So I watched this movie today (and YES. I admit it was a lifetime movie. But it was a one time thing, don’t think that I go watching them all the time) and it was about a family who had lost their first child in an accident and couldn’t have a baby on their own again, so they did the whole fertilization thing… their first child donated something (like a cornea??? I dunno) and they used this to produce an embryonic clone. Obviously this was quite controversial, as is the topic of cloning. Now I’m not for OR against cloning, I just think that if there was a dire situation in which a clone was needed to be produced there should be a great deal of researching backing that decision up, as well as a clear picture of the consequences and risks. The thing that worries me is that with things like cancer, often times it doesn’t develop until later in life, and it’s impossible to diagnosis or even see symptoms in the cells from birth. Now… if you were to have a child and they were diagnosed with terminal cancer after a few years I can understand how having a child and facing that sort of situation might lead one to research into cloning. That is a difficult enough life changing event that is ALREADY hard to deal with, and being able to have any part of your child back again from birth would be a gift that nobody could ever replace. Since there are still some mysteries to cancer, this is what bothers me. Say that when you decide to make a clone and you go through with the birth. Will that child ultimately be pre-disposed to cancer, and will it already be starting its path even though it can’t be seen yet? Or can you possibly evade it with the clone and luck out with your child? WHEN exactly is the cancer started and how early is it actually embedded in a body? If a child has a pre-disposition to cancer then perhaps having an embryonic clone can be an important and vital part of research to understand how to prevent, diagnose and cure cancer before it even starts. This can be so valuable… I want to write more but I just started watching gladiator so I’m turning my attention to that. Expect more on this post however. Bye