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.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Being Lame
SHH, Haro. Or you'll get caught.
Cheers:- To mark the commencement of thesis and assignments...=.=
Friday, November 14, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
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Thursday, October 30, 2008
Getting Borrrrred...
| What Be Your Nerd Type? Your Result: Drama Nerd You sure do love the spotlight and probably have a very out-going and loud personality. Or not. That's just a stereotype, of course. Participation in the theatre is something to be very proud of. Whether you have a great voice for musicals, or astounding skills for dramas/comedies; keep up the good work. We need more entertainment these days that isn't television and video games (not that these things are bad, necessarily.) | |
| Musician | |
| Literature Nerd | |
| Science/Math Nerd | |
| Artistic Nerd | |
| Anime Nerd | |
| Gamer/Computer Nerd | |
| Social Nerd | |
| What Be Your Nerd Type? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz | |
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Project Charles And Keith
Jeez, this marketing project is sure a drag. Our team is already LONG done with the design spreads and the copywriter is also brain-dead.
Initially, my friend thought that she could use her Final Year Project (FYP) designs and sell them to Charles and Keith to earn some $$$. But who knows that before I could even begin writing the dreaded proposal, she took off and got herself started in SGX as a well, paralegal (I suppose from the description of her job) instead of going into Advertising/Design.
And as for myself, think I'll just shelve this project aside for the moment.
Sighs...
Its hard toggling with blogger just to post several images of our 2-man strong work!
Initially, my friend thought that she could use her Final Year Project (FYP) designs and sell them to Charles and Keith to earn some $$$. But who knows that before I could even begin writing the dreaded proposal, she took off and got herself started in SGX as a well, paralegal (I suppose from the description of her job) instead of going into Advertising/Design.
And as for myself, think I'll just shelve this project aside for the moment.
Sighs...
Its hard toggling with blogger just to post several images of our 2-man strong work!
Ubin Life!
Please Note: This short extract belongs to a current photo coffee book I'm currently slogging myself thru the nights to get it published, so here's the story:-
What initially was meant to be a two-day holiday trip to Pulau Ubin turned out to be a field trip for me, as documented by my recent adventure on Singapore's last kampong bastion through the lens of my camera, accompanied together with this short writeup.
Located off the northeastern coast of Singapore, this petite island - whose stature solidly remains unchanged after all the ballyhoo generated on mainland Singapore over the past few decades to keep pace with the extensive changes of this world, is nonetheless, a favorite weekend haunt for cyclists and nature lovers to allow themselves to unwind from the fast-paced metropolis lifestyle.
Once a bustling settlement and home to some 250 settlers who preferred the traditional way of earning a living by fishing and farming, Pulau Ubin is now transformed into a nature reserve, with much of its original heritage preserved to allow it's visitors to enjoy her rustic atmosphere.
Upon arrival at the Marina Country Club’s Pulau Ubin resort jetty at approximately half-past one together with my boyfriend, Ricky Wang, my hunger for food finally emerged with a deep growl from the pit of an empty stomach hours since I left home without taking breakfast.
I was craving for a sumptuous meal of hotplate toufu and steamed fish with rice.
But first, we had to unload our baggages and next, settle for a pair of rented bicycles from the resort’s bicycle rental store before we could travel out from our holiday resort to the main jetty centre located on the far end of Pulau Ubin.
Getting there by foot would take us approximately half a day’s time.
Once we mounted on our bicycles, we peddled down, fast, on the roads leading us towards the main jetty centre.
Amazingly, I felt as though I was embarking on a historical journey back into the 1960s, the time when cycling was rendered as the layman’s mode of transportation which takes you to all destinations far and wide, save for the wealthy who could afford the luxury of cars.
Not to mention the splash of kampong houses powered either by diesel or power generators along the main roads, growing with a mix of colourful carnations, morning glories and bright red hibiscus.
Jeez! Indeed, it was a journey back through time.
As soon as we were approaching the main jetty centre, the smell of pan fried oil coupled with a mix of other spices wafted through the island’s thin air. I was immediately tantalized by the sweet-smelling, spicy aroma of hotplate toufu from a nearby coffeehouse restaurant, lined under an impressive display of rustic ‘kampong’ houses which are homes to a variety of coffeehouse restaurants and bicycle rental stores encircling the jetty centre.
After deciding on the type of food we each would like to have for lunch, we finally settled down at the Ubin Seafood Restaurant for a luxurious meal before embarking on our adventure ride down to the Check Jawa wetlands and other explorable areas such as the mangrove and coastal loop boardwalk.
