CSI distrurbed me last night

[Disney1fan2002]

I remember a real life news story from about ten years ago (maybe longer) about the family who conceived a child to save their terminally ill child. It became a huge debate. I was on the side of ABSOLUTELY I would do it, if it meant saving the life of my child.

Until last nights episode. It really, really disturbed me. That poor girl was born JUST to be a transfusion factory for the older boy. It did not help that the family showed no remorse or emotion that the poor girl was dead. I know it is fiction, but it still disturbed me. Now, I understand where the debate came from. When was it going to end for that poor girl?

 

[DawnCt1]

I didn't see CSI but it is too bad that they "modeled" it after that original case. I remember that situation and the baby girl was absolutely adored by her entire family. She was born into a family of love and I am sure this was a family that would have loved her just as much even if she wasn't a match.

 

[pw2pp]

I didn't see CSI either (so I don't know what kind of transplant was done), but the case that was in the news was a Bone Marrow Transplant which is actually pretty safe for the donor.

 

[Maleficent13]

There is a new (few months old) fiction book out called "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picault (sp) which addresses this very issue. It is a very compelling read.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

On CSI, the little girl was "created" to be a match. That is what was so chilling. And yes at first it was for Bone Marrow, but then the brother went into relapse and she had to give a second donation. And then his kidneys started failing and they were going to take one of her kidneys. Part of the story was that she enjoyed playing soccer and she wouldn't be able to anymore because she would have only one kidney. She didn't want the surgery.

It was a very sad episode of CSI.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I could never imagine doing that.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

Originally posted by pw2pp
I didn't see CSI either (so I don't know what kind of transplant was done), but the case that was in the news was a Bone Marrow Transplant which is actually pretty safe for the donor.

The little girl had been murdered. The family called it in as a kidnapping, so they were looking for the girl, who was later found dead. In their investigation, the older brother had cancer as a child which is why the girl was conceived through invitro, to be sure she was a genetic match. Her autopsy showed she had at least two bone marrow extractions, and her medical record were a mile long with blood transfusions, ect. The boys kidneys were now failing, and she was going to donate one of her kidneys to him.

In the end, we found out that it was the older boy who killed her (overdosed her on his medicine) because he did not want her to suffer anymore. He had made his parents promise no more bone marrow from the girl, but when his kidneys started to fail, the parents said it was only the cancer they promised not to fight. The parents disposed of the body, so it was them the CSI team were looking at. Grissom figured it out when the girls blood was all over the clothes and blanket she was wrapped in but she had no injuries. The boy suffered from nose bleeds, and because he had so many transfusions for her, it was her blood in his veins. Even though he was the one who killed her, he seemed to be the only one who cared about her.

 

[vettechick99]

I remember this case too. I was in high school and we discussed it at length...I think I even wrote a paper on it.

Didn't see the episode and it certainly sounds sad, but people have children for all sorts of bad reasons. To save a marriage, to have someone need and love them, to have a "plaything" to dress up and dote on.

We can only hope that in the end, all these children are loved. It's a sad day when any child is brought into this world and doesn't feel the love they deserve.

But what can we do...qualify potential mothers and fathers?

Wishful thinking!!!

 

[pw2pp]

Disney1fan2002:
Oh.... okay.... thanks. So there was a whole lot more involved in the CSI episode than just one Bone Marrow Transplant. It does sound like it was a disturbing episode.

 

[LindaG4458]

I saw the CSI episode last night, plus I read the Jodi Picoult novel recently. Both were very disturbing and thought provoking. In both of them the child was subjected to repeated medical procedures and was treated as less than the other child(ren) in the family. The youngest were no more than spare parts factories for the older, sick children.

It would be nice to think that such situations do not exist but I have no doubt that they do. Who has the ultimate control over the second children's bodies?

 

[DawnCt1]

I think that the operative word here is "NOVEL".

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

That's why I don't watch CSI very often. It's so sad!

 

[Cindy B]

The book my Sisters Keeper by Jodi Piccoult dealt with the same issue. (another child for "harvesting" reasons).

The book is excellent!

 

[binny]

it disturbed me too. I was on the same side you were. That I would have a baby to save another but the difference would be that that baby would be loved as much as the first. I cant imagine having a baby for the sole purpose of having a marrow donor and NO other reason. I mean not loving the child that was born to help the other. THATS whats wrong!

 

[powellrj]

Originally posted by Maleficent13
There is a new (few months old) fiction book out called "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picault (sp) which addresses this very issue. It is a very compelling read.

I just finished this book last week and couldn't believe that it was on CSI last night. The ending of the book really upset me and I won't tell it because its such a compelling book that I hope others will read it.

 

[KrnB]

That was really hard to watch - both the main story, which was beyond disturbing, and the sub plot with Catherine's daughter. It was well done, as always.

The book sounds interesting, but I don't know if I could read that. The show was hard enough.

 

[ZachnElli]

I saw the episode and yes it was disturbing. I also post on another board that the mother that it is based on sometimes posts on (it's been awhile now that I think about it since I've seen her post). She has a third child now. They definitely wanted more kids and her oldest is doing just fine. They are ALL very loved, I have no doubt!

 

[mtblujeans]

I also saw the CSI.....shouldn't we be looking at the evolving technology that allows such desperate parents the opportunity to create a child for harvesting? I understand the parents and their desparation. But, I am uncomfortable with the technology being available to tell the family what the dying child is in need of and how to go about creating a "matching" child. Isn't that more than a bit like Eve showing Adam the apple tree, if you will......?

 

[ladycollector]

I think so, mtblujeans.