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| Article - Abstract. To view full article click on the article title. | |
CBHD: That One Twin May Live… - Dennis P. Hollinger The birth of Siamese twins in Manchester England on August 8 has generated significant moral and legal debate around the world. Conjoined twins occur in approximately one of 200,000 live births and can often live fairly normal lives whether they remain in a conjoined state or are surgically separated. In this case, however, the girls are joined at the lower abdomen and share a heart and lungs. Mary (the twins' real names are not being used, as their identities remain hidden) is entirely dependent on her sister Jodie for life since she has no functioning heart or lungs of her own. Doctors predict that if the twins remain joined together both will die within six months, as Jodie's heart will eventually fail. They are therefore encouraging a separation of the two, which means of course that Mary would die since she does not have her own vital organs. The girls' parents, who came to England from an undisclosed country for expert medical help, are opposed to the medical separation of their daughters, citing religious grounds. They believe that nature should be allowed to take its course, and "If it's God's will that both our children should not survive then so be it" (/455795.asp, 9-5-00). This case has raised a myriad of legal issues. Full Article: http://www.cbhd.org/resources/healthcare/hollinger_2000-09-14.htm |
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2006 Ethics-Governance.com |
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