Related to the issue of reproductive technology is enormous growth in the science of genetics and our mapping of the human genome. The ability to associate certain human illnesses and characteristics with genetic markers, has given rise to the ethics of pre-natal screening, post-natal screening and the genetic screening of embryos created in ARTs.
These topics also provoke us to rethink how we and society view the use of these technologies and, the way in which we preserve the uniqueness and dignity of those members of our communities affected by disability.
Life – A Gift Always Worth LivingTake a few minutes to watch the moving short film below, ‘99 Balloons’, about Eliot Mooney who was born with a chromosomal abnormality known as Trisomy 18. Eliot was prenatally diagnosed with this genetic disorder which caused him to have an undeveloped lung, a hole in his heart and DNA that placed faulty information into each and every cell of his body. His parents, Matt and Ginny, were confronted with preparing for their son's birth and early death. Knowing that Eliot’s chances of long-term survival were almost nil, his parents, Matt and Ginny Mooney, decided to celebrate their son’s birthday on each of the 99 days of his life.