Catherine and Charlie Mariethoz are the first couple in the UK granted permission to have a “designer” baby to create a “savior sibling.” The couple hopes to use the genes from this new child to help their 20-month-old daughter, who is suffering from a serious illness.
Little Charlotte was diagnosed with a life-threatening blood disorder when she was just five months old. Her bone marrow is unable to produce enough red blood cells, putting her at risk of coma. After undergoing eight blood transfusions, her health has not improved, and she now faces the risk of other complications, including leukemia. Doctors have stated that she needs a stem cell transplant from a genetically compatible donor to have any hope of overcoming her severe illness. Thus, the Mariethoz couple decided to conceive a second child to save Charlotte. To ensure that the baby will have the compatible genes, doctors will use in vitro fertilization to select a suitable embryo at around three days old, which will then be implanted in the mother’s uterus. Once the baby is born, doctors will collect stem cells from the baby’s umbilical cord, storing them for four to six months before transplanting them to Charlotte.
T.M
