Max, Megan's so-called savior sibling, was born 18 months ago as a result of the Matthews' IVF success. They went through a cord blood banking procedure to preserve stem cells right after his birth, and Max also underwent a bone marrow operation. Max's cells were then successfully transplanted to Megan. The nine year old is now much healthier, and no longer needs biweekly blood transplantation. Of course, it is wonderful that one little girl was apparently cured of her life-threatening illness as a result of the procedure, which was the first successful "savior sibling" in the UK. But what about the ethical implications?
Megan and Max's parents said that they had wanted another baby in any case, and that they were also concerned that any naturally conceived child could suffer from the same condition as Megan. But they didn't hide the fact that Max was, essentially, created to save Megan. As a parent, I more than understand the lengths people are willing to go to to save their child's life. But at the same time, I feel sorry for little Max. Apparently, bone marrow recovery operations result in a lot of pain during the aftermath. And what will he feel like when he finds out he was made to save his sister? What do you think about this? Is creating savior siblings to help heal existing children ethical, or not?
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