Having One Baby to Save Another

 

God bless these people in the quest to save thier beloved child. We banked the stem cells of our last two children (we have three) and we don’t have any disease prevelant in our families, but it’s comforting to my husband and I that if our kids did come down with something, we’d have ammo to fight back. I pray that if these parents do concieve a child, that they make that child feel every bit as special as thier first. God bless them and thier sick child.

- Marisa

Posted 04/17/08 01:42 PM

 

 

I think that this is something no one can decide until they are put in that position. There are so many things to consider, so many things that are factored in that unless you are sitting in that doctors office with the life of your child at stake, you can’t possibly begin to imagine what you would do. I have been in that position, faced with using one child to save another. Our 4 year old was diagnosed with Leukemia when our younger son was just 2 weeks old. We hadn’t banked the cord blood so when it turned out our younger son was a perfect match it wasn’t even a decision to use him as a donor. It just was what was. I suspect its the same for these parents they are just doing what they need to do and if the result of that is another beautiful child to love, and that child can save the life of his/ her sibling that thats all the more incredible. No sibling or relative is a guaranteed match though, and I encourage EVERYONE to put themselves on the bone marrow registry! My heart goes out to this family and I hope they are able to do whatever they need to save their child.

- kristy

Posted 04/17/08 02:24 PM

 

 

I think if you already have a child who can help a sibling, there is really no other choice. Jodi Picoult’s book My Sister’s Keeper is a work of fiction that supposes the issue of having a baby to save another, and I think that pretty much sums up how I feel about the issue. I only hope these parents have set some limits on their expectations of Saviour Baby, to have their priorities right when he/she comes along, to say, if the stem cells don’t work, we’re not going to use him/her as a harvesting ground for organs, further cells and bone marrow to keep Child 1 alive. They have to ask themselves, how much is too much? That, I think, will be the most challenging question.

- Jenn

Posted 04/17/08 02:56 PM

 

 

I have nothing to say other than read the book, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult before deciding whether or not to do something like this!!

- Kristine

Posted 04/17/08 02:57 PM

 

 

As long as they will love, respect, and take care of their second child, more power to them. There’s no such thing as too much love.

- Kelley

Posted 04/17/08 04:28 PM

 

 

I was really moved by your comment, Kristy. I wouldn’t begin to judge these parents and agree with Kelley’s points.

- jen

Posted 04/17/08 07:08 PM

 

 

There’s been less noble reasons for getting pregnant. My heart and well wishes go out to this family.

- Genevieve

Posted 04/18/08 12:49 AM