easter basket and expensive Sunday outfits with the caption “He is RISEN!” and Xmas decorations that say things like “Jesus is the reason for the season” while stacking presents under their tree). But we do “celebrate” birthdays, although it’s never with a big party just because we aren’t big party people lol. We also give the kids presents on New Year’s so they don’t feel left out and my husband doesn’t feel like he’s doing it in Jesus’ name.
But didn’t she have to get blood with her delivery? I worked for a surgeon, and that was always a big deal because JW won’t receive blood transfusions.
I actually discussed this with a JW I knew. She told me that a blood transfusion would be ok if medically necessary.
Well, for heaven’s sake, when are they NOT?
That’s not true. JWs are expected to die if the choice is blood transfusion vs. death. They seriously will let their children die. The court system will make the children temporary wards of the court and will let doctors take the measures necessary to save the lives of their children. I grew up in the cult. This happened to some distant relatives of mine. JW elders will literally hang out in the hallways when members are hospitalized.
I have heard conflicting information regarding this,but I think in most cases they don’t accept blood transfusions,I also believe there are many who don’t accept other medical treatment (chemo,vaccines)unless the elders of their church agree that it should be done,but I’m sure@GMonkey ^knows the best as they explained they were raised JW.
If it’s alright to ask,I would be interested in hearing GMonkey’s reason for leaving the JW church,and if you are able to have much contact with those whom you formerly went to church with.It would take a great deal of strength to get out IMO.
So she threw a birthday party, just later on in the year. Sure.
It is just like any other sect or religion: you are poor? You must follow the rules and you are going to hell anyway in life and death. You rich? You get a free pass for all eternity.
I love her in that last pic. She’s an Amazonian Goddess.
And how adorable is Olympia! Is it me, or does she look a lot like Venus?
Don’t female JW have a certain dress code? Because Serena certainly dresses as she likes.
Yes. I have two sisters in the cult, and when the younger of the two first became a practicing member, she dressed like Holly Hobby for at least two years (that’s not required, but I think it helped her feel churchy).
But they are instructed to dress modestly – which that picture is not in either dress nor demeanor (though I think she looks fabulous! – I’m not religious). Whenever I tell my sisters that she is, or Prince and Michael Jackson were JW’s their response is that people can claim to be a part of the religion if they want to – but it doesn’t mean that they are practicing as the church (or God) requires.
Even the fact that Serena was able to spend as much of her life she has to become the champion she is – is revealing that she is not as dedicated as JW’s are expected to be. They spend so much of their time going door to door, to church and in group studies (not to mention missionary work) that there isn’t time for education, or excellence in another field.
So – I have to give Serena’s claim to be a JW the side-eye. If her family really were, her father would never have had the ambitions he had for those girls and their lives would have turned out very differently. I’m sure the “church” appreciates the tithing they receive from her though!!
My boss is a JW and since they don’t celebrate holidays he always takes them on weekend trips or to fun-zone’s for the day, his kids aren’t missing out on any fun or gifts. He’s actually pretty relaxed about the holiday stuff since he’s brought in food on our holiday carry-in’s and he along with one of his daughters have college degrees. He told me this Christmas they all met up at a congregation members house that day and had a huge cook out and played games.
Jeesh. So much judgment.
I didn’t realize she was a cultist. That’s such a shame.
People who are JW can marry anyone they like. I know this because my husband is JW & I am an atheist. He is a full baptized member & was not disfellowshipped for marrying me. His family are also all JW & not a single one of them has an issue with our marriage, they are quite supportive. No, they do not try to “recruit” me. He has siblings married to non JW people as well. They are much less judgmental than quite a few of you.
Makes me sad for her because almost every person I know who was raised JW resents their parents for not celebrating birthdays and other fun holidays. Obviously not the case for everyone, hopefully won’t be for her either.
My former massage therapist is a Jehovah’s Witness. She’s a really cool person. She is someone who lives Christian values which some pay lip service to. We’d talk about spiritually & ethics. She gave me good, thoughtful advice.
We discussed why JWs don’t celebrate holidays or their birthdays. I believe it’s related to roots in pagan traditions –
https://historycollection.co/10-christian-holidays-beliefs-steeped-pagan-traditions/6/.
From what I understand – they can have the “just for being you” parties, gift-giving.
My massage therapist became involved in missionary work – Habitat for Humanity type work. She closed her practice & does it full-time.
