Thursday, October 23, 2008
Creating Life to Save Another (4)
Read the case (link in title above) about the Spanish stem cell baby created specifically to save his brother's life. Do you agree with the parent's decision? Why or why not? What are the significant moral considerations in this case? What consideration is decisive for you?
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14 comments:
Liz Stern
Parents will do whatever it takes to save their child’s life; I understand that. What I don’t understand is why you would have a child knowing that he is going to die to save your other child, if that’s even the case. I don’t know much about the information presented in the article but it doesn’t really say that Javier is going to die. It just says that they are going to use material from his umbilical cord for a bone marrow transplant on his brother Andres. Maybe I do not understand the whole story, so I am going to assume that the child is eventually going to die to save his brothers life. If this is the case then I do not agree with the parent’s decision. The parents are not only intentionally killing another human being, but they knowingly brought that human being into the world, shouldn’t that be considered murder. I don’t believe that the process of selecting a perfectly healthy baby to bring into the world to sacrifice for another is a good idea either. I believe that human life is worth treasuring and that human sacrifice should not be acceptable.
The main moral consideration is that this is murder. This couple probably understands that this is planned murder, but they think that it’s worth it. But what if the transplant doesn’t work and they lose both their children? I wonder how they would feel then, knowing that they killed a healthy child. Of course morals and values are of the individual but death and murder is publicized as morally wrong, as well as abortion. Although abortion is a touchy subject, they are basically doing the same thing to this child as a mother who aborts her child. They are depriving this being from life; they will never know what this person could have achieved in his/her life.
God and my belief in a reason for everything is the consideration that would be decisive for me. I believe that God aids in the process of child bearing and this child bearing for murder would go against all morals and values God put forth for us. It is possible that the “reason” for this child being born is to save another’s life, and I don’t know that this child would have died anyways but I wouldn’t risk it. I would accept that I have an ill child and hope that someone would come along that could help save my child without giving up my morals and values.
On the other hand I don’t really know if the baby is going to die, if he was born and all they did was take the material from the umbilical cord and it didn’t affect the health of the infant I feel that the parents did nothing wrong.
Susan McCliment
I feel that if the parents of these two children are going to treat both children equally, then there is no problem with what they are doing. I am very tired of people in the pro-life movement trying to tell people what they can and cannot do. In my opinion, a fetus is not a person until it is able to breathe on its own. The pro-life organizations and the Roman Catholic Church aren't the ones who have to live with the choices that are made. They aren't the ones who are going to take care of these kids. They aren't even a bit financially responsible for the upbringing of these children. What a set of parents decides to do in regards to their family, so long as no harm is coming to anyone involved, is their business. Everyone else needs to mind their own business. These parents obviously did their research in order to make the types of decisions that they were faced with. They are well aware of all the things that can happen. I feel that these parents made a well-informed decision. If I was in the same situation, I can honestly say that I would have made the same choice. If it weren't for the advances that science has made, these options wouldn't even be available to us. The Roman Catholic Church and the pro-life organizations really need to get their noses out of a situation that in no way, shape or form concerns them. They need to stop trying to control people and just let people live their lives and make the choices that they need to make. All that the Roman Catholic Church and the pro-life organizations are doing is making these parents' lives a living hell, especially when it should be nobody else's business. All these parents want to do is help their son. I can't think of any parent who wouldn't go to any extreme to help their sick child, can you? I know I would do whatever I had to in order to help one of my kids.
I totally agree with the decision that these parents decided to make. I believe that they had to options when it came to having the family that they wanted; they could either have a second child and use his umbilical cord blood to save his brother's life and love these to boys and give them love or they could have not had a second child and let this rare form of anemia take a child's life before he could live his life to its fullest extent.
I believe that the Roman Catholic Church and the pro-life groups need to do more research before they put their nose where it doesn't belong. I believe that the Roman Catholic Church looks uneducated on the topic by their comment “You cannot kill one human being to save another.” No child was killed by this the baby was not just born to harvest his organs he was born so they would use his umbilical cord blood. Yes some may think of this child as a “prize”, but these parents and many other people will love that child just as much as the first. And if both of these groups are supposed to have their morals set high then why are they judging others? Is it not wrong to judge others?
They do need to remember to enforce in this child that they love him for who he is no matter what the outcome is of his brothers condition and that he wasn't just born to be a science experiment.
The parents of these two boys did their research and I believe that they have made the correct decision to help their son. As a parent I believe I would probably do the same thing to save my child and I would have enough love for both children even if I didn't want anymore children.
