Savior Sibling In order to cure children affected by genetic disorders, families may decide to have another child to provide stem cells for the child who has the condition they want to correct. This child or concept is known as savior sibling. The umbilical cord blood or bone marrow is used to cure, save, or alleviate the older affected child (Sui and Sleeboom-Faulkner, 2010). The hope is that the savior sibling will be a suitable stem cell match for the existing child. In order to ensure a close match, and that the fetus is not affected by the disease, couples may choose to use preimplantation genetic testing which helps them select only matched embryos for implantation into the uterus. They may also decide to use prenatal diagnosis and selective abortion for any fetus they do not want to bring to term (Robertson, Kahn & Wagner, 2002). The Case of Ms. Yao and Mr. Zhao The case of Ms. Yao and Mr. Zhao is an example of when the concept of a savior sibling have been used. Ms. Yao and Mr. Zhao’s first child was diagnosed with Thalassemia. Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder of the blood. The parents decided to have a second child which was intended to be a savior sibling for his sister. Unfortunately, he also Another positive implication of the approach is that stem cells donated from a savior sibling offers a substantial prospect of benefit to the older sibling who is sick. This reduces the suffering of the older sick child. Additionally, there is minimal risk to serving as a stem cell donor for the savior sibling. Since stem cells are harvested from the umbilical cord which would have been discarded otherwise, the process is harmless and painless for the
Medical researchers utilize this versatility to develop treatments for incurable diseases. Despite the considerable benefits of stem cells in medical applications, the use of some sources of stem cells is not ethical. In article 1761 of the Catholic Catechism, the church teaches "One may not do evil so that good may result from it.” The good of medical discoveries does not justify the evil of killing to obtain the stem cells. Therefore, people have a moral obligation to restrict the use of ethically collected stem cells such as those from umbilical cords or adult bone marrow. Stem cell research has potential to cure many diseases. However, in order to conduct ethical research, scientists must limit refrain from using fetal and embryonic stem
The argument for fetal research is fairly straightforward. Because of the unique characteristics of cells from human beings in early stages of development, research on embryos and fetuses may provide key weapons in the fight against disease. Fetal tissue holds promise in treating Parkinson’s disease, in ending certain kinds of paralysis, in helping those with diabetes, MS, as well as in treating patients with Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. Others have argued that fetal tissue holds promise for treatment of sickle cell anemia, leukemia, and AIDS. Fetal retinal transplants may be a promising treatment for some 100,000 Americans suffering from old age blindness.
Recent high profile cases, films and books all around the world including the UK, Australia and the United States have brought to the public’s attention a new type of IVF. ‘Embryo Selection’ meaning ‘Embryos are fertilised outside the body and only those with certain genes are selected and implanted in the womb.’ Henceforth meaning that doctors are now able to select specific embryo’s and implant them into the mother of who may have another sick child in order to gain genetic material such as bone marrow which will match the ill-fated child and therefore hopefully be able to save their life. Creating a ‘saviour sibling’. ‘A child conceived through selective in vitro fertilization as a potential source of donor organs or cells for an existing brother or sister with a life-threatening medical condition’ a definition given by Oxford Dictionaries (1.0). Cases of this are happening all around the globe and many are highly documented about. The most famous case could be noted as in the fictional book of ‘My Sisters Keeper’ By Jodi Picoult. I will further discuss this throughout my dissertation and how books and films can affect the view on certain ethical subjects. Furthermore, I am also going to discuss a range of factors such as certain religious beliefs and the physical creation of saviour siblings compared to the creation of designer babies. Strong views are held by many both for and against the creation of saviour siblings.
One of the most heated political battles in the United States in recent years has been over the morality of embryonic stem cell research. The embryonic stem cell debate has polarized the country into those who argue that such research holds promises of ending a great deal of human suffering and others who condemn such research as involving the abortion of a potential human life. If any answer to the ethical debate surrounding this particular aspect of stem cell research exists, it is a hazy one at best. The question facing many scientists and policymakers involved in embryonic stem cell research is, which is more valuable – the life of a human suffering from a potentially fatal illness or injury, or the life of human at one week of development? While many argue that embryonic stem cell research holds the potential of developing cures for a number of illnesses that affect many individuals, such research is performed at the cost of destroying a life and should therefore not be pursued.
Stem cell research is a heavily debated topic that can stir trouble in even the tightest of Thanksgiving tables. The use cells found in the cells of embryos to replicate dead or dying cells is a truly baffling thought. To many, stem cell research has the potential to be Holy Grail of modern medicine. To many others, it is ultimately an unethical concept regardless of its capabilities. Due to how divided people are on the topic of stem cell research, its legality and acceptance are different everywhere. According to Utilitarianism, stem cell research should be permitted due to the amount of people it can save, however according to the Divine Command of Christianity, the means of collecting said stem cells are immoral and forbidden.
For just thousands of dollars more, women going through in vitro fertilization can later choose to have a certain gender with perfect vision, a great heart, a natural ability for sports, and being able to avoid diseases (Angelle). Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis was first inaugurated in 1990. “It has become an important complement to the presently available approaches for prevention of genetic disorders and an established clinical option in reproductive medicine” (Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis). This has come in handy because it gives you the opportunity to create a baby free of health risks and you are able to freeze your eggs if you miscarry or if something harmful goes wrong with the first egg. Designer babies are created using In Vitro Fertilization. Using this technique, doctors can fertilize the egg with sperm inside the laboratory using a test tube. Doing so you can reduce the chance of the child being born with a genetic disorder and the parents can actually then on choose the sex of the baby. In some cases couples have used PGD to their advantage to save one of their children. Some babies sole purpose is to be created to save the life of their own sibling. Jamie was the first “designer” baby in Britain. “He was genetically matched to his four-year-old brother, Charlie, in the hope to curing a rare type of anaemia which threatens the older boy...
