Julie Kim

Ms. Ehrlich
English 131
22 January 2015
Medical Ethics Considering the Transplantation
Savior sibling is a designated child (Reilly) produced in purpose of donating
the matching body parts or cells to its own siblings with fatal diseases that need
transplantation. Mainly in purpose of stem cell transplantation to cure diseases such
as cancer and anemia. But is it ethically acceptable to conceive a child in order to
prove bone marrow to save the life of a sibling (Reilly)? The baby is solely born to
be used as the donor. There is no option for them, the savior siblings, whether they
wanted or not wanted the life of being born as savior siblings, they are just born
with the choices their birthparents make. The savior siblings are chosen when they
are in form of zygote, checking through genetic compatibility, using
preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to make sure the compatibility between
the savior sibling and a child that is affected by the disease (Wilkinson). Mainly,
savior sibling is choosing one for the sake of another, and there are many ethical
question involved around this matter. Just because we now have ability to do
preimplantation genetic diagnosis, should we make savior siblings that can be
against ethics?
Furthermore, creating the savior siblings can both be positive or negative.
The pros of savior sibling will be that its a fast way to find matching donor, and
benefits you that you will get the donation. Also, the decision to select a savior

sibling is identity-affecting and so the child is unlikely to be harmed by the

decision to create it (McKie). Moreover, savior sibling may be the solution for any
disease requiring hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, which is effective
against genetically detectable diseases (Harper). However, the cons about this
method is that the child can be wrongfully instrumentalized, treated as
commodities (Wilkinson). Also, the selective reproduction (using PGD) may cause
people to treat children as commodities.
There are several options to the question, is savior sibling against ethics?
which are: Completely ban the creation of savior siblings because its against
morality; legalize the savior siblings because it is not against morality, or even if it
was against the morality, finding the treatment to save others is important; or give
permission for savior siblings in certain conditions only.
The first option is to ban the savior siblings completely. Creation of a child in
purpose of saving the existing child is against morality, they, too, have equal rights.
However, reproducing them without having any other choices but to be born with
purpose of donation is unethical. Therefore, banning the reproduction of savior
sibling is protecting that childs right as an equal human being. However, there will
be some cons where the affected child wouldnt be able to get matching donors and
result in death.
The second option is to legalize the reproduction of savior siblings. However,
moral issues involve around using PGD to create the savior siblings just to save
another child, and there are many people who are against it because it is against
morality. On contrast, its a procedure that gives hope to desperate parents in
midst of losing a dying child (McKie). Theres a good chance that the savior siblings

will be permissible about donation. However, there can be some psychological pain
at some point of their (Savior siblings) lifetime, but as long as their family cares and
loves the savior sibling and existing child the same way, it wouldnt be against
morality. Thus, save more people who need transplantation.
The third option is to give permission for reproducing savior sibling in certain
conditions only. For example, for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, where
upon birth, umbilical cord blood is taken and used for hematopoietic stem cell
transplantation (Wilkinson), where it only requires umbilical cord blood. But not for
the bone marrow sand organ transplantation, which requires savior siblings to suffer
a physical pain of extracting bone marrows and taking out organs. Therefore, the
savior sibling should be permission to be reproduced when the couples are already
planning for more children, and when the existing child needs hematopoietic cell
transplantation, where it only needs umbilical cord blood.
As you can see, by allowing the creation of savior siblings through PGD can
save so many lives without killing or deaths involved during the process of donating.
The children who were born as savior siblings wont have to think that their value of
lives are below zero if their parents treat and love the child (savior sibling) the same
way as the existing child (who gets donation). Most importantly, the article in The
Guardian mentioned that the savior sibling program could benefit hundreds of
couples and save the health services hundreds of millions of pounds a year
(McKie). As long as the couple will love the savior siblings and the existing child the
same, I want to recommend savior sibling reproduction to those whom needs
transplantation.
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