Split the twins?

[MacKenZie]

Anyone else heard about the Siamese twins' case in the Court of Appeal at the moment?

Here's the situation: The twins are joined at the base of the spine, so a separation may leave the individuals paralysed. The weaker twin will almost certainly die if separated, since her heart and lungs are practically non-functional. If left together, both will die within a few months at most.

The parents are strongly religous and want the twins to be left to Nature's tender mercies. The doctors want permission to operate as it will at least save the stronger twin. They were granted permission to operate against the parents' express wishes by the High Court, but this is now being challenged in the Court of Appeal.

The law is ambiguous in the extreme; I'd be interested to hear what people think about the morality of sacrificing one so that the other can live.

[derby county]

Purely a personal opinion.
I feel it it to ethically and morally wrong to kill the weaker one so the stronger one can survive.
I would given this horrendous situation, wait.

When and if the weaker one dies, I would immediately operate to seperate them, and pray (not that i have a god) that the other twin survives.

I can not see any other way around this situation. I do not believe the courts should have the right to what is in reality murder the weaker twin.

[helly]

i think most people will dissagree with me, but i have mixed emotions wether to seperate or not. i think the twins should b left to nature, they came in to the world together as '1', and so i feel they should let die together. jody, the stronger 1 may live if seperate and grow up and due to the possibility of so many problems may wish shed been left stay with her sister mary. but i guess we will never know that unless she does survive.

i think the parents decision should b the final 1. its kinda the same as abortion, the parent takes the decision to kill the child and nout is done to change their mind, its a personal decision, and there4 the parents.
mayb the parents would find it easier to grieve if both went together, in stead of killing 1 to save 1.

i think the time taken to decide has been pathetic, and it still aint concluded. by now jody is probably fighting 4 her life to keep her and her sister alive.
its an awful situation and im just glad that im not 1 of the judges to make the decision.
c ya helly

[RachaelHolmes]

well they made the decision in the end and seperated the twins yesterday, hope the doctors who operated can live with the fact that the weakest twin died. glad i wasn't one of the judges having to make that decision or one of the doctors who had to operate.
the strongest of the twins will live their life in a wheel chair with no bladder or bowel control and be completely dependant on others forever.
i personally think it was wrong to seperate the twins not just because jody will have to be dependant for the rest of her life but because we tax payers in this country will have to pay for her care.
what kind of standard of living will this child now have?
what kind of message does it send across to other foreigners needing medical treatment that they cant get in their own country?
sorry if this all sounds a little calous but it's just my opinion of the whole thing.