Since its inception, in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been the subject of ethical scrutiny and debate. Legislation concerning stem cell use has put discussion of IVF back in the public domain and on the front of newspapers.
In the last 12 months another matter for consideration has emerged – the creation of ‘saviour siblings’. These ‘designer babies’ have been carefully screened not for intellect or appearance but – through their umbilical cord blood – to be stem cell donors for sick siblings.
According to New Scientist magazine, as of May this year “five healthy babies have been born to provide stem cells for siblings with serious non-heritable conditions.” So once again everyone from doctors to politicians are arguing over the morality of IVF and the utility of human life.
It is this controversial issue that forms the basis of Jodi Picoult’s novel, My Sister’s Keeper.
Kate Fitzgerald has a rare and deadly form of leukaemia. By 16 she has been hospitalised countless times and undergone numerous medical procedures.
Since she was two years old, her illness has defined her life and that of her family. Indeed was it not for Kate’s leukaemia her younger sister Anna would probably not exist.
Conceived and born to donate stem cells from her cord blood, Anna’s medical assistance to her sister has gone beyond the original plan. She has provided blood, lymphocytes and bone marrow to help save her sister’s life. But when her parents begin arranging for her to donate a kidney she decides she has had enough.
Retaining a solicitor, Anna wants to sue her parents for the rights to her body. It’s a decision with enormous implications.
The love of a parent for a child is a fierce and powerful force. Parents will make extreme choices to protect the lives of their children. But what happens if seeking the health of one child compromises the well-being of another?
Written in the first person, each chapter is written from the perspective of the main players. While the technique can be jarring it’s an efficient way of showing the differing perspectives on an emotionally charged issue.
Despite the distraction of its self-conscious style, My Sister’s Keeper is an insightful work of fiction. It captures the angst and distress of a parent’s helplessness in the face of disease while showing how a child’s illness can consume and fracture a family.
A work of popular fiction, Picoult’s novel raises a raft of ethical questions. And they are questions to which Christians need an answer. But on what do we base our views? The Bible, naturally, has nothing directly to say on such a topic. But it is clear on broader issues like the value of human life, the sovereignty of God and the astonishing love of God for his people. God knows and has experienced the suffering of parents.
On a much grander scale we see a similar dilemma to Picoult’s played out through the crucifixion. God’s love for his creation cost his son Jesus more than a kidney or a transfusion. To save us he sacrificed his only child. To redeem us his son rose to life again.

Sarah Barnett