Jono’s desire for children is understandable. And his commitment to navigating the moral maze surrounding the decision is laudable. He doesn’t take it lightly. In fact, he says, if they decide to conceive naturally, “abortion is not an option.” “I want to make the right decision,” he says. “Right from the very start. So if I decide to have a child naturally, we go through the whole thing. Not just give up on it halfway through.”
An alternative to disappointment and (possible) abortion, however, is in vitro fertilization with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). The article describes this as “controversial—both ethically and from a religious point of view—because it involves testing embryos for genetic disorders before implanting an unaffected one in the womb.” This is all quite right. Another way of putting it is that IVF with PGD eliminates the need for post-implantation abortion by selectively aborting ‘defective’ embryos prior to implantation.
Jono and Laura realize this is a moral dilemma. And it’s an issue that takes a decidedly personal turn. “When I first heard of IVF PGD,” Jono says, “I had this kind of moral dilemma going on in my head, that if my parents had chosen to do it, I wouldn’t be here today.” Jono realizes that the procedure entails an inherent quandary; and he knows that “Laura would bear the brunt” of it—hormone injection, egg extraction, etc. He says dealing with the thought is an “emotional rollercoaster,” but he continues to grapple with it.
Although Jono and Laura haven’t made any decisions, yet, there are a few big take-aways we get from their preliminary thoughts. First of all, their inclination that abortion and IVF PGD are one and the same thing is spot on. At least in the BBC article, Jono doesn’t oppose IVF outright (the author even suggests that “Jono thinks having a child through IVF PGD is probably best [sic] option for their child”). But his visceral reaction against pre-implantation screening—and embryo destruction—says a lot about his cognizance on the facts of the matter.
Secondly, the couple’s willingness to continue wading through the murky waters of beginning-of-life ethics is a testament to their commitment to put right reason ahead of easy options. Even in the thick of making a decision that could have profoundly negative effects for a future human life, Jono and Laura realize that simply conceiving naturally—without IVF, and without the possibility of abortion—might be a perfectly acceptable moral option. (In fact, I would say, it is a perfectly acceptable moral option.)
Ultimately, Jono’s struggle is one of prudence, capped on either end by extremely significant ethical realities—and all in the midst of a personal endeavor to embrace Treacher Collins syndrome for himself. While IVF is not an ethically viable option (nor is abortion), to choose natural conception is not an ethical requirement. The third way—namely, to abstain from having children altogether—remains on the table.
