These short explorations of contemporary bioethics issues first aired on Moody Radio.
A few years ago, most of the grass in our back yard was scorched and died. It took us several years, and some failed attempts, to reseed, regrow and rebuild it. Finally, it's green and healthy. I would like to tell you about a different kind of "seeding," that takes less time, with fantastic results.
When our children went to the doctor for shots, we usually stopped for an ice cream cone on the way home. It was a small compensation for a painful procedure they did not choose. I imagine their answer would have been “no!” Parents worry over how much control their children should have. One dilemma in medical ethics is how much to tell our children, and how much to involve them in the decision. Let me explain.
My husband and I are going to become grandparents in December. So you can imagine that my thoughts often drift toward our mother-in-waiting and the little one inside her. She's giving her body to that new life. I know of another mother who gave her body to her child, - twice. I'll call her Megan. Eighteen months after giving birth, Megan gave a kidney to her son. Let's call him Justin. A friend of mine, Dr. Carl Haisch, performed the transplant surgery. I'd like to talk about what's involved in pediatric organ transplantation.
It's September and the kids are back in school, along with their required boxes of tissues and hand sanitizer for the classroom. These can help prevent the spread of colds, but students may be at risk of more serious illnesses. We're seeing an uptick in outbreaks of measles, whooping cough, rubella, mumps, and polio, some affecting more than 10,000 people in just one year.[1]
The Harry Potter blockbuster movie series just wrapped up its eighth and final installment. The books have been on the New York Times bestseller list for more than five years. One explanation for the popularity of the series is the clear distinction between the good guys and the bad guys. The good guys are characterized by friendship, loyalty, self-sacrifice and love. The bad guys are cruel, selfish, and they enter and exit in a cloud of black smoke. The choice between good and evil is usually obvious.
What if a pill could make you smart, wealthy, and powerful? Would you take it? That's the question the movie Limitless asks. The movie revolves around Eddie, an aspiring author with a serious case of writer's block. A friend persuades him to take a questionable drug called NZT. This seemingly innocuous pill allows Eddie to access 100% of his brain's powers, instead of the normal 20%. On NZT, Eddie recalls every detail from his past, learns languages in just one day, and develops complex algorithms to conquer Wall Street.
If you check clothing labels, "made in India" might make you wonder if the workers were treated fairly. There's another situation where "made in India" should make us stop and wonder, and that's the issue of gestational surrogates. These are woman who carry a baby to term, but for someone else.
Nicole Kidman and her husband Keith Urban recently announced the arrival of their second daughter. In expressing their gratitude for her birth, they thanked their “gestational carrier.” Kidman and Urban had arranged with a surrogate to carry their genetic child, who was born in Nashville, where the couple lives. Not in Australia, where they are citizens, and where commercial surrogacy is banned. They’ve joined the ranks of celebrities who hired a surrogate.[1]
Bar codes show up in all sorts of places. I used a barcode to create a boarding pass. A Boston chef announced his creation of an edible barcode. But what about a human barcode? Researchers at the University of Barcelona have developed microscopic barcodes to identify embryos created by in vitro fertilization.[1] Embryo mix-ups do happen.
When I say “scandal,” you may think I’m referring to the latest gossip column about Congressmen texting or Tweeting inappropriate photos. If I were to press a little further, some might recall the book that rocked the evangelical world in the mid 90s, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark Noll. Noll assessed the sad state of evangelical thought and the reasons behind it. It is just this kind of careful review that has inspired our 2011 summer conference theme at The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity. The title is “The Scandal of Bioethics: Reclaiming Christian Influence in Technology, Science, & Medicine.”[1]
Our family has celebrated three 16th birthdays, and three newly licensed drivers. Molly Nash’s 16th birthday marked a different kind of milestone: ten years since receiving a transplant to treat her otherwise fatal disease. The transplant came from her baby brother.[1]
The phrase “there’s an app for that” just got a whole new meaning. British researchers have developed an iPhone app to help infertile couples calculate the success of in vitro fertilization.[1] This isn’t the only odd place IVF has popped up lately. This past season the television show Rules of Engagement has followed Audrey and Jeff in their struggles to have a baby, not your typical sitcom fare. IVF didn’t work for Audrey, but now Audrey and Jeff are expecting twins with the help of their friend as a surrogate.
