Summary of Nancy Gibbs's "Dying to have a Family".
In "Dying to Have a Family," Nancy Gibbs explains her view on genetic screening for early-onset Alzheimer's disease in unborn children. For readers of Time magazine, Gibbs debates if it is just to "tinker" with the genetics of unborn children in hopes for saving them from the traumatic decline of the brain by their late 40's. Gibbs also bring up the question if it would be humane to bring a child into the world knowing they aren't going to be around to see their child grow old. Gibbs view is that it is a persons right to bring another person into the world, and any mother would want their child to live a long and healthy life.
If we continue to alter our genetics, what are the limits? The news of a child born with immunity to early-onset Alzheimer's disease sparked this debate on genetic screening. "By prescreening her eggs for the defective gene, doctors were able to insert only healthy embryos during in-vitro fertilization". Gibbs explains that now specialists can prevent a child from a deadly disease, but tomorrow will it be screening embryos for baldness or tone deafness? This is an ever-controversial debate that is based more on ethics than science.
Gibbs believes that having a child is one of life's greatest experiences, but wonders if is it humane to bring a child into the world if the mother isn't going to be there because she will die at an early age. "Does a shortened life expectancy make a woman more unfit for motherhood?" This is a tough question that needs to be compared to when Saul Bellow was celebrated when he became a father at the age of 84. When children are adopted, there are rules and regulations to become parents, but there aren't any rules for those who are making the babies. Gibbs stresses that a mother would give anything for the opportunity to bring a healthy baby into the world.
The solution to the problem is unknown, but changing a couple's reproductive right is something that has never been toggled with.
