Mara Cassandra D.

Fernandez Bioethics

BSN II-2

My Sister’s Keeper

I Objectives:
To identify ethical dilemmas in communication presented in My Sister's Keeper, a novel by Jodi Picoult. Directed
by Nick Cassavetes To examine how one's position/perspective shapes how one interprets and evaluates
situations. To analyze ethical decision making.

II Summary:
My Sister's Keeper It tells the story of 13-year-old Anna, who sues her parents for medical emancipation when
she is expected to donate a kidney to her sister Kate, who is dying from leukemia.

Anna Fitzgerald's older sister, Kate, suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone
marrow. Anna was conceived in order to harvest blood from her umbilical cord in order to use in treatments to help
save Kate's life; although the treatment was initially successful, Kate relapsed; ever since, Anna - the only
compatible family member, since both her parents and her older brother Jesse are incompatible donors - has been
used as a donor for any other bodily substance needed to treat Kate, who continues to swing between remission
and relapse as she grows up.

Anna is usually willing to donate whatever Kate needs, but when she is thirteen, she is told that she will have to
donate one of her kidneys. The surgery required for both Kate and Anna would be major; it is not guaranteed to
work, as the stress of the operation may well kill Kate anyway; and the loss of a kidney could have a serious impact
on Anna's life. Anna petitions for medical emancipation with the help of lawyer Campbell Alexander, so that she will
be able to make her own decisions regarding her medical treatment and the donation of her kidney.

Anna's mother, Sara, is an ex-lawyer and decides to represent herself and her husband in the lawsuit. Over the
course of the novel, she tries on several occasions to make Anna drop the lawsuit. Anna refuses to do so, but the
resulting tension between her and her mother result in her moving out of the house to live with her father Brian in
the fire station where he works. This is done on the advice of Julia Romano, the court-appointed guardian ad litem
whose job it is to decide what would be best for Anna. Julia was once romantically involved with Campbell when
they went to school together, but Campbell broke her heart when he left her. It is eventually revealed he left her
because he discovered he had epilepsy and thought she deserved better. They get back together at the end of the
book.

Meanwhile, Jesse, who has spent most of his life being ignored in favor of ill Kate or donor Anna, spends most of
his time setting fire to abandoned buildings with home-made explosives, using the knowledge that his fire-fighter
father gave him to make the fires bigger and fiercer, and doing drugs. He is a self-confessed juvenile delinquent
and pyromaniac, and the only time throughout the book that his parents pay him any attention is when Brian
discovers that it is Jesse who has been setting the fires. Brian forgives him, and by the end of the book, he has
reformed and graduated from the police academy.
 During the trial, it is revealed that Kate asked Anna to sue for emancipation because she did not want Anna to
have to transplant, and because she believes that she will die anyway. The judge rules in Anna's favor, and grants
Campbell medical power of attorney. However, as Campbell drives her home after the trial, their car is hit by an
oncoming truck. Brian retrieves Anna, who is unconscious, and suffers an injury to the head, and Campbell, who
suffers an injury to the arm, from the wreckage of the crushed car and rushes them to hospital. However, after
some time, the doctor informs them that Anna is brain-dead, that the machines keeping her alive may as well be
switched off, and asks them if they have considered organ donation. Campbell steps in, and declares that he has
the power of attorney, and "there is a girl upstairs who needs that kidney." Kate is prepped for surgery, and Anna's
kidney is successfully transplanted. Kate survives the surgery and goes into remission. Most of Anna's usable
organs are removed for transplants in the future. Campbell and Julia get married, Kate stays in remission for at
least 6 years, while Anna dies for her sister's life.

Characters:

 Anna: Anna is thirteen years old, born to be a perfect donor match for her older sister Kate. She
has undergone many surgeries during her life so she can help cure her sister Kate. When she finds out that she
has to donate a kidney to Kate, Anna sues her parents for the rights to her own body, which would result in Kate's
death.
 Sara: Mother of Anna, Kate and Jesse. Is very protective of Kate and Anna and Jesse fade away
from her parental bounds. Before Kate was diagnosed with APL, Sara used to be a lawyer. She represents herself
during the trial.
 Brian: Brian is the father of Anna, Kate and Jesse. He is a fire fighter and loves astronomy. One of
his major hobbies is looking at stars in the sky while lying on the fire house roof
 Kate: Sister of Anna and Jesse. When Kate was 2, she was diagnosed with APL. She was cured
but had another very serious relapse when she was 5. Her kidneys are failing and her parents wanted Anna to give
her a kidney but Kate told her not to, as she wanted to die.
 Taylor: Kate's boyfriend. Taylor has AML and is 2 years older than Kate. They met at the hospital
and went to a hospital dance together. Sadly, Taylor died just as him and Kate were getting serious.
 Jesse: Brother of Anna and Kate. He is off the rails, drinking alcohol and doing drugs
 Campbell: A successful lawyer Anna hired for her case. Campbell is living with epilepsy and has a
service dog, Judge,.
 Judge: Campbell's service dog whose use is unknown throughout much of the story
 Zanne: Sister of Sara Fitzgerald, aunt of Kate, Anna, and Jesse, Zanne is wealthy and always
wants to babysit the children when Kate has a relapse. She is known as a support for Sara throughout the story.
 Dr. Chance: Kate's oncologist and close friend of the family,

III Basic ethical principles

Active self-administered Euthanasia- when Kate wishes to die

Teen suicide- Kate tries to kill herself because of depression and hopelessness

Genetic planning-the prospect of creating babies for health purposes –when their
parents decided to have another baby for donating blood, bone marrow to Kate

Act From The Sense of Duty- when Dr. Chance: Kate's oncologist shows deep concern not only
to Kate’s condition but to Kate’s feelings
Autonomous, self-regulating will- Anna sues her parents for medical emancipation, she wants
to take charge of her own body.
IV Personal Reflection

I was really touched by this story. I grow up with a broken family and as the oldest daughter I often do things
and sacrifices for my younger sisters admired the strong character of Anna and her courage to give up the life
of her sister accordance to Kate’s wish .I’d appreciated my mom more as Sara portrays a mother that would do
anything for the sake of her child. I like the ending though it differs from the ending of the novel especially
when the family accepted Kate’s death and brought back their good family bonding .