It's just about Siamese Twins

Jodie and Mary
Separate or not?

An anonymous couple from Malta traveled to England this past year for a complicated delivery of their Siamese twin daughters, Jodie and Mary, who were born on August 8,2000,joined at the abdomen and with fused spine. Doctors soon determined that unless the twins were surgically separated both would die. Mary, the waeker twin, whose brain was underdeveloped, would never be able to survive separated from Jodie. Jodie, who was strong and aler, had an 80%-90% chance of dying if surgery was not performed. She had a good chance of surviving in the event of surgery,although, in all likelihood she would be severely handicapped and need medical attention throughout her life.In similar cases in the past, the surviving twin has sometimes died within six months of surgery. In other cases, neither twin survives. The medical team at St Mary's Hospital, to which the twins were taken had never done a successful separation of Siamese Twins. When the medical team suggested surgical separation, the Parents, who were Roman Catholic, refused on religious and moral grounds to give their consent. The Hospital went to court pleading that life-saving surgery was in Jodie's best interest, and that saving one of the twins would be morally preferable to losing both. The presiding judge acknowledged the court's duty 'to put the welfare of each child paramount', but nonethless, concluded that Jodie's right to live outweighed Mary's, thus ruling in favor of the Hospital.

These are the ethical questions that we have come up with to facilitate in our opinion writing pertaining to the case of Jodie and Mary

Q1. Is there an ethical right to separation ?
Q2. Is it morally permissible to let both infants die?
Q3. Does distributive justice play a role in the separation of conjoined twins with multiple anomalies ?

Siamese Twins also known as Conjoined twins which are monozygotic multiples that do not fully separate from each other due to the incomplete division of the fertilized ovum. The individuals will be connected at certain points of the body, and may share tissue, organs or limbs. A rare phenomenon, the occurrence is estimated to range from 1 in 50,000 births to 1 in 200,000 births, with a somewhat higher incidence in Southwest Asia and Africa.Approximately half are stillborn, and a smaller fraction of pairs born alive have abnormalities incompatible with life. The overall survival rate for conjoined twins is approximately 25%. The condition is more frequently found among females, with a ratio of 3:1.
More info

Famed twins, Chang and Eng Bunker, were born in Siam (now Thailand) in the early 1800's, although they eventually settled in the United States. As they traveled the world, they became known as "the Siamese twins."
While they were the first conjoined twins whose medical history was documented, they were not the first set of conjoined twins. Records reference a set of conjoined boys living in Constantinople in 945 A.D. Another well-known set, Mary and Eliza Chulkhurst, lived in England in the twelth century.

Take your stand and voice out your opinion, visitors are welcomed to tag your opinions regarding Siamese Twins ( The current topic for discussion is JODIE AND MARY)

The stories of Siamese Twins
Their lives are not strange but
but tougher than anyone of us.

Faith and Hope [1]
Faith and Hope [2]
Kendra and Maliyah
Lea and Tabea [1]
Lea and Tabea [2]
Abigail and Brittany [1]
Abigail and Brittany [2]
Abigail and Brittany [3]
Abigail and Brittany [4]
Abigail and Brittany [5]
Conjoined Twins

June 2009

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Conjoined Twins FAQ
Wikipedia

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Siamese Twins— Jodie and Mary (Gracie and Rose)

THE ULTIMATE DECISION

This is the final decision made by the four of us, namely: Songjia, Huijing, Charmaine and Zuo Yue. We have decided on the decision of the court to be the best solution favouring the interest of the twins and the parents alike.

After taking into consideration the various viewpoints from the different parties involved, our group has decided that the court’s point of view would be the best solution in resolving these issues.

In consideration of the twins’ medical condition, it is best that the separation is conducted, as in the opinion of medics, it is wise to save as many lives as possible, thus it is better to save Jodie's life rather than losing both Jodie and Mary’s. Also, this surgery will create a breakthrough in the separation of conjoined twins in the future. As the doctors also serve as independent opinions, they may also possess more rational and calm mindsets comparing to that of the parents’ at that point in time as they are restricted by religious beliefs and overwhelming poignancy. Also, separation of conjoined twins by surgery will also have a high chance of success as for example, the first successful separation of conjoined twins was as early as 1689, thus the parents should be more confident in the success of the operation and that Jodie will have higher chance of survival.

On the other hand, the actual condition of the children is the crucial factor to determine the court’s decision. It is true that the court is not entitled to value to quality of human life as worth more than another, and that the court does not have any right to kill someone just to save the life of another, but the decision that the court makes has the benefits of all parties considered. Like mentioned in the previous posts, the court’s decision does not only benefit Jodie, but it would be in the best interests of Mary, as for the twins to remain alive and conjoined in the way they are would be depriving them of the bodily integrity and human dignity which is the right for both of them. The duty of the court is to put the welfare of each child paramount, and hence it will make sure that no party is shortchanged in the decision making process.

Another reason for why we have chosen the court’s decision is because religion and culture is not always rightful or legal when humanity is concerned. Many cultures, especially in the third world countries, have very primitive views on impairment and human rights. For example, in China, the rampant acts of the murdering of baby girls became a social norm. But aren’t we condemning these acts? In a similar fashion, looking from a religious viewpoint, much of the attention has been placed on the parents, who are Catholics, and believed in complying with God’s will or nature’s will. In certain cases, these forms of compliance would indeed be more humane, an example being UK mother Lisa Chamberlain, 25, also a Catholic, who is pregnant with dicephalus twins, and insisted in giving birth to a pair whom people label “freaks”. In this case, religion is in fact the life saver of the abovementioned twins. However, for Jodie and Mary’s case, if they were allowed to progress on their own according to “nature’s will”, they would both be put at risk of death. Personally, we find that parents should not be granted absolute right to the lives of their disabled children, and there should be a third party or an independent opinion to make impartial judgments on the situation if required.

In essence, we have agreed upon the decision of the court after evaluating the different perspectives of the stakeholders and most importantly the interest of the twins. Also, after the discharge of Jodie, healthy 10-month-old , following the separation, the parents were contented with the ultimate decision that one of their daughter is saved and granted a life.

Our discussion will end here, you are most welcomed to post your opinion about this topic(:

♥ love life and live life with dignity... 1:49:00 AM