Lunch consisted of a widespread of four medium sized dishes - salted fish fried rice, black pepper beef, baby kai lan and of course, my all-time favorite hotplate toufu.
Mmm...what a casual and splendid meal it was, while being able to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of rural Singapore!
How I wished I was back in the 60s'.
And once we were done, it was time for us to head out into the bucolic areas of the island, where the adventure begins.
What initially was meant to be a two-day holiday trip to Pulau Ubin turned out to be a field trip for me, as documented by my recent adventure on Singapore's last kampong bastion through the lens of my camera, accompanied together with this short writeup.
Located off the northeastern coast of Singapore, this petite island - whose stature solidly remains unchanged after all the ballyhoo generated on mainland Singapore over the past few decades to keep pace with the extensive changes of this world, is nonetheless, a favorite weekend haunt for cyclists and nature lovers to allow themselves to unwind from the fast-paced metropolis lifestyle.
Once a bustling settlement and home to some 250 settlers who preferred the traditional way of earning a living by fishing and farming, Pulau Ubin is now transformed into a nature reserve, with much of its original heritage preserved to allow it's visitors to enjoy her rustic atmosphere.
Upon arrival at the Marina Country Club’s Pulau Ubin resort jetty at approximately half-past one together with my boyfriend, Ricky Wang, my hunger for food finally emerged with a deep growl from the pit of an empty stomach hours since I left home without taking breakfast.
I was craving for a sumptuous meal of hotplate toufu and steamed fish with rice.
But first, we had to unload our baggages and next, settle for a pair of rented bicycles from the resort’s bicycle rental store before we could travel out from our holiday resort to the main jetty centre located on the far end of Pulau Ubin.
Getting there by foot would take us approximately half a day’s time.
Once we mounted on our bicycles, we peddled down, fast, on the roads leading us towards the main jetty centre.
Amazingly, I felt as though I was embarking on a historical journey back into the 1960s, the time when cycling was rendered as the layman’s mode of transportation which takes you to all destinations far and wide, save for the wealthy who could afford the luxury of cars.
Not to mention the splash of kampong houses powered either by diesel or power generators along the main roads, growing with a mix of colourful carnations, morning glories and bright red hibiscus.
Jeez! Indeed, it was a journey back through time.
As soon as we were approaching the main jetty centre, the smell of pan fried oil coupled with a mix of other spices wafted through the island’s thin air. I was immediately tantalized by the sweet-smelling, spicy aroma of hotplate toufu from a nearby coffeehouse restaurant, lined under an impressive display of rustic ‘kampong’ houses which are homes to a variety of coffeehouse restaurants and bicycle rental stores encircling the jetty centre.
After deciding on the type of food we each would like to have for lunch, we finally settled down at the Ubin Seafood Restaurant for a luxurious meal before embarking on our adventure ride down to the Check Jawa wetlands and other explorable areas such as the mangrove and coastal loop boardwalk.
Lunch consisted of a widespread of four medium sized dishes - salted fish fried rice, black pepper beef, baby kai lan and of course, my all-time favorite hotplate toufu.
Mmm...what a casual and splendid meal it was, while being able to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of rural Singapore!
How I wished I was back in the 60s'.
And once we were done, it was time for us to head out into the bucolic areas of the island, where the adventure begins.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Scandalizing My Blog
Need I not say that, but most of the times whenever I'm free, I'll somehow log into my blog, view, read and edit what I write. Seldom post random stuffs here since my intention was for it to be simple and serious political plus news blogging.
But sighs above all sighs, I still post random stuff like this and remove all my political essays:-
A screenshot from a curiosity test
Jeez, am I so afraid of getting the self under ISA detention if all my stuffs goes up? I bet my lappy will be the first to be siezed and be charged six hours after my arrest.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
No Lunch Break Only After Work Is Completed
Construction and logistic staffs involved in the setting up of this year's Heritage Fest Hub at Suntec City's Tropical Atrium, had to forgo their lunch break in order to add their finishing touches to spruce up the festival hub in preparation for tomorrow's exhibition - 'Who's Your Hero?'.
Work commenced as early as 9:30 a.m to the already completed exhibition hub, which consists of various different colorful booths narrating Singapore's historical milestones in the form of captivating and exciting visuals accompanied by short text descriptions.
