There is no easy way out in The Twin Problem.

With only two decisions, it is either to go against Megs will and conduct the operation, or to respect Megs decision, which what seems to be a self-centered one, and to not go with the kidney transplant, leaving Irene to die with her deteriorating kidneys. Both decisions come with dire consequences which are the possibility of Megs hostility in future after the operation or the death of Irene where the operation never occurred. One of the few reasons why Meg should agree to the operation of donating one of her kidneys to save Irene, as she is the only one at that time who could make a difference. Meg and Irene are also related to each other as sisters, making it more of a must to help, as they are blood related, one of the closest kin. There will be also a moral issue to consider, even if there was no form of blood relation or any other close relations. If a person requires an individuals exclusive help, and that the individual declined the request, he or she would be held down by their guilt if anything major occurred to the person in the need of aid. In some cases, it would be engraved deep in their head, as they ruined a life, due to them being too self-centered. Personal issues would also change for the better. If the operation was to take place, and Irene is saved with the help of the kidney transplant, Meg would gain a whole new level of respect. Her parents would appreciate what

she did, even though she was unwilling to the transplaan. They would care and give more attention to Meg, not for her achievements, but for the respect, and the gratitude. With the change of her parents attitude to her, she will feel like part of the famil, and not left out of. The huge sacrifice that Meg made is also beneficial in future as in times of need, she can expect the same return from other people, for an instance Irene. However, the first priority is that Meg is able to survive like a healthy individual even with one kidne. Her health would never be compromise. In the situation that the operation was completed and successful, Meg might establish a greater hostility to her family. That would not be a problem, as time passes, and Meg is able to live normally with just one kidney, and save someones life, her nobility felt would overcome the hatred, and with a family indebted to her, treating her well, Meg would eventually forgive and forget. You have to be 18 years of age to decide for yourself, but in this case, 14 year old Meg has no say in this, even though she is able to process the situation. In fact, according to Piagets Theory, anyone older than the age of 11 is able to pose logical and systematic skills. Even though Megs decision might seemed self-centered, she has voiced her opinions to her parents to not proceed with the operation, Meg would be forced and physically dragged to the operation table. This action of Megs parents is very inconsiderate, as for

their other daughter, they are willing to put Meg at a disadvanr=tage, without a say. If a child like Meg is able to firmly say no, and state a sensible reason, instead of the fear of pain, they should be independent enough to actually make their choice. Another reason that the operation should not continue is due to the psychological problems which may arise. Being dragged to something that you dont want to do, for an instance, work, tuition classes, school, or matchmaking sessions might seem to baa pain in the neck. In Megs case, she is forced to a place to get her kidney removed. That would be really traumatizing to face such a situation, when you are made to give up something important, with little time to think about it. This might put Meg at the risk of stress. Meg would start to think that her parents are willing to risk her for Irene, just because they liked and cared for Irene more. She would feel more separated from the family, and might resort to dire actions, like suicide, or hurting herself to escape from the nightmare she is in. Even though the risk is minimal, there is a chance that something might go wrong. That might not be the main issue, as in future, if Megs kidney were to fail, she would not stand a chance to live with it ever since one of her kidneys was taken away from her, against her will. An individual, meaning everyone with a right mind would think about the future health risks after

donating a kidney. It is Megs choice if she wants to make this sacrifice, and face future health risks. Her parents have no say in this, as it is Megs organ to start with. If a child cannot decide for their future, why should they even be brought into this world? If I were the doctor, I would respect the decision of Meg. Trying to talk to her again would be what I might attempt to do. If she still flatly refuses on the operation, and give a no for an answer to Mr. and Mrs. Waterhouse regarding the operation. One of the reasons why, is due to the fact that if it is the individuals choice to decide, given the fact they are able to give a sensible and logical reason why not to. Secondly, I would not blame Meg, for what seemed to be a selfish and immature decision, as there is a reason behind it that is the neglect of Meg, just because she does not have any significant achievements, like what Irene has. From what I know, all parents should treat their children equally, regardless of gender or the ability to achieve. If Irene is saved by the operation, Mr. and Mrs. Waterhouse may neglect Meg more, as what they thought is that they nearly lost a high achieving child. They would relate it to the lack of enough care given to Irene, and take more notice of her, neglecting Meg further. Lastly, Meg has the rights to stay safe in future, if her parents do not think much about her to stay safe in future, if her parents do not think much of her, they wouldnt care less about Megs future of living on

just a single kidney. If what Meg said was true, what Mr. and Mrs. Waterhouse are trying to do is to save Irene at all cause, and disregarding the other daughters life. From the way I think, Meg should not risk the operation as Mr. and Mrs. Waterhouse are risking Megs life just to save the one daughter which they define as better based on her achievements. It would be better of letting Irene perish, and let Meg have a safe life, instead of making Meg donate a kidney and face possible health hazards, and neglect. This might seem like a crude decision to make, and it conflicts with the vows of a doctor, about saving lives, instead of taking lives. However, in this situation when you have two decisions to make, and both have nearly equal advantages and disadvantages, there will be a need to weigh the importance of what future each decision brings. The Twin Problem case brings out many different ideas, one of which is determining human rights. Rights which are not covered in the law, but basically formed based on observation, and evaluation. In this case, to decide Megs rights to say no to an operation that involves removing of an organ even though she is under the age of 18. Another idea worth considering is the way the Waterhouses treat their children impartially. The better child is determined based on the amount of schievements received, and the other is neglected and was not treated the way that a normal family member would be treated. This is unacceptable, as

after all, they are their children, and they should be treat them equally well, and take care of them making sure they can get the best for their future. Some people might have been born with no natural talents, and would take more time to learn, it doesnt mean they need to be categorized under the incompetent group. Retribution was also one of the most evident themes in the case of The Twin Problem. Since Mr. and Mrs. Waterhouse neglected Meg just because she was unable to achieve for now, when they wanted Megs help, they were rejected. Even though they have rights to make the decision, they would be laden with guilt if they forced Meg to donate her kidney, and something was to happen to her. This shows that everyone has their own way of helping, if they are not appreciated, aid will not be expected from them. From this case, the learning points are the importance of being impartial, and appreciating others for who they might be, regardless of their status, and amount of achievements they have. There is also a consideration of human rights even though one might not have the rights to decide for another individual. It is mainly to put yourself in the shoes of the person you are deciding for, and make a sensible decision with outcomes you would prefer if you were him or her.

English 30A

The Twin Problem Essay

3rd February 2013

Name: Boon Hwee Tan Teacher/Period: Mr Bond (Period 1)