In 1729 Jonathan Swift sarcastically presented a “modest proposal” in which he suggested that to combat the problem of poverty and overpopulation that the children of the poor could be sold for meat to the wealthiest of Englishmen, thus helping to provide the poor with a lucrative source of income and reduce the burden of the lower class. Perhaps his was the more sane suggestion.
Last week conversations erupted in regard to tiny little Amelia Rivera and her treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Amelia is nearly three-years-old and has a lower than average IQ and some developmental delay. She also has a rare condition called Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome (WHS) that will soon require a kidney transplant. The entire Rivera family is eager to find a donor within their family in hopes of helping their little gift have a long and happy life. Yet tears still streamed from shocked faces as her parents talked with her doctor.
The sobs and jaw on the floor is in response to what the doctor just said. Apparently little Mia is not eligible for a transplant because she is too stupid. The doctor said it almost as delicately, suggesting that mental retardation excludes her from the transplant surgery, even if a donor is found within the family. The social worker seated next to the nephrologist suggested that with a life-long regiment of taking anti-rejection drugs, they cannot trust Mia to be able to care for herself as the reason to justify condemning her to death. The hospital has the resources to save Mia’s life, but they would rather see her die. Read more about this conversation.
