Jehovah’s Witness who died after childbirth remembered in Laval

A public memorial was held in Laval Saturday afternoon to honour Éloïse Dupuis.

Dupuis, 26, gave birth in Lévis, Quebec, in mid-October but died six days later after refusing blood transfusions.

She is the second Jehovah’s Witness to have died in the province from complications following childbirth.

Beliefs held by Jehovah’s Witnesses do not permit blood transfusions, however, a Quebec coroner who is investigating Dupuis’ death and looking into whether her refusal met standards of informed consent.

Lévis police are also investigating the matter after Dupuis’ aunt, Manon Boyer, complained the Jehovah’s Witness liaison committee at the hospital pressured her niece into not accepting a blood transfusion.

The memorial, organized by Boyer, took place at the Eggspress restaurant.

The funeral for Dupuis was held Saturday in Sainte-Marie-de-Beauce, south of Quebec City, but Boyer and non-Jehovah Witness family members were not invited.