UK NEWS: Father defends embryology Bill

3:45am Tuesday 13th May 2008

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The father of a British boy treated for a rare blood disorder with stem cells from a so-called "saviour sibling" has defended the controversial test tube procedure.

Speaking ahead of a debate on Government proposals to change the law on embryo use, Jayson Whitaker said new legislation should be introduced so families are not forced abroad for treatment.

His son Charlie, now nine, was cured of Diamond Blackfan Anaemia after a successful transplant of cells from his perfect match brother Jamie. But he and his parents had to fly to the United States for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) - the process for choosing healthy embryos - after being told they could not undergo the vital procedure in the UK.

Neither Mr Whitaker nor wife Michelle and daughter Emily were a suitable match for Charlie, so the family, from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, took the 8,000-mile round trip.

A donor sibling for their son was chosen and after his birth in 2003, blood collected from Jamie's umbilical cord was used for Charlie's transplant.

Mr Whitaker said: "We were going to have another baby anyway but we were reducing the odds of a perfect match for Charlie from one in four to one in one. Who wouldn't do that?

"This legislation will allow people to make the same decision without forcing them to go abroad."

After a year of checks to make sure baby Jamie was healthy, his older brother was given the stem cell transplant.

Opponents of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill claim new laws could lead to children being created solely for their siblings or lead to the selection of babies for non-medical reasons, such as gender.

Mr Whitaker said: "I see their side of the story. We didn't pick any hair colour, all we did was change the odds of a perfect match. They (the critics) want to spend a few weeks in our shoes before they judge. Most parents would do anything for their child. If the bill gets passed, it's great news. It will give a wider approval for PGD."