To Operate Or Not

To Operate or Not to Operate; That is the Question

I must operate; this is a life or death situation. Irene has contracted a life threatening kidney disease; therefore Meg needs to give up her kidney to save Irene. Meg has felt left out-her parents were usually acknowledging Irene's musical accomplishments and concerned with her illness-but having this surgery will bring the family closer to each other. Irene will die if she does not get her sister's kidney within three months.

If I do not operate, and Irene dies, Meg will later in life regret her decision-knowing that she killed her sister. Meg would end up with psychological problems that will effect her realtionships with other people. The parents of Meg and Irene-who are indentical twins- would be crushed and hurt if I did not operate and the parents would have abandoned Meg for her incompetence.

Letting a fourteen year old die when it could have been prevented is ludicrous. Irene should not be penalized, because she has a disease she did not ask for, and that Meg is being dishonorable to her sister over petty issues. There is no time to wait for another donor. Our best chances are with Meg, who has repeatedly refused to save her sister, who has so much to live for.

As a parent myself, I would consent to have my child go in for a surgery she did not want to save another child. In the end, both of the children will be alive. It would devastate any parent to lose a child when something could have been done to prevent the child's death. If it were up to Meg, she would let Irene die, but when she is an adult, she will go through intense regret and remorse and could lead to clinical depression.

My instinct is telling me that I must operate on Irene, and if I don't, I would lose a fourteen year old girl who didn't deserve to die. Meg should get over her self pity and realize that the world does not revolve around