For the benefit of her younger daughter, Kate, who suffers from rare form of childhood Leukemia, Mrs Sara Fitzgerald thought up of a miracle plan to save her precious daughter when all other options failed - to birth a designer baby - without considering that this child would be a part of her family.
Anna Fitzgerald, who supposedly is portrayed as the martyr in Picoult's novel entitled
My Sister's Keeper, was the designer baby made to save her older sister Kate. Since birth, Anna is was the main source of reliance who would provide Kate with her stem cells, cord blood, bone marrow, kidney and all whenever Kate is in urgent need of a transplant to keep her healthy. Little was Anna thought of as an individual who owns the right to her speech and of course, her body.
Needless to say, whenever Kate winds up in hospital to receive a dose of painful treatments, so does Anna, whose pink health was placed under jeprody from the all the unnecessary harsh treatments which she also receives just for that reason.
Nevertheless, Anna, who in this novel stands at age thirteen, was intrigued by her life-long suffering to file for medical emancipation along with the help of a fame-greedy attorney who was willing to help her through this lawsuit for his own selfish, personal gains.
Also witness in this novel when Mrs Fitzgerald learns of Anna's action against her, she tries her very best to corerce Anna into dropping the lawsuit in whichever means and ways that deems fit for the current situation.
As expected, Anna is not willed a chance to voice out her own fears, opinions and concerns over what might happen to her should she have to donate her kidney to Kate.
Reluctant to toss in the bucket, the young teenager refuses to drop the lawsuit against her mother, knowing that she would forever remain as the subject of family medical atrocities should she give into her mother's demands. After all, Anna was conceived for this ugly purpose.
From here, the story slowly builds up its climax into a sensational courtroom drama which unveiled other ugly facts about the Fitzgerald family. We also read that in this novel, Mrs Fitzgerald admits that she has never dreamt big dreams for Anna, unlike her sick sister, Kate. Her husband, too, follows suit although he plays a more fatherly role towards Anna by showing her his love, care and concern.
Drama as it seems, Anna was eventually granted medical emancipation at the end of the day by the state's court but uneventfully passes away in a tragic car accident. Her kidney was subsequently donated to her sister under the acting power of her attorney.
And till the end of this novel as read, it was only during Anna's passing on did Mrs Fitzgerald realizes what was it like to loose a child whose importance within her household plays a much greater role than any of her other children.
Written on a 11-day characteristic chapter of its own, this emotionally riveting paperback series strongly reflects on the societal defects of which modern day medical science and technology has created. The shame which a healthy Anna has went through as a sacrificial child certainly does sets one thinking deep - is it ethically/morally right of a parent to conceive a child just so to save the other sibling without sparing a thought for him/her, or rather, is it just the right thing to do when the situation calls for it?
I am very sure that scientists and medical professionals today ought to address the type of treatments and suggestions made when formulating a less than perfect plan for the sake of a terminally ill man's morality.
Also, it is strongly recommended that doctors should get parents who are already on the verge of executing such a cruel backup plan to think of the welfare of their soon-to-be child. In countries such as [SO AND SO], such practices are made illegal to protect the rights of the minor involved.
I am more than thankful that Singapore prohibits such practices, in spite of its current low-birthrate mudslide.
Now, think of Gundam Seed (only if you have watched), the way how Kira Yamato was created for a 'brilliant' cause. Except for Kira, unlike Anna Fitzgerald, is treated with respect and the rights to his own actions.
Anna - for heaven's sake - was seen as a mere object living in a simple family for medical-miracle reasons. Certainly, this fictional example does irks a principled reader/viewer who strongly objects to such inhumane scientific practices.
Indeed, medical ethics is highly required for its professionals to evaluate the outcome of a patient's treatment plan.
A heir and a spare, I wonder how many such cases are present today.
PS: Parents, always remember, a conceived child will always be part of your life, regardless of circumstances.
**A good recommendation for parents whose children are terminally ill.
*I'm not done with this yet, so please, bear with me.
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