Sometimes the reality of our world is stunning ... bewildering ... and just plain sad. And then there is the story of Nadya Suleman - all of the above, and then some.
If you've not read the story, let's give you the Reader's Digest abridged version: Unemployed single mother of 6 (all via in-vitro fertilization), living with her parents, has octuplets (again, all via in-vitro fertilization), bringing the total to 14 children. You can read more about her story here, here, and here .
As it stands on it's own, that might be enough to make you wonder. In my eyes, this isn't about whether a person should or should not have children, nor is it an issue of morality (or lack thereof). What it amounts to is a simple reality check.
We are in difficult financial times. Along with that, our health care system is struggling to meet the demands of both the insured and uninsured. We live on a planet with 6 billion people, many living in squallor and without any form of supportive family network of which to speak. The planet's resources are slowly dwindling, and climate change is evident.
And within all of this, there is a woman who wants to have 14 children by in-vtiro fertilization - and a doctor (or doctors) who are prepared to meet her request (ethics be damned) - because, well, "she can".
From the news reports, she covered the expenses with moneys from a disability settlement. Add to this the fact that they are now accepting donations on the family website , should you be inclined to want to assist them (California residents please note: you are already assisting them with their exhorbitant health care costs via Medi-Cal).
With a world population of 6+ billion, it makes little to no sense to me to simply bring more people into the world "just because" or "well, I have the right to do so". How about "I have a shared responsibility for the future of our world"? It's not an issue of requiring any sort of government regulation or anything of the sort. It IS an issue of personal, societal, and (perhaps even) global responsibility. This isn't about having happy healthy children in a supportive environment which can foster their growth and development. This is about a woman that has some rather significant issues of entitlement. Did she need more children - or better counseling? After the first one or even two children?
And let us not forget the doctor/doctors that performed the procedures to make this all happen in the first place. Is there a shared responsibility there as well? Isn't this an ethical dilemna? I won't even begin to voice an opinion on that issue.
Somewhere in this mess reside some rather significant social and ethical issues. When they slap you in the face, let me know.
Frankly, enough is enough.
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Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.