According to a report by CNN, Jack and Lisa Nash made history when they used genetic testing to save the life of their six-year-old daughter, Molly, by having another child. Molly had a rare genetic disorder known as Fanconi anemia, which prevents the generation of bone marrow and produces a fatal leukemia. Molly’s best chance to live was to get a transplant of stem cells from the umbilical cord of a sibling, and Molly’s parents were determined to give her that sibling, brother Adam. Through genetic testing (and in vitro fertilization), Jack and Lisa were able to select a child who would not only be born without a particular disease (Fanconi anemia, in this case) but also would help a sibling combat the disease by being the optimal tissue match for a transplant—a historic combination. As Lisa Nash said, “I was going to save Molly no matter what, and I wanted Molly to have siblings.” Is it right to produce a child to save the life or health of someone else? How might ethics help with these challenges? Is it possible to formulate a reasonable opinion on this case without doing ethics? Why or why not?
According to a report by CNN, Jack and Lisa Nash made history when they used genetic testing to
save the life of their six-year-old daughter, Molly, by having another child. Molly had a rare
genetic disorder known as Fanconi anemia, which prevents the generation of bone marrow and
produces a fatal leukemia. Molly’s best chance to live was to get a transplant of stem cells from
the umbilical cord of a sibling, and Molly’s parents were determined to give her that sibling,
brother Adam. Through genetic testing (and in vitro fertilization), Jack and Lisa were able to select
a child who would not only be born without a particular disease (Fanconi anemia, in this case) but
also would help a sibling combat the disease by being the optimal tissue match for a transplant—a
historic combination. As Lisa Nash said, “I was going to save Molly no matter what, and I wanted
Molly to have siblings.”
Is it right to produce a child to save the life or health of someone else? How might ethics help with these challenges?
Is it possible to formulate a reasonable opinion on this case without doing ethics? Why or why not?
Trending now
This is a popular solution!
Step by step
Solved in 2 steps
