Whittakers Designer Baby

[Paula71]

Not so much in the news as current affairs but...

Just watched this programme in tears. It has changed my mind about certain aspects of the whole designer baby subject as I don't think you could call their baby designer. The whole word designer indicates prestige and a certain snobbery, they just wanted a healthy baby that could help their little boy. I defy anyone who watched this programme not to side with them and I know it would break my heart if either of my ds twins had to go through that. I know I am so so very lucky to have fine healthy boys.

Does anyone know how the family are doing?

[samACon]

I wonder if some of what Charlie was saying about the new baby saving him, was prompted by the presence of the documentary crew? I'm not trying to be cynical, ie they wanted some good TV soundbites, but it must be difficult to keep it from him when you are surrounded by people filming it!

[twiglett]

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[carriemac]

I know you can just "go elsewhere" for ivf for what the HEFA does not allow here, but that is not the point, they uphold the law here. In the US for example they replace up tp 7 embryos, wher the HEFA law here is 3 max. And the US has consequently many higher multiple births, with all the health problems that brings.

[Paula71]

Secur I totally agree with what you said in that some of the things they told the little boy were, perhaps, unwise. After all at the end of the programme it said that when the baby boy was born the lad was asking why he still had to get those injections and when would he be "saved." That little lad is such a hero and it would kill me to have to watch my boys go through anything like that. Like I said, I am so thankfully they are healthy!

And I also agree that the mum should have thought of what her poor boy goes through with those horrendous injections and treatment, and bit her lip when she was going through her injections etc. Having said that I have never had anything like that happen nor needed IVF so have no idea what it is like to go through.

The media should give the full story in these cases rather than just flashy misleading headlines.

[dsw]

It wasn't the Whittakers that miscarried - it was the Hashmi's - however still heartbreaking news.

[dsw]

That is so sad.

[Evansmum]

It's a tragic situation but in defence of the HFEA (the relevant authority) I think their point was testing for genetic abnormalities that could affect the embryo in question is OK so you can avoid a pregnancy where it is clear that the potential baby would be severely affected. But testing an embryo for someone else's benefit ? ie for a sibling, in this case ? is not permitted under the Act and is therefore unlawful. Other countries have different laws. You have to think about the impact on the child who is the 'donor'; will they feel that they were a wanted child for their own sake? What if the treatment fails anyway so he/she doesn't actually 'save' their brother?

[M2T]

In the Newspaper this morning, dunno which one, it was on the seat in the tube train. It said that she miscarried late last month in the early stages of pregnancy! Is this the family with the gorgeous little boy who's 4??

She is quoted to have said "We tried our best, but it wasn't meant to be".

[dsw]

M2T - Where did you read she has miscarried?

[mieow]

And she couldn't be that selfish as when they said about the embroys and how many to put back, her hubby said 3 and she could terminate one if they all took, and she refused. I believe that she wouldn't have been able to terminate any of the babies. She was willing to accept twins.

[Jimjams]

Very moving story.And yes I would have done the same. Thought it was crazy that the laws here allowed them to conceive naturally and then terminate any non-matches. (Did i really hear that right) yet didn't allow tissue typing on a tiny embryo.

[twiglett]

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[mieow]

I thought sis may have done. I would have another baby to save one of my own, I couldn't sit there and watch my child die because I was too selfish to do anything about it. Another baby would be hard work but it would be worth it.
And like everyone has said Jamie wasn't designed, he was picked because he was healthy,and there was always the chance that he could have DFA anyway. They went into it with their eyes wide open.

[M2T]

Didn't she miscarry??? I read that in the paper this morning.

[bundle]

the hashmi child has thalassaemia, maybe she was getting them mixed up. I'm not sure about life expectancy but it's certainly v serious.

[mieow]

And I am right in thinking that children with BFA die young? Sis thinks that they can live till about 40.

[mieow]

HA! I can laugh at my sis then! She annoys me!

[bundle]

(btw it's very rare, only 30 or so cases in this country I think)

[bundle]

DBA is diamond blackfan anaemia (named after the people who discovered it) where you don't produce any red blood cells, or v few. steroids are used on infants which sometimes stimulate them back into production of rbc's, but this failed with my friend's child. she has regular transfusions and the needles in the tummy the whitaker boy was shown having are for chelation - to reduce the high levels of iron you get if you have regular transfusions. too much is v bad for you.

[mieow]

Bundle, can I ask was BDA stands for? My sister was under the impression that its like thalassaemia, and because she had to go though a test for thalassaemia, she thinks she knows it all.

[carriemac]

oliveoil, i'm not being unfair, (i've had four ivf attempts with lots of needles, my dh has had a bone marrow transplant)she did whinge and moan a lot about needles, and the state of her house (why buy a wreck when so much else is going on)i do feel very sorry for them and i'm not sure what i'd do in that case but having a baby soley to save another member of the family makes me very uncomfortable. And what happen to their other embryos which were not a match? Do they just discard those?

[dsw]

Suprisingly I agree with the comments you made, it was unfair on the little boy to build his hopes just incase something did go wrong.