Designer Baby Or Not To Design A Baby.?
By Jacqueline Renee Daniels
So, there are many, many, many reason why people say its “ok” too design your baby. Yet, there are just as many people protesting against the thought, the action and anything to do with the whole process. There are pros and cons that play action in this matter.
The term “Designer Baby” is a baby whose genetic make up has been artificially selected by genetic engineering, combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence of absence of particular genes or characteristics. Parents and doctors are able to genetically screen embryos for any genetic disorders. In Vitro fertilization tequnics involves the fertilizations of the egg by the sperm in a test tube, outside the mothers womb. A tecqnuics called “Preimplantation Process” is used to screen embryos for any genetic disease and only the disease free embryos will be implanted into the mother’s womb.
The reason so many people have a problem with the idea and action of the “Designer Baby” is because parents have the choice too pick the gender, eye, skin, and hair color of the baby. Also other traits as in, inteligenvec, beauty, height, and the prevention of obesity. Some say they are messing with Nature, Others say that they are going to make the “perfect people” and EVERYONE that cant afford this, or wont do this, will be out casted. A Designer Baby cost anywhere from $15,000 to $18,000. Only certain people can afford this, and they already have the advantage over people for having money, this would only add to their self-entitlement.
Some cases that have been brought to people’s attention are the reasons why people are so “for” or “against” this process. Adam Nash was the first known Designer Baby to be born by the “Preimplantation Process” in 2000. Parents left this all in the hands of the scientist. Where they genetically selected his embryo, so that he would have the right cells to save his dying sisters life. His sister suffered from Fanconis Anemia, a blood disorder. By having Adam being made it increased his sisters chance of living by 2 times. In Adams case, he was born to help his dying sister. Some say that’s wrong, others say it’s a choice made by the parents and they have too live with what they did to one child to save the other. Another case is that of 2 deaf lesbian woman who wanted a deaf designer baby. A friend of theirs whom was deaf, and came from a long line of deaf family, was their sperm donor. Cases like these make people dislike the process an act of the Designer Baby. Was it all right for 2 deaf parents too cripple their child because they were.? Some say people are trying to change the genetic make up of a child, by playing God.
You even have some scientists who are against the practice; they say that genetic engineering is not something to play with. It is a complex and any mistake made, can alter the lives of many generations. They are scared that at some point that a particular mutation can lead to a new virus or a disease. At some point the scare of the diversity of the gene pool and human genetics will be affected, and may lead to a human distinction. The thought that you can design a baby, have them come out perfect is a bit crazy too some people. Whose to say that a test tube baby actually took on natures roll, and ended up getting very ill, or diagnosed with a disease. Scientist say, “Nature will always take its course.” And some people agree. Trying to genetically engineer a child is trying to make society believe that there can be a world of perfect people. That is where the giant debate comes in.
Picture a world where you are allowed to practically pick your child form looks head to toe. How they are in life, the brains, the traits, the goals you set for your kids with out them having a say so. Also imagine a world where you can have a child and scan your child for diseases, put them through a process that insures that your child will never be effected by a disease, a sickness, a life for them too live with out the worries of death till in their old age, if not caused by an act of nature, or an accident. You either creates the perfect child for you. Or you give your child a long healthy life by putting them through the same process you would to create the perfect baby.
The Designer Baby debate is more about how we are learning to sidestep nature, and how this could crumble society, as we know it.
Leigh's Comeback
On Wednesday August 31, 2011; Leigh McGown, Yampah Mountain High Schools principal, wife of Ted Kauffman, and mother to Serena and Rhiannon Kauffman, had a Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
Leigh, has been diagnosed with Congenital Heart disease for many years. She is no newcomer when it comes to the knowledge of what she has and how she has to control it. On the night of August 31, 2011 Leigh and her family were at a BBQ in Carbondale. Around 8:30 that night they left the BBQ to head back to their home located in Glenwood Springs. Upon arriving home there was no sign, no pain, not a thing to prepare Leigh and her family for what was about to come. Serena, Ted and Leigh has sat down and started to discuss an assignment for civics that Serena had due for a teacher. They had ended the conversation and went to do their separate things for the rest of the night. Leigh was sitting at the table doing some work and Serena had come to ask a question, and that was when she found her mother unresponsive. Serena repeated, “mom,” but there was no response. Ted, her husband had heard Serena repeatedly asked her mother if she was okay. Ted soon found out that Leigh was not breathing and had no pulse. They all know of Leigh’s heart disease so they had idea as to what happened. Serena called 911 as Ted and her daughter had started performing CPR. They had preformed CPR on Leigh for 12 Minutes.
