Savior Babies

Published on May 6, 2004 By Shulamite In Pure Technology

"Jennifer, you're ten years old. Act your age. You've known you were going to have to do this for a long time."
"But I don't want to!"
"Don't you want to see your brother get better? If you don't go through with this and he dies, it'll be your fault."
"But I'm scared!"

We are now creating children to save the lives of their older siblings. The blood from their umbillical chords are one way the birth can save lives, but tissue donation and marrow donation are others.

Admittedly, I don't think anyone would seriously object to their umbillical chord being used for medicinal purposes. But what about when it comes to larger issues, like tissue, organ, and marrow donation? I have a problem with the assumption that you must donate if you were created to donate. What if the created didn't want to donate?

The individual created to save the life of another would, likely, have little say in the decision. If they refused, what kind of guilt might be imposed upon them by a society (or parents) that created them for the only purpose they refuse to fulfill? Why would someone refuse, one might ask. It's a life to be saved, after all.

Why do people elect not to be organ donors? It saves lives and happens after they die. Is this selfish? Should it be compulsory? Regardless of how we feel, we readily accept the fact people have a right to choose what will happen with their or their loved one's remains. What about a person's own body? How much do we really believe in this "right?"

The dangers in being a donor are sometimes very great indeed. All surgeries are dangerous. Everyone's heard a story or two about a simply surgery going wildly wrong. Should a person -- a child even -- be forced to undergo a risk for someone else?

This is a problem our society faces now and will face increasingly, with 61% of those surveyed supporting the procedure. 80% were worried that these studies and practices could get out of control if not regulated -- and I think regulation is a no-brainer. If you knew your child could be born free of the gene you carry that inflicts early alzheimers or down syndrome, would you do it? How far would we go to get the "perfect" child? What regulations should be in place right now?

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