S.Q.Hall
Having two little kids myself, I would have to say that I would do what ever it took to make sure they are healthy and safe. I agree 100% with the parents, they found a way to hopefully will save there oldest child and in the process have another beautiful son. Why wouldn't you take the opportunity if you were a parent, instead of waiting around for years hoping that the doctors will find a match or a cure that will help you.
I don't feel that there was anything wrong with the decision the parents made; they are saving a life, and bringing another one into the world. I see how the catholic church is attacking the birth of Javier; they say "you cannot kill one human being to save another".But Javier will not die, he is a healthy little boy and they are using the stem cells from the umbilical cord for a bone marrow transplant, that could save his brothers life. Javier is not being hurt at all at the expence of saving his brother. I mean the reason that the catholic church is making that statement is due the fact that they only implanted one specimen out of probably a hundred; but honestly untill the fetus is attached to wall of the uterus it shouldn't really matter.
The parents made a good choice and nobody should have the right to tell them other wise!they will soon hopefully have two healthy boys to love and CHERISH; they would both be miracle children.
Jessica Southland
Jessica Meza
Keeley, Graham. "Pro-life anger over stem-cell baby born to help ill Spanish brother." Editorial. Times 18 Oct. 2008.
I do agree with the parent’s decision to have another child in hopes of saving Andres life with the use of stem-cell from baby Javier’s umbilical cord. I think that it would be a harmless procedure to the week old baby and if stem-cell research has already been legalized there I don’t understand why the people of Spain are so shocked that it has been put to good use. As for stem-cell screening I am not so convinced that it is the right thing to do. I realize it would be pointless to conceive another child for such a purpose and the child turn out to be just as ill as the first. But, just because the parents have made sure the newborn will not have the same illness and may save his brother from fatal heart problems doesn’t mean the child won’t become severely ill in the future and in turn need this procedure himself one day. So that’s where it become weary to me, if the children’s parents found it fit now would they find it fit time and time again? This could potentially lead to stem-cell screening becoming the norm in our society which may allow all parent’s to pick and choose certain attributes of a person’s being and that is what I consider killing “potential human beings”. However, this is not the present case with little Andres and if it is medically necessary and the new born is going to be cared for and loved just the same I do not see what all the fuss is about. Therefore, I am not clearly all for or against what can be done today with the use of stem-cell research. It is great that innocent children may not have to suffer from deadly diseases and that researchers may one day cure Parkinson’s. I feel that as long as medical technology advances are used appropriately when in need and with limits this will bring lots of good to our futures by having healthier offspring and longer life expectancies. And in respect to the Catholic Church and religious beliefs I don’t think anyone on this earth has the right to play god.
In this case i believe that the parents are doing whatever it takes to save their child. It does not say what would happen to the second born if his life is put in harms way to save the first child i believe the parents should not go through with their decision. Every being that is brought into this world should have a chance at a full healthy life. It is wrong to procreate to save another because that second child would not have the same opportunity as the first. It is a hard decision to make but i believe they should not go through with risking the second child's life just to save the firsts. Children are born with illnesses for a reason, yet i do not know this reason but it is wrong to punish another infant to try and "fix" the first born. Again i do not know much more about this article other then what i read from the paper.
This is hard for me to try to wrap my head around because I’m not a parent and I don’t feel that it’s fair for me to judge a couple in a position that I’ve never been in, or been close to, or can really put myself in their shoes. That being said, I think that if it were my child I would go ahead and go through with having another child to save my child’s life. I can understand the parents because I think that when you become a parent you lose all common sense when it comes to preserving the life of your child and you would do anything. Also, I don’t think that they would love their new child any less, especially since it was their blood that saved the life of their ill child. I know the big considerations are: destroying the unused embryos, choosing the embryo as if it is a prized bull, conceiving a child specifically for saving another, and of course, the ill child’s life that is left in the balance. As far as destroying the other embryos, I think it really comes down to when you consider a child as a living being. I do not personally consider the embryos children and do not have an issue with them being destroyed. And again, I believe you do what you need to do for your child and that you will still love the new child. My biggest consideration is the life of the child that has a defined personality and has bonded with their family that is left in this balance. I don’t at all blame the parents for doing everything they can and I hope that if I am ever in this position, I have the choice to save my child’s life as well.
I believe that what the parents did for their child was fine considering the place they lived allowed this choice.
