SHOOTING FOR NORMAL

     I chose to write about “Designer Babies” for my scientific research paper. Although genetic engineering through gene manipulation is a fairly new development in biomedical technology, I was able to find a lot of valuable information to assist me. As I dug deeper into the subject, I found that it is even more controversial than I had initially thought. I’m sure that it is a provocative issue because of the ethical, legal, moral, religious, and social concerns that it raises.

     Some might even feel that genocide might be an apt term to use when referring to this type of science. When you think about it, those who feel this way may not be too far off the mark. For example, mutated genes have been found to cause inherited diseases, such as breast cancer, epilepsy, sickle-cell anemia, dwarfism, etc. In the science of gene manipulation, once a mutated gene is found in a fertilized embryo, that gene is removed in order to ensure that the child does not inherit the disease. Through the process of germline engineering, (not yet performed on humans), mutated genes can be removed from an entire family line, thereby ending whatever “curse” the family has had to endure.

     This type of science, if it becomes legal, could mean the end of many inherited diseases, but it could also mean the end of certain segments of the population who have inherited particular characteristics from their family line, such as those who are deaf, those who have Down’s syndrome, and those who are considered dwarves; “The Little People”.

     While the opportunity to possibly wipe out numerous disease conditions should not be denied, the truth does seem to be that in using this technology, there truly are some legitimate ethical, moral, and social considerations that must be brought to the table.

Just Do The Math!

I have to admit that I never imagined that I would do as well in school as I have. I am so glad to have made the President’s list twice, so far and the Dean’s list once.  I began school working towards an AAS degree in medical transcription, but I am now thinking of grander plans; a Bachelors in Hospital Administration, perhaps?  Once I’ve earned that, maybe a Master’s in the same field?  Maybe. I’m not sure yet. I think that I would really like administration, but I must confess: my fear of math is holding me back! It’s my understanding that I would have to take several math classes, and  the mere thought of even one math class terrifies me! For medical transcription, I did have to take one math class and somehow pulled a “B”. Sadly, this was the only class in which I received a grade that was less than an “A”. Still, I know I could have done worse. I will have completed my degree in medical transcription in just 7 months, so I do have time to think over my future plans, and also time to try and find the nerve to step outside of my comfort zone and do the math!

Rainia's Legacy

We lost her. We lost Rainia. On Friday January 14, 2011, we lost Rainia.

Rainia was my niece. She was 17-years-old and had the kind of chameleon-like eyes that you rarely see; her eyes seemed to copy whatever color clothing she wore. I used to say that her eyes were a virtual palette of colors; sometimes blue, green, gray, and sometimes even violet. Tall and beautiful, she was, with long light brown hair. She was a straight “A” student until she was about 8 or 9 years old. By then the effects of medication combined with the effects of her lifelong medical condition had begun to take their toll, and she was no longer able to remain a mainstream student.  You see Rainia was an epileptic. She had been having seizures since she was 9 months old. Sometimes she’d experience more than 20 in one day.

 Five years ago we were told about a device called a Vagus Nerve Stimulator. Supposedly this tool could not stop the seizures, but it had the power to not only cut down on the number of seizures that Rainia had in the course of a day, it also was suppose to lessen the severity of them.  We were told that the VNS, a rather small object, would be placed in her chest and wired to her brain. The surgery to insert the device would take a couple of hours, Rainia would be hospitalized for several days for monitoring and then she’d be released. Also, after 5 years she would need to come into the hospital as an outpatient to have the device adjusted because of her advanced age and weight.

We could hardly wait! We thought that once the surgery was performed, surely her worse days were behind her. After many weeks during which rigorous screening was done, finally the big day arrived; they inserted the VNS.

It didn’t take long for us to realize that the surgery made little difference. Rainia continued to have almost as many seizures, and nearly on a daily basis, as she had before. Also, the severity of them did not ease up.

Still, she endured. Actually, she did more than endure. She lived! While it’s true that she lagged mentally, in that she was very childlike, (more like a 12 or 13 year-old), and had to attend “special classes”, by the time she reached high school, she did attend a regular school. She had to wear a helmet for protection and she was escorted to and from each class, first by her loving older brother, and later by her friends. She loved to watch movies, was crazy about the color purple, and she had an afterschool job in a beauty salon that she was very proud of. She participated in studies for people who are afflicted with epilepsy, and she went to camp at Camp Blackhawk for kids like herself for two weeks every summer since she was 12. In October of 2010, she traveled to Effingham Illinois to attend the Statewide Transitional Conference for Special Needs Youth, which spanned three days. She spoke on epilepsy at the conference and participated in a documentary, wrapping it up by recording a video with her mom, my sister Carol.

On January 13, 2011, it was time to adjust the VNS. She had it done on an outpatient basis as planned, and she was later sent home.

She passed away the next morning.

My sister firmly believes in organ donation. People in need will benefit through the donation of some of Rainia’s organs. The Rainia Holmes Scholarship Foundation was  established in January of 2011, and several scholarships have been awarded to deserving students in Rania's name.

She lives on.