Genetic Enhancement In My Sister's Keeper By Jodi Picoult

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Recommended: Biomedical ethics problems

In the book, “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult, Anna Fitzgerald was conceived with a purpose. Scientists helped Anna’s parents to conceive her because she would be a perfect bone marrow match for her sister, Kate, who was afflicted with leukemia. At a young age, Anna was aware of her role. Anna says, “See, unlike the rest of the free world, I didn’t get here by accident. And if your parents have you for a reason then that reason better exist. Because once it’s gone, so are you” (Picoult). Genetically engineering a child for the benefit of another, as in “My Sister’s Keeper”, may produce good results for the sick child but bad results for the other. This happens when the endeavor to keep the sick child healthy conflicts with the best interests of the healthy child. With scientific advancements, this sort of breeding for a purpose may become a serious issue in the future. The Catholic Church endorses genetic therapy for the purpose of saving lives but does not endorse genetic enhancement for the purpose of creating a different person than what God intended (ncregister.com). David Be...

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