David Vetter Bubble Boy Analysis

David Vetter was the original “Bubble Boy”, he lived for twelve years and made the treatment of other young children possible. Scientists were able to use David’s blood cells to help in the treatment of 16 other kids suffering from SCID. Nine years later 14 of the 16 are leading healthy lives, outside the bubble. David died from lymphoma after receiving a bone marrow transplant from his sister. One of the other children contracted treatment-related leukemia, which wasn’t a shock because several children in France contracted leukemia after getting gene therapy.
It was morally permissible for the researchers to use gene therapy regardless of the fact that some of the children contracted therapy-related leukemia. Without treatment these children

would have been reduced to living in a bubble like David. Utilitarianism would allow and support the treatment of the children because the greater good would be served by taking the opportunity to improve their life. Without treatment many of these children would die at a very young age, so treatment favorable balance of good over evil. Aquinas would support treating the children because the leukemia is not an intentional outcome of the treatment.
All medical treatment has some degree of risk involved, so waiting until the treatment is completely risk-free puts the lives of the children at risk.
However, if you change the circumstances of the treatment the mortality changes. If the gene therapy is the only treatment for the condition, but the majority of children diagnosed die within two years of diagnosis, the ethicalness of the treatment is questionable. People would question the decision to treat when the possible positive outcome is so slight. First you have to consider is an additional two years worth the day to day knowledge that this could be the child’s last day. Secondly is the cost of the treatment offset by the extension of life. Consideration needs to be paid to the procedure involved in the treatment. If the treatment is incredibly painful, is the addition of a few months worth the pain.
It is easier to make the call for treatment if it will cure a patient. You are aware that the benefits are worth the cost you have to go through to obtain the outcome.