Ofianga, Jhomille B.

PM101
Health Ethics

Summary

The story revolves around Anna Fitzgerald, a 13-year-old, who sues her parents for a medical
emancipation. Anna was born or created to act as a donor for her sister, Kate, who suffers from acute
promyeloctic leukemia (APL). Anna has donated stem cells, bone marrow and platelets since she was a
kid in order to keep Kate alive. Now Kate is suffering from a kidney failure. Kate’s only chance of a
prolonged life is Anna but Anna refuses to donate her kidney. Knowing that her parents won’t listen to
her complaints she then approached Campbell Alexander, a well-known lawyer. Campbell settled to
work without charge for the publicity. Under intense pressure from her mother, Anna hesitated to
continue the case because her mother also happens to be lawyer. As Sara, Anna’s mother, prepares for
the upcoming hearings, she’s faced with difficulties between caring for Kate, who is slowly dying, and
meeting the needs of her spouse and other children. Anna’s torn with the consequences of her actions
and unsure of how they’ll be without Kate in their life.

As the hearing goes, Campbell had a seizure attack. It was after that incident that they knew the
real reason why Campbell accepted the case. He knew how it feels to have no control on his own body.

Before that big incident, Campbell asked Anna to testify. She answered the question but her
mom knew there was something wrong. She didn’t believe anything that Anna stated. As the hearing
goes, Jesse entered the court and revealed everything. Kate was the person behind the lawsuit. After
several suicide attempts, she asked Anna a favor to disagree with everything that their parents asked.
The Judge then went to the hospital and verified the facts with Kate.

On that day, everyone knew that Kate was going to die. They had all their relatives to visit Kate.
After a few moments, Kate asked everyone to go home and have some alone time with her mother. Kate
gave her scrapbook to her mother filled with all their adventures and moments together as a family. She
thanked her mother for everything, for being there on every battle she fought. On that night, Kate died
while lying beside her mom. Kate died peacefully; she just stopped breathing, unlike the others that
fought to find their breath.
 After a few years, everyone moved on. Kate’s father had a job on the rehabilitation center in
their city and her mother went back to being a lawyer. Anna won the case. She is now medically
emancipated from her parents. Jesse went to a fancy art school in New York. But every year, on Kate’s
birthday, they go to Montana to honor her and her memories.

Insights

The movie is a must watch for all types of people whether a healthcare professional or not.
Anna was an example of what it means to live a virtuous life.

Virtues

Prudence was showed in the movie as we watch Sara, Kate’s mother, struggling to make a
decision when to keep fighting or when to let go of her daughter.

Justice was shown when the Judge began to weigh and decide who life has more value: Kate’s or
Anna’s.

Fidelity was shown through Sara’s character. She showed loyalty to her daughter Kate. She tried
her best to fulfill her promises to Kate.

Humility was shown in Kate’s character. She recognized death as a natural inevitable end and
avoided the process of prolonging her life.

Honesty was shown in the presence of Kate’s doctor. He told the truth about Kate’s illness and
how much time is left for Kate.

Compassion was shown throughout the story through Anna. She tried her best to act as a pain
reliever to her sister and deals with the entire burden that her sister gave to her. She sacrificed herself
for the benefit of her sister even though she knows it has a huge effect on her life.