As far as the church attacking their decisions, I believe that is a moral issue by the church's belief.
Looking more on the parent's decision, it was not as if they intend on killing their son for another child. And I believe they are putting their faith in the child's condition to live, for the both of the children. If all goes well baby Javier will be a hero, him and his parents. His brother will appreciate the risk as the years progress.
If I had a child I would probably do the same thing if the law allowed it and if it guaranteed the new baby's health to be great. If not, I don't believe I would risk another life, then again I couldn't really say unless I am in the situation and emotions are involved.
Basically, what the parents did was allowed within their country and according to them they did nothing wrong.
-Zabrina Ybarra
Peter Ngor.
This issue is a very sensitive in both side of the argument, there those who trying to protect the life of the unborn baby and there are those who are on the mother side which is more of a choice than any thing. In respect of the pro-life this people are arguing what is in their hearts and they are right about it because if we encourage people to just abort their babies some people will be just make bad choices and just go a head abort those babies. On the respect of pro- choice side they are also right about what they saying because there are some of the time when it matter to abort the baby and that is when it involves the health of the mother you can now havea choice whether to loss both the mother and the baby or save one and that is good you save mother and let the baby go. But some time people take it too far on both side of this argument and that is when it become a problem that involved court and judges to decide on what needed to done in this case. However on my part I am more on the pro-life side of this argument because abortion does solve all the problem that people have any way. So just going a head with abortion all the time will not work in most cases, because study shown that those women who abort their babies are more likely to depressed after doing so. But i will compromise when it involve complication and have the abortion to be done to save the life of the one we have in the present with us than the one to come.
Ryan Keene
I completely agree with stem-cell research and development. In the case of Javier, it does not seem like he is going to die because he is a week old. They are using his umbilical cord that has been preserved from what it sounds like. To me, religion plays no part in a matter like this. The only reason based on my own research is that they do not approve because it is not a child conceived the natural way. This is something that the science community and the church community will always disagree on. I feel that creating another life, as long as it stays another life is appropriate. I do however feel a little uneasy knowing that some people are creating a life just to kill of the child. In this instance I agree with the church, but as long as it is within a certain time frame where the child has not developed, or if the parents are going to keep the child then I see no wrong in advancing medical technology. There are a lot of moral and ethical issues that are brought up with something like this, the only one and the most important one is murder.
If a person were created just to be destroyed, then that causes the moral and ethical dilemma of murder. This is obviously wrong, and a life should not be created just to be destroyed. There is an unspoken bond between the sibling that is saved from the other, and it should be allowed to have a life. In my own opinion though, there is nothing morally or ethically wrong with this as long as the child is kept alive.
I agree somewhat with the parents decision but at the same time I don't. But I think that they are doing what ever it takes to save their other childs life. But I don't think it's fair to bring up another child and that child not having the chance to live. It's a very difficult decisions and to answer. But I think I dissagree with the parents, because it's just like doing one a favor and they know what their doing. To me, that is just wrong, I don't think I could do that. I would feel guilty and responsible for the other child's death if that were the case. I think the parents should explore their options if thats the possible.
Stephanie S.
NABILAH KEYS
I totally agree with the parents decision and after all it is their choice not mine. It baffles me that some think it is okay to assist with killing the sick yet we do not agree to rebirth to save a childs life. stem cell research can be used in the future to help millions of others. What ever happened to it doesnt exist because we have yet to find it. Well it exist now it has been done so please whats wrong with giving life?
In your arguments many of you pointed out that the procedure is legal, that physical harm to Javier, the selected baby who can save his brother's life, is unlikely, etc. A few of you mentioned the other embryos created as potential matches. These embryos most likely will be destroyed once Andres is well. However, most of you do not consider, or address, the rights of Andres, and the rights of Javier, only the rights (and rarely the responsibilities) of the parents. try to consider the issue from all sides and address opposing points, even if only to demonstrate why you disagree.
Nicole Hahlen
This is a very controversial case, not only does this desision depend on the parents religion it also depends on the relationship and age of the prior child. In my opinion i would not be ok with this because its pointless to bring a human child into this life that has emotions and feelings just to save another childs life. Now if this new life was not going to be harmed at all than i could undertand where the parents are coming from but because this is not the case than i would in no circumstances agree to harm another child's life because in my opinion if this child was meant to live than God would bring healing to this child its like an abortion killing the life of a child to save your well being or your life in my opinion it unethical and wrong.
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