There is an
uplifting story concerning a family, which I would like to share
with my colleagues. It is the true story
of Anissa and Marissa Ayala, and the Ayala family.
Anissa Ayala was
born a healthy baby girl. But when she
was 16 years old, she discovered lumps around her ankles and suffered from
excruciating stomach pain. When her parents Mary and Abe Ayala, took Anissa to
the emergency room, they were told that she had chronic
myelogenous leukemia. The doctors explained to them that Anissa
would only have five years to live if she did not receive a bone-marrow
transplant.
The Ayalas and
their 18 year old son were all tested, but were not a match for Anissa. So they decided to have another child, in
hopes that the baby’s bone marrow would match Anissa’s. The Ayalas only had a 25% chance of conceiving
a sibling donor match. But that didn’t
stop them. At age 44, Abe Ayala had his
vasectomy reversed. Four months later, he
and his wife, Mary, who was also in her forties, were expecting their third
child.
Many people
criticized the Ayala’s decision to “play God” and their situation created a
national ethical debate. But, they were
determined to save Anissa’s life, and they stood firm in their decision. On April 4, 1990, Marissa Eve Ayala was also born
a healthy baby girl. Thankfully, she was a
match for her sister, Anissa. Fourteen
months later, Marissa underwent anesthesia and the bone marrow transfer
procedure was performed.
Today, Anissa is
married and her disease is in complete remission and she is living cancer-free. Marissa Ayala has since graduated from
college with a degree in speech pathology.
Marissa saved Anissa’s life. Without
Marissa, Anissa wouldn’t be alive and without Anissa, Marissa would not
either. Even today, Abe and Mary Ayala have no regrets. Now the Ayalas are proud parents of three
healthy children.
Many people are still
debating this issue of conceiving children for the main purpose of saving
others. Especially, because unborn children
and newborns are not able to give their consent. However, I will say this. I am a proud parent of two boys. Fortunately, I have never had to conceive a
child for the purpose of saving the life of another. But in a heartbeat, I absolutely would.
References
Hi Lolita,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing that heartwarming story. It was very inspiring. In my opinion, the Ayalas did what they felt in their hearts was best. They conceived a child who could save another's life. And I'm sure if Marissa ended up not being a match for her sister, she would be loved by her family nonetheless.