Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

World-First: Woman Becomes Pregnant After Ovarian Tissue Graft

Posted by samzenpus on from the cabbage-patch dept.

brindafella writes "When an Australian woman, Vali, was diagnosed with cancer, and treated, she was not looking at a good outcome. Yet, TWO cancer treatments later, she is pregnant with twin girls. Her ovaries were sectioned and frozen before the cancer treatment. She has had her own flesh implanted outside her pelvis. Eggs were gathered, IVF techniques used later with her male partner, and her uterus is now carrying two viable girls due to be born in about 3 months. Melbourne IVF's Associate Professor Kate Stern has explained the process today."

5 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. Good and bad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It is good that science saved her and empowered her to have children. There is no denying that this is a win.

    It *also* means that whatever genetic predispositions to cancer she may have had were likely passed on to her children, who are now more likely than others to get cancer and need the same treatment.

    This does not make the science bad, nor its use bad. But it clearly is bad. Future generations will be looking at dating pools full of people with genetic predispositions for all kinds of expensive and life-threatening diseases. We are actively creating this future, which is unfortunate. However, any means of getting in front of this problem and ensuring the genetic health of future generations is either ruthlessly incompassionate or frighteningly mad-scientisty (or both).

     

    1. Re:Good and bad. by Rob+the+Bold · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Well here is the thing. It would of happened in nature anyway, if he was born as any other animal he would of died young. If humans were still living as we were when we first came onto the planet, he would of.

      "Nature, Mr. Allnut, is what we are put in this world to rise above."

      --
      I am not a crackpot.
    2. Re:Good and bad. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Interesting

      ST:TNG played the Aaron Spelling type of morality play, which is why it is nicknamed 90210 In Space. This kind of morality play is skin deep, cynical almost, because of entertainment purposes only, serial programming with a hypocrite sauce of morality slapped to it. This may appeal to high school kids. In the real world it is cynical, because not everybody is rich and beautiful like in 90210, or capable and beautiful like in ST:TNG.

      In the real world of birth defects, the results are not always beautiful. Sometimes, I dare you, there is even suffering.

  2. I realize this is Australia by HangingChad · · Score: 1, Interesting

    In the U.S. if we can deny using federal funds for abortion, we should also have the right to demand they not be used for fertility treatments.

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
  3. I was flabbergasted at first by jonr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I thought she had become pregnant by accident, that hers or the donators eggs had somehow be fertilized....