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CASE STUDY Draft in Ethics
CASE STUDY Draft in Ethics
MD 2Y1-4A
CASE STUDY: #1
Theresa Ann Campo Pearson, an infant known to the public as “Baby
Theresa,” was born in Florida in 1992. Baby Theresa had anencephaly,
one of the worst genetic disorder. Anencephalic infants are sometimes
referred to as “babies without brains,” and this gives roughly the right
picture, but it is not quite accurate. Important parts of the brain – the
cerebrum and cerebellum – are missing, as is the top of the skull. There is,
however, as brain stem, and so autonomic functions such as breathing and
heartbeat are possible. In the United States, most cases of anencephaly
are detected during the pregnancy, and the fetuses are usually aborted. Of
those not aborted, half are stillborn. About 350 are born alive each year,
and they usually die within days.
Baby Theresa’s story is remarkable only because her parents made an
unusual request. Knowing that their baby would die soon and could never
be conscious, Theresa’s parents volunteered her organs for transplant.
They thought her kidneys, liver, heart, lungs, and eyes should go to other
children who could benefit from them. Her physicians agreed. Thousands
of infants need transplants each year, and there are never enough organs
available. But the organs were not taken, because Florida law forbids the
removal of organs until the donor is dead. By the time Baby Theresa died,
nine days later, it was too late for the children – her organs had
deteriorated too much to be harvested and transplanted.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is the ethical problem in the case?
2. What are the road blocks in making a good decision in the case?
Well as human it is not easy to just decide, because the
emotional connection in your child is one of the greatest moments of
every parents. In case of Theresa and her family. They done morally
good decision, because they could help other infants and children
with medical problems. But on the other side, the decision is not
easy. We human we need to be mentally prepared when doing
decision (Daskal, 2016). Some of the road block in making a good
decision is the ethical standard in the state of Florida. Maybe, it really
hard for them to decide to give the organ of Theresa because of the
laws exist in their community. And also, medically speaking, there is
also an ethical principle for the hospital or doctors to obey, that can
influence in the decision making. In short, they need to obey what the
law dictates because it is ethical in their states, but for me, it is
actually a waste of opportunity for the children who need transplant
because it is very rare opportunity to seek organ donor. For example,
Based on Mayo Clinic, 2010, the cornea of the eye has highest
success rate in organ transplant and the rejection of it is 10 percent
only. Overall, if the law in states in Florida that time listen to them
maybe the organ of baby Theresa helps and give a chance to the sick
children to live normally.