My Sister’s Keeper

785 Words4 Pages
My Sister’s Keeper In the movies My Sister’s Keeper, 13-year-old Anna Fitzgerald was brought into the world to be a genetic match for her older sister, Kate who suffers from acute promyelocytic leukaemia. Although Anna was only intended to donate blood from the umbilical cord after her birth, Kate was not fully healed, thus requiring further treatments involving Anna throughout her life. Due to her sister dependency, Anna is not able to live the life she wants, she cannot take part in extracurricular activities such as cheerleading or soccer. After numerous bone marrow transplants and blood transfusions, Anna is told that she needs to donate a kidney, to her sister Kate who’s experiencing renal failure at the age thirteen. Knowing that her parents will force her to donate a kidney to her sister, and weary of the endless medical procedures Anna decides to sue her parents, Sara and Brian Fitzgerald, for medical emancipation, or the rights to her own body. Attorney Campbell Alexander agrees to work for Anna. Anna wins the case, and due to her sister's wishes does not donate her kidney. Kate lost the fight and later died in the hospital. From watching this film many ethical issues were evident which include the lack of autonomy and veracity. Likewise, doctors violating the principle of non-maleficence and some evidence beneficence principle were also noted. When Anna decided to sue her parents for medical emancipation, the principle of autonomy becomes apparent. Autonomy, which is, defines as the ability of a person to make his or her own decisions. When the Fitzgerald’s decide to have another baby, it was to save their daughter Kate’s life; they genetically engineered Anna to be a saviour for her sister. They expected her to give up her body parts and bone marrow to Kate who had been suffering from acute promyelocytic leukaemia from the age of two. From the day
Open Document