...ut it, this helpless young girl would have died in the same hospital she was born in, hooked to the same machine she had always been tied to and trapped in the same hell she had always known. But, with this technology, Hannah is able to lead a normal life at home with her loving family and enjoy all of the best parts of life as a normal and happy child. Hannah is only one of a countless number of people that was helped and will be helped by this astounding innovation. the applications of stem cell therapy are boundless. just think what this means for your loved ones. think what implications this holds for the entirety of mankind. stem cell research is the life preserver that will save humankind from the myre of problems it has caused for itself and many others that is hasn't. it is like the water used to douse the fire of the aggregation of all of our problems.
Most children experience agony and hope as they face the struggles of sibling rivalry throughout their childhood. This situation has been experienced by children, of whom may or may not have siblings, for hundreds of years. Several stories represent this crisis, including the Biblical story of Abel and Cain which was written over 3000 years ago. Abel of whom was forced to be Cain’s ash-brother. Cain had developed an intense feeling of jealousy of Abel when his offering to the Lord was rejected while Abel’s was accepted. This caused him great agony, but he wasn’t the only one. The fairytale “Cinderella” encompasses the ideas of sibling rivalry as well as the agonies and hopes that correspond with it.
...sic qualities, I think that savior siblings are only permissible to the point that the savior siblings life prospects are not hindered by whatever they give to the sibling that has some debilitation. In this sense, if the family will induce some negative effect on the savior sibling that will inhibit their prospects as any other normal child, then I feel that having the savior sibling for that family is not morally permissible. This would limit the creation of savior siblings to only those families that truly would value the child for more than just his or her health and aid towards the sickly child, but would also value him or her for the person that they are.
The addition of a child into a family’s home is a happy occasion. Unfortunately, some families are unable to have a child due to unforeseen problems, and they must pursue other means than natural pregnancy. Some couples adopt and other couples follow a different path; they utilize in vitro fertilization or surrogate motherhood. The process is complicated, unreliable, but ultimately can give the parents the gift of a child they otherwise could not have had. At the same time, as the process becomes more and more advanced and scientists are able to predict the outcome of the technique, the choice of what child is born is placed in the hands of the parents. Instead of waiting to see if the child had the mother’s eyes, the father’s hair or Grandma’s heart problem, the parents and doctors can select the best eggs and the best sperm to create the perfect child. Many see the rise of in vitro fertilization as the second coming of the Eugenics movement of the 19th and early 20th century. A process that is able to bring joy to so many parents is also seen as deciding who is able to reproduce and what child is worthy of birthing.
A saviour sibling is a child who is conceived through the use of IVF and born in order to treat an older brother or sister who has a fatal disease; the child’s genes, which are a genetic match, are selected to ensure the developed foetus will be free from the original disease and able to treat the existing child (Cambridge Dictionaries, 2016).
The desire to have a "normal" child is held by every parent and only now are we beginning to have the ability to select for that child. In preparation to receiving genetic testing, the parents are required to meet with a genetic counselor. A detailed description of the testing methods are reviewed with the couple as well as the risks which are involved with each. Upon an understanding of the procedures, the counselor discusses the many possible outcomes which could be the result of the diagnosis. Finally, before any tests are performed, anxieties from either of the parents are addressed as well as the psychological well-being of the parents.
February 13th, 1979, Janae and I were born in Sunrise Hospital, four minutes apart, to two anxious, ecstatic, and not to mention exhausted parents. Immediately following the birth, the doctor glanced up at my mother and father and announced that they were the proud parents of identical twin girls. My sister Janae was born first weighing a mere four pounds 11 ounces and I swiftly followed, weighing a hefty seven pounds zero ounces (very large for the average twin). The doctor proceeded to tell my mother that identical twins automatically have a special bond that exists between them, and that she was to enjoy the many fun, challenging, yet exciting experiences to come. One of the most challenging experiences to come would be the dreadful day when the two of us would realize that we couldn't be together always. That memorable day we slept together, side by side, in our rectangular clear plastic hospital beds -- determined to be inseparable for the remainder of our lives.
Downfalls and achievements of other siblings tend to be overlooked and deemed as not so important. Modifications are made to all aspects of life, including jobs, marriage & living arrangements, in order to provide care for the sick child, whilst other siblings try to keep up with the changes. The stress and strains that this puts on parents are extreme, leaving little time to nurture themselves and their marriage (APA, 2016).
The first successful case of stem cell therapy in human was reported in 1959. Bone marrow restorations were observed in leukemia patients who received total body irradiation subsequent by intravenous injection of their twins’ bone marrow (Thomas et al, 1957). Nevertheless, that effect was transient and the following bone marrow transplantation attempts in non-twin patients and donors can eventually lead to patient’s death from graft-versus-host disease (Mathé et al, 1965). During that time, the safety of hematopoietic cells transplantation was not guaranteed because of the limited knowledge in human histocompatibility and immunosuppression. However, the turning point came after the discovery of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) groups (Dausset, 1958; van Rood et al, 1958), HLA typing and compatibility testing were performed prior to the transplantation. In addition, the improvement of immunosuppressive protocol also helps bringing the bone marrow transplantation to become more and more successful (Donnall and Hutchinson, 1999).