Considering the bombardment of a extreme Christian beliefs we face on a daily basis – I don’t view JW negatively. Serena is all right with me.
I…am so irritated by all of this.
I am an educated, feminist, liberal, professional, JW.
I give everyone the love, dignity, and respect all people are owed, and speak up for people that are are treated otherwise.
Are JWs pacifists? Yes. Which is why we have been banned, most recently in Russia- and in other countries.
Do we celebrate holidays? No.
Because they have complicated origins, that go against what we believe. Google them maybe?
Before it was cause celeb, we didn’t salute the flag- because we don’t pledge our allegiance to any image.
My first husband (and most of my friends) aren’t the same religion as me. It’s not a conspiracy.
I’m not shunned, or cast aside. We are not Christian scientists- or people that believe you can circumvent medical treatment in favor of…whatever it is that they believe.
I am so disappointed in this story (and let be honest- many stories) over the past 10 years, that have anything to do with this topic.
I have two sisters who are JW’s. They have actively discouraged their children from furthering their education, including my nephew who had a full scholarship to an Engineering degree out of high school. He said, “No thanks!” and is now laying tile (not that there is anything wrong with that, but he actively said no to an opportunity for the religion.
And I have watched as all JW family members threatened disfellowship(ing?) against one of their sons. He wasn’t able to participate in his own parents anniversary celebration. He was only able to speak to his sister/brother in law/cousins who were also JW’s once he’d agreed to come back into the fold. He didn’t decide to be baptized at age 18, and nor did his sister, they were allowed to be baptized as children.
I consider your faith a cult because of this practice (and others). The rationale used inside the church for this disfellowshipping behavior is that it is kind because you are bringing your loved one back to God. But it also means factually that you are emotionally blackmailed and that if you want to maintain your friendships and family relations you must stay.
So what good is a church who can’t withstand the free choice of it’s members? What value is there? I have a niece in law who is an athiest, but is in the closet and doesn’t know what to do. She has 3 little ones and is stuck. One of their elders is gay, and has had an affair with my hairdresser, and has a wife who has caught him in bed (during the act) 5 times!!! He is a member of one of the most celebrated families in their congregation. I have seen this man acting like an elder (some of whom he has also apparently had relations with) at all of my niece and nephews weddings!!! It makes me sick. He doesn’t choose to live an honest life, and that’s his choice, but how many of these JW’s are just performing pantomime? My stories above are just from ONE CONGREGATION.
Are you aware of the class action lawsuits against the church for sexual abuse? Are you allowed to? Because my understanding is (like with scientology) you are commanded not to look at any negative info about your church…………….another sign it is a cult.
She’s clearly in conflict between her two lives, her famous and jw cult one. Being rich and famous totally conflicts with the JW faith, yet she struggles to let that side go, so sad to be in limbo
The JW’s are a cult pure and simple. I have watched the terrible conflict leaving thr church caused in a sector of my extended family. Culty cult Mc Cultface.
So, they have what looks pretty much like a kid’s birthday party, which they arent supposed to have…so they move it to a different day and pretend it’s something else. This is all so silly. What’s wrong with celebrating a child’s birthday? So glad I’m an atheist.
it’s very revealing that Serena Williams never gets any shit for being part of a cult. Jeovah Witness are a cult, I don’t care that it seems “nicer” than Scientology, it’s still a cult so it’s weird how people here talk about her “faith”. Americans and their weird respect for anything religious creep me out. Serena is part of a cult, that’s a facT
How strictly the JW religion is pretty dependent on your church. I’m a surgeon and have had JW patients accept blood, decline life-saving blood, secretly accept blood (we had to transfuse in secret and keep family and the priest out of the room on some pretext). It just depends on your particular community. But if she doesn’t accept transfusion and had both blood clots and life threatening bleeding after her delivery, I can see why it took her so long to get back in form. If she didn’t accept blood, as a healthy woman she could be alive with a hemoglobin (reflects the number of red blood cells in your blood) of 4. Normal is at least 12-13, ideal for an athlete is 15-16. It would ha e taken her months to naturally make all her blood back. Did she say she accepted blood transfusions, or just that they wanted to give them to her?
Either way, I don’t think JW is a cult any more than any other form of Christianity is. How strictly you apply doctrine, and how it’s interpreted varies by your local community and your specific church. There are plenty of lovely, accepting, tolerant, professional, educated people who are JW.