Designer Babies

Currently, I am reading a book loaned to me by a friend/co-worker, entitled "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult.

Basically, the premise of this book is that an infant girl, Kate, is diagnosed with APL (acute promyelocytic leukemia) that Wikipedia defines as:
"a subtype of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), a cancer of the blood and bone marrow .In APL, there is an abnormal accumulation of immature granulocytes called promyelocytes. The disease is characterized by a chromosomal translocation involving the retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARA) gene and is unique from other forms of AML in its responsiveness to all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) therapy."
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_promyelocytic_leukemia)

Her prognosis is not good, as it is quite a rare disease, and she requires various risky treatments. Anyway, the parents make a very controversial decision to genetically engineer a 'test tube baby' to be a perfect genetic match to Kate, in order to increase Kate's longevity. Anna, the 'designer baby' has spent her entire childhood/life (she is 13 years old at the time of the story) donating red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and bone marrow to Kate, to help her fight off the leukemia. Not too far into the story, Anna is seen consulting local counsel in order to sue her parents for the rights to her own body, which sets the stage for the rest of the novel. What seems to have set her off is (not to mention her lifelong role as a forced 'donor' for Kate) the fact that Kate's kidneys are failing and naturally her parents are expecting Anna to donate a kidney.

Now, what's frustrating me throughout the book (I'm approximately in the middle now) is how Anna seems to be easily waffling between her convictions (to sue her parents and her rights to her own body) and her devotion to her sister. What seems to be the antagonist is their mother, Sara. Sometimes I just want to smack her. Sometimes I can't even imagine what it's like to live in constant fear that you will lose your eldest daughter to cancer at any moment. Regardless, having no children myself, I totally sympathize with Anna's plight. I see blaring favouritism and exploitation going on in this family. It's simply not fair that one child's life is worth more than another child's freedom. And don't even mention the fact that Anna was conceived (if you can call it that) for the sole purpose of providing 'spare parts' for her ill sister.

It seems perfectly appropriate that I would go to the wreckers and pick up a car that's rear end has been rendered useless for the purpose of extracting it's perfectly good engine; when I need this engine to repair my current vehicle. However, it does not seem perfectly appropriate to choose the attributes or 'parts' in a prospective child for the purpose of 'repairing' another child.

Children/babies should be conceived out of love. Out of a sense of wonder and commitment to their well-being and future. It is unfortunate for a family to have to deal with a fatal diagnosis in one of its children..... a diagnosis that will inevitably require their extreme time, money, effort and patience. Why would they want to bring another human being into the already volatile family unit? And risk depriving that new human being of its much deserved time, money, effort and patience?

I hang on with bated breath to see what lies ahead in this story. Deep down, I am rooting for Anna. I hope she gains the rights to her body. I hope she gets to go to prom, without having to worry about Kate's imminent hospital stay. I hope she gets to have her first kiss. I hope she gets to go to university. I hope she gets to live a full life. But most of all, I hope that her parents will finally give her the love and respect she deserves as a child of theirs....... not a child produced out of medical need.