There are things happening around us that we tend to ignore and it is perfectly normal. We only care if something affects us–the economy, gadgets, car models, fashion, entertainment, career, etc. In our health-conscious world, we also would talk about fitness in general. Everyone considers activities like going to the gym, start running, and acquiring that first bike. The concerns of the average Joes, at the very least.
If you belong to this crowd, then you are lucky. It means that you are gifted with a sound mind and body that allows you to be involved in normal physical activities.
But not everyone can be physically active, let alone do simple tasks. For some people, simply standing up or talking small steps are challenging enough. Like children with muscular dystrophy, specifically Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy or DMD.
Children with DMD are innocent victims of a genetic disorder. According to online resources, DMD is caused by a damaged or mutated dystrophin gene on the X chromosomes resulting to the muscles not to develop properly and, worse, to degrade over time. DMD will cripple anyone at a very young age.
So what if science can correct this problem? What if there is a way to edit the genetic code so that a normal baby comes out. Would you approve? Do you think God will approve?
Yes, there will always be questions regarding the ethics of tweaking the genes. Lots of it actually. The fear of having only perfect babies will always linger. The thought about something similar to the Nazi’s genocide happening all over again or even imagine the fictional movie Gattaca becoming real would surface. Will this breakthrough eventually result to inhumane elimination of the weak and anyone with inferior genes? What a scary thought, right?
There are chances though that some are willing to take. These are the people who are in this situation. Those who are, and their loved ones, inflicted with a disorder that science currently have not resolved. They are people who are the intended beneficiaries of the cure that are still in the works. They are the ones who, while scientists experiment with animals and while lawmakers debate on ethics, continue to suffer and with time working against them.
It won’t be a big surprise though to learn that not everyone will agree to embryo editing. For one, this may contradict religious beliefs as it could be seen as playing God. There will always be people who would not want to oppose the will of God. There are people who believe in nothing but divine miracles. But what if embryo editing is the miracle that we have been waiting for?
For me, this is a miracle. It may be selfish for me to wish Marcus could have avoided DMD, as the doctor has recently diagnosed, had embryo editing been available before and to not think about the long-term impact of the technology in case some scientists dare to push the envelop. We are that desperate right now and our immediate concern is for a cure to ultimately produce healthy babies as well as cure those with genetic disorder so that they could be just like most of us, regular Joes.
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Mood: 4/10 Honks! (In Batangas, Marcus with his tablet.)
Marcus Can Blog 