Consider Guy Walden, a Baptist minister from Houston, and his wife, Terri. Fervent foes of abortion, they were offered a chance to save their unborn child from a rare genetic disorder that had claimed two of their children. The couple agreed, taking guidance from fellow Christians, lawyers and the Bible, including the account of Eve's creation from Adam's rib. Doctors are still studying their son, Nathan, now 11 months old, to judge the transplant's ultimate success. Debate rages The chief objection of fetal transplant critics is that women considering an abortion, especially those with ambivalent feelings, would be influenced knowing that their fetus could help someone with an incurable disease.
Supporters say there's no evidence to support that argument.
They point out that abortions have not increased in Sweden, where fetal tissue transplants are more common. But we have an opportunity to save the life of another child. Drugs vs. transplant Today, Brett Culpepper's symptoms are checked partially by medication that mimics the effects of dopamine, the neurochemical vital to coordinate movements and no longer produced by patients with Parkinson's disease. He can still work on his computer, but he's had to give up softball, and his golf clubs sit unused in the garage. And eventually, even the drugs will lose their power or cause side effects as bad as the disease.