Booktalk
by Maggie Moran, NWCC Librarian
4/30/2008
Why are we born? Why is anyone born? I know the technicalities, I mean I am 13, and listen when my older brother pontificates like a professor on the subject, but the birds and the bees really isn’t my question.

I want to know why people are born. What circumstances led to their creation? This fascinates me since I am a special case, and unlike any other human in the entire world. So, my question remains. Why are we born?

From most of my adult queries, I can conclude mistakes happen. A little love (but not always) and plenty of passion (again, not always) produce alarming results nine months later. Yes, I realize there are planned pregnancies; but for me, I wish I was a mistake.

See, I was genetically designed—eliminated from a possible six eggs—to match my sick sister Kate’s molecular structure. My name is Anna, Anna Fitzgerald, and I am my sister’s keeper; a test tube baby born with the power to save a specific life.

At first I really was not involved. It was my mother’s umbilical cord with its rich nutrients that sustained Kate’s treatment and put her into remission from acute promyelocytic leukemia. This nightmare began for her at age two; fortunately, she is 16-years-old thanks to me.

Over time my parents have allowed the doctors and nurses to take my platelets, leukocytes, stem cells, and bone marrow without asking. These “uncomfortable” procedures place me in the hospital for days recovering.

I could almost say as much as Kate, but with none of the attention.

Now, they want my kidney, and again they assume I’ll give it without question. This is why I stopped by Campbell Alexander’s law office and now have a petition for medical emancipation.

Written in 2004 by Jodi Picoult, “My Sister’s Keeper” became a crossover sensation. Such as a country song that plays on pop stations, this book written for adults became a huge hit in the teen realistic genre. Among the many awards, “My Sister’s Keeper” was presented an Alex in 2005 by the American Libraries Association which honors crossovers.

The book is currently in production at New Line Cinema with Cameron Diaz playing the part of Sara, Kate and Anna’s mother. I cannot wait.