Hatch One's marketing and events manager Jessica, who oversees the morning's project since her arrival at 10:30 a.m, hardly had the time to sit and sip her cup of coffee.
"We've been very busy since this morning and I hope that by seven, the setting up of our booths will be completed." Said the greying woman, who also handed this reporter a copy of the colorfully illustrated events guidebook at the Heritage Fest Hub's entrance booth.
"Do come back tomorrow and join in the opening exhibition. There'll be lots of people here and you can also bring your camera, too."
During the next hour while workers and staffs were diligently tying up all loose ends, a cultural dance rehearsal went underway for students of Yishun Primary.
By 2: 15 p.m, work was finally completed, save for the scattered mess which needs to be tidied before dusk falls. One by one, manpower slowly cleared off the work-site in herds of fours for a short break before returning back half an hour later.
Termed 'Who's Your Hero?', the 16-day Heritage Fest event kicked off last Saturday at heartland mall Causeway Point with a variety of traditional and cultural activities both the young and old as a form of tribute to the performing heros of our forefathers' time.
Exhibition highlights then included in the significant career achievements of Singapore's Cultural Medallion recipients such as Joanna Wong, Som Said and Santha Bhaskar, who did our country proud in the international arena of their own performing art speciality.
The upcoming festival hub will also showcase the making of the Heros Patch - a giant patchwork quilt featuring the fabric patches created by various different primary school children - which will be up on display at the Kids' Zone.
Students are allowed to design their fabric patches based on the festival's theme of heros.
With such large-scale family friendly activities, the National Heritage Board (NHB) is expecting to draw some 10,000 shoppers to join in its fun-filled exhibited daily programs and activities at its festival hub.
The event is expected to end off on a high note on the 27th July with the Travellators's showcasing their musical talents in their exploration of experimental music which fuses together the sound of the traditional Javanese gamelan, laptop music and syth effects to create a new breed of musical tones.
Meanwhile, individuals who are keen to sign up for the various outreach activities; are interested in knowing more about Heritage Fest 2008 are advised to visit www.heritagefest.com.sg for more information.
This is the NHB's fifth consecutive year running Heritage Fest.
Written 15th July 2008
Work commenced as early as 9:30 a.m to the already completed exhibition hub, which consists of various different colorful booths narrating Singapore's historical milestones in the form of captivating and exciting visuals accompanied by short text descriptions.
Hatch One's marketing and events manager Jessica, who oversees the morning's project since her arrival at 10:30 a.m, hardly had the time to sit and sip her cup of coffee.
"We've been very busy since this morning and I hope that by seven, the setting up of our booths will be completed." Said the greying woman, who also handed this reporter a copy of the colorfully illustrated events guidebook at the Heritage Fest Hub's entrance booth.
"Do come back tomorrow and join in the opening exhibition. There'll be lots of people here and you can also bring your camera, too."
During the next hour while workers and staffs were diligently tying up all loose ends, a cultural dance rehearsal went underway for students of Yishun Primary.
By 2: 15 p.m, work was finally completed, save for the scattered mess which needs to be tidied before dusk falls. One by one, manpower slowly cleared off the work-site in herds of fours for a short break before returning back half an hour later.
Termed 'Who's Your Hero?', the 16-day Heritage Fest event kicked off last Saturday at heartland mall Causeway Point with a variety of traditional and cultural activities both the young and old as a form of tribute to the performing heros of our forefathers' time.
Exhibition highlights then included in the significant career achievements of Singapore's Cultural Medallion recipients such as Joanna Wong, Som Said and Santha Bhaskar, who did our country proud in the international arena of their own performing art speciality.
The upcoming festival hub will also showcase the making of the Heros Patch - a giant patchwork quilt featuring the fabric patches created by various different primary school children - which will be up on display at the Kids' Zone.
Students are allowed to design their fabric patches based on the festival's theme of heros.
With such large-scale family friendly activities, the National Heritage Board (NHB) is expecting to draw some 10,000 shoppers to join in its fun-filled exhibited daily programs and activities at its festival hub.
The event is expected to end off on a high note on the 27th July with the Travellators's showcasing their musical talents in their exploration of experimental music which fuses together the sound of the traditional Javanese gamelan, laptop music and syth effects to create a new breed of musical tones.
Meanwhile, individuals who are keen to sign up for the various outreach activities; are interested in knowing more about Heritage Fest 2008 are advised to visit www.heritagefest.com.sg for more information.
This is the NHB's fifth consecutive year running Heritage Fest.
Written 15th July 2008
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