For all of you that don’t know, when your heart stops and you stop breathing the oxygen flow to your brain is cut off. And when there is no oxygen flow you are more than likely to develop brain damage. Ted and Rhiannon had done a wonderful job in performing CPR and thanks to them and the care they gave and Serena’s quick response finding her, she has no sign of brain damage. The Paramedics had arrived at the Kauffman home around midnight. They continued CPR and shocked Leigh with a defibrillator. She was then taken to Valley View Hospital, in Glenwood Springs, where they worked at stabilizing her. They had her stabilized but it didn’t last as long as they needed. Once they were comfortable enough with some stability they flew her to St. Mary’s' Hospital, in Grand Junction. She arrived at St. Mary’s at 3 am in the morning, where she was placed in the ICU from Thursday to Sunday. Starting that following Monday she was in the Cardiac Ward where she stayed until that Thursday. They placed an ICD in her chest, and wires are wired into her heart. They will monitor any odd actions that may occur so that something like this can be treated faster than before. She spent a total of one week in the car of St. Mary's Hospital. Leigh recently visited the Mayo Clinic. They gave her many test while she was there, and will give her some additional heart procedures over Thanksgiving.
Leigh says she is building back her physical strength; she is very tired at the end of the day. “All of a sudden I’m a nap person!” says Leigh. According to the Hospitals that Leigh went to they all had the same view on her near death experience. “It was a miracle.” They repeatedly told Leigh that her family saved her life. Leigh says she is very grateful for her life. She is ecstatic that she has the chance to be part of everyone’s life. Leigh states, “Our relationships with other are very important.” Leighs' future goals for Yampah Mountain High School are to get a CPR trainer to come to the school and teach the students how to perform CPR properly. “At some point this could happen to someone else’s family member and they should know CPR,” says the high school principal. She would also like the teachers to be trained in how to use an AED. She would like to place two on the school site, just in case something like this was too occur here at school.
Leigh felt compelled to get better thanks to all the community support. The positive energy we as the community had towards her, gave her the good energy to get well. She said that she never, “saw the light.” But she did get, “An earthy pull.” Her near death experience has left her more grateful for the life she has now. Her family, staff, friends, and students gave her that extra little push she needed. Leigh is now healthy and getting better day by day.
On Wednesday August 31, 2011; Leigh McGown, Yampah Mountain High Schools principal, wife of Ted Kauffman, and mother to Serena and Rhiannon Kauffman, had a Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
Leigh, has been diagnosed with Congenital Heart disease for many years. She is no newcomer when it comes to the knowledge of what she has and how she has to control it. On the night of August 31, 2011 Leigh and her family were at a BBQ in Carbondale. Around 8:30 that night they left the BBQ to head back to their home located in Glenwood Springs. Upon arriving home there was no sign, no pain, not a thing to prepare Leigh and her family for what was about to come. Serena, Ted and Leigh has sat down and started to discuss an assignment for civics that Serena had due for a teacher. They had ended the conversation and went to do their separate things for the rest of the night. Leigh was sitting at the table doing some work and Serena had come to ask a question, and that was when she found her mother unresponsive. Serena repeated, “mom,” but there was no response. Ted, her husband had heard Serena repeatedly asked her mother if she was okay. Ted soon found out that Leigh was not breathing and had no pulse. They all know of Leigh’s heart disease so they had idea as to what happened. Serena called 911 as Ted and her daughter had started performing CPR. They had preformed CPR on Leigh for 12 Minutes.
For all of you that don’t know, when your heart stops and you stop breathing the oxygen flow to your brain is cut off. And when there is no oxygen flow you are more than likely to develop brain damage. Ted and Rhiannon had done a wonderful job in performing CPR and thanks to them and the care they gave and Serena’s quick response finding her, she has no sign of brain damage. The Paramedics had arrived at the Kauffman home around midnight. They continued CPR and shocked Leigh with a defibrillator. She was then taken to Valley View Hospital, in Glenwood Springs, where they worked at stabilizing her. They had her stabilized but it didn’t last as long as they needed. Once they were comfortable enough with some stability they flew her to St. Mary’s' Hospital, in Grand Junction. She arrived at St. Mary’s at 3 am in the morning, where she was placed in the ICU from Thursday to Sunday. Starting that following Monday she was in the Cardiac Ward where she stayed until that Thursday. They placed an ICD in her chest, and wires are wired into her heart. They will monitor any odd actions that may occur so that something like this can be treated faster than before. She spent a total of one week in the car of St. Mary's Hospital. Leigh recently visited the Mayo Clinic. They gave her many test while she was there, and will give her some additional heart procedures over Thanksgiving.
Leigh says she is building back her physical strength; she is very tired at the end of the day. “All of a sudden I’m a nap person!” says Leigh. According to the Hospitals that Leigh went to they all had the same view on her near death experience. “It was a miracle.” They repeatedly told Leigh that her family saved her life. Leigh says she is very grateful for her life. She is ecstatic that she has the chance to be part of everyone’s life. Leigh states, “Our relationships with other are very important.” Leighs' future goals for Yampah Mountain High School are to get a CPR trainer to come to the school and teach the students how to perform CPR properly. “At some point this could happen to someone else’s family member and they should know CPR,” says the high school principal. She would also like the teachers to be trained in how to use an AED. She would like to place two on the school site, just in case something like this was too occur here at school.
Leigh felt compelled to get better thanks to all the community support. The positive energy we as the community had towards her, gave her the good energy to get well. She said that she never, “saw the light.” But she did get, “An earthy pull.” Her near death experience has left her more grateful for the life she has now. Her family, staff, friends, and students gave her that extra little push she needed. Leigh is now healthy and getting better day by day.