Competition for scarce jobs is ratcheting up. Job hunters are getting creative in trying to gain an edge. I’m not talking about posting a video resume, but going under the knife to have a face-lift or a “smile makeover.” Many older men, in particular, are undergoing cosmetic procedures for fear they will lose out to their younger looking counterparts.[1]
A few days ago, an environmental group announced a lawsuit to protect the endangered Southern California mountain yellow-legged frog.[1]Yellow-legged frogs aren’t the only “endangered species.” Some of you might be on that list.
What do you think about conscientious objectors? For some of us, this conjures up the image of Vietnam War protestors. We may or may not have agreed with what they said, but we supported their right to say it. After all, our country’s history is that of settlers who wanted to live according to their conscience and religious principles. But some government actions are making our freedom less “free.”
I imagine that many of us grew up hearing the saying, “Practice what you preach.” As a parent, I’ve been tempted to say, “Do as I say, not as I do.” We aren’t the only ones who are vulnerable to falling short of our principles. The same temptation occurs in healthcare and medical research.
I’ve been flying a lot recently. I especially enjoy the clear days when I can survey an entire landscape from the air. “Oh, that is how we drive to South Bend.” On the ground, I need a map to navigate safely from Point A to Point B.
A couple of years ago, Jennifer Rubin wrote in Commentary magazine about the phenomenal impact of John Grisham’s legal novels and movies such as The Rainmaker. Juries have ramped up their expectations about the amount of damages that should be awarded to underdog plaintiffs. Fiction is remaking not only law, but medicine as well. The Fox network recently announced plans to develop a medical drama focused exclusively on medical ethics.[1] You may already be familiar with medical dramas such as House, M.D. or Grey’s Anatomy. For some viewers, including medical students, this is their primary window into understanding medical ethics.
Last week, my mother-in-law joined the celebration of the 100th birthday of one of her neighbors at her retirement community. More than 100 of the residents there are over 90. We are in a demographic shift, with adults over 80 as the fastest growing segment of our population. Eighty is “the new 70.” The New York Times runs a blog devoted to “The New Old Age” and its particular challenges.[1] Many elderly and chronically ill people require help with day-to-day needs, a task that falls most heavily on their spouse or children. More than 65 million Americans care for a chronically ill, disabled, or elderly family member.[2]
Alexander Pope, the British poet, translated The Iliad of Homer, where he wrote that “It is man’s to fight, but Heaven’s to give success.” Perhaps we can find some wisdom in that statement. The setting I’m thinking of is one that will probably affect you. This is the decision about the use of life support, such as a ventilator or feeding tube. Many of us may be asked to make this kind of decision, but we might not feel comfortable with the responsibility. We don’t want to be the one who has to “pull the plug” on Grandma.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.” I’ve encountered both of those realities recently. Taxes went up in our home state, and a friend’s wife died last fall. While most of us get angry about the first certainty—taxes—we’re often fearful and unprepared for the second one. Facing death is something we all must do, and something that medical technology has made more complicated.
It’s the annual ritual, and by now you know whether you’re going to participate or not. I’m talking about New Year’s resolutions. I’ve surveyed the CBHD staff, and friends at our New Year’s Eve dinner. Most of us don’t make resolutions anymore, and we have plenty of good reasons. Sometimes, it’s because the goal is too far away, or we say we lack willpower to do it. How about a resolution not to do something? That is, a resolution to take a reflective step away from technology.
After we’ve opened our Christmas gifts and we’re stuffed with goodies, our family likes to watch a favorite holiday movie. Some of you may have grown up with the TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We know how the still popular story ends: Rudolph and his shiny red nose save Christmas.
One of the most popular medical shows on TV is House, M.D. In case you haven’t seen the show, each episode focuses on an especially difficult medical case that no one can solve. That is, no one until the brilliant Dr. House steps in. House uses whatever means necessary to solve each case, including violating standard ethical practices. His patients are often subjected to an endless number of painful and medically risky procedures and experiments to achieve a diagnosis. To make matters worse, he is rude and insulting to his patients and staff alike.
Do you spend a lot of time in the car? I’ve been using my long drive to work as a time for listening and learning. I’ve listened to mysteries, A Tale of Two Cities, and lectures on the intellectual history of modern thought, the Civil War, and DNA. Recently, I heard a fascinating history of scientific medicine through biographies of the great doctors. The series began, naturally enough, with Hippocrates. Hippocrates is considered to be the father of modern medicine. His school developed the theory of health that emphasizes a proper balance of four bodily humours. If you have too much of one, you’ll be either phlegmatic, melancholic, sanguine or choleric.
