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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12267795
Danielle Rizzo's son is screaming. He is planted in the middle of the lobby of his elementary school, clinging to rainbow-coloured blocks as she gently explains that she is here - off schedule, in the middle of the day - to take him to a doctor's appointment. But the first-grader is not listening.
"Happy Meal," he repeats over and over again. "Happy Meal!"
His little brother, who is also going to the appointment, is nearby, not moving. Rizzo is relieved that the two of them are not melting down at the same time, which happens all too often, and firmly guides them out the door.
Rizzo's children, ages 7 and 6, were at the center of one of the most ethically complex legal cases in the modern-day fertility industry. Three years ago, while researching treatment options for her sons, Rizzo says she made an extraordinary discovery: The boys are part of an autism cluster involving at least a dozen children scattered across the United States, Canada and Europe, all conceived with sperm from the same donor. Many of the children have secondary diagnoses of ADHD, dyslexia, mood disorders, epilepsy and other developmental and learning disabilities.
The phenomenon is believed to be unprecedented and has attracted the attention of some of the world's foremost experts in the genetics of autism, who have been gathering blood and spit samples from the families.
(Score: 2) by RS3 on Tuesday September 17 2019, @04:09AM (3 children)
I feel very badly for her too. Dovetails with some other recent stories about sperm donors, ethics of picking traits, etc. I'm on the side of the argument that women pick the traits in traditional dating; and regardless, if she picked one thing but was given another, it sounds like contract violation.
I also agree and find it interesting, and I hope the data from this study can enhance gene research, gene therapies, etc., and I hope such research can be some solace to her, and that maybe someday Autism / ADHD / Asperger's, etc., can be solved.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by deimtee on Tuesday September 17 2019, @04:44AM
I think they might locate one of the causes, but I don't think there can be an 'instant cure'. Even if it has a genetic basis I think it is a developmental problem in the brain and any cure would be altering someone into being a new individual.
If you do it slowly and can watch the change most people would be ok with that, people change over time anyway, but even so the non-autistic result would be a different identity.
If course it is not binary. The difference in identity would be proportional to the original problem. Cure mild ADHD and everybody will say it's the same person. Cure really severe autism and you have pretty much created a new person.
If you cough while drinking cheap red wine it really cleans out your sinuses.
(Score: 2) by Arik on Tuesday September 17 2019, @05:02AM
Probably the donor matched up exactly what the recipients asked for, in terms of traits known at the time.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday September 17 2019, @10:30AM
She's been sold a dud; in any other business, there would be comeback.
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