My Sister's Keeper Page #3

- How many is bad?

- Any.

TOMMY:

What about chemo?

NGUYEN:
It's an option,

but Kate doesn't seem to take it very well.

And her cancer may be too far along.

So you need more bone marrow?

Yes, but the leukemia

isn't Kate's biggest problem now.

She's lost the function of her kidneys.

They've quit.

They're gone.

SARA:
Not a match?

CHANCE:
No.

We're her parents, don't we have to be?

Everyone inherits two sets

of chromosomes containing HLA genes.

Unfortunately,

there's only a 1 in 200 chance...

...that parents and their children will be

perfect histocompatible HLA matches.

What about Jesse?

I'm afraid not.

It's possible that a donor will crop up

on the national bone-marrow registry.

I thought you said getting a transplant

from an unrelated donor was dangerous.

I did.

But Kate's situation is time-sensitive,

and sometimes that's all we've got.

I'd like to suggest something

completely off the record.

Many times one sibling isn't a match,

but another is.

Have you considered

having another child?

Not to be forward...

...but umbilical blood can be an incredibly

effective tool in treating leukemic patients.

It's like a miracle.

Well, how would you know

that the new child would be a match?

- We could make sure of it.

- In a test tube?

Yes. With preimplantation genetic diagnosis,

it would be a 100 percent match.

A donor child?

It's not for everybody.

And legally,

I can't even officially recommend it.

But like I said,

cord blood would be invaluable.

Well, we gotta do it.

We gotta try.

JESSE:

That was it.

Grown in a dish,

they would have an in vitro child.

A perfect chromosomal match

who would be Kate's genetic savior.

SARA:
Remember that time

where we strapped that fabric on her feet?

Someone here to see you.

MAN:
Sara Fitzgerald?

- Yes.

You've been served.

KELLY:

What is that?

SARA:

"Petition for medical emancipation by... "

What does that mean?

SARA:
" The ability to make future medical

decisions independent of parents...

...not to be forced to submit treatment

including donating her kidney. "

Anna, what is this? Is this from you?

Yeah, I got a lawyer.

SARA:

You're suing us?

Well, honey, what the hell is going on?

I don't want to do it anymore, Mom.

You don't want to do it anymore?

That's it? You don't want to do it?

No.

Guess what?

Neither do I and neither does Kate.

- Please.

- It's not like we have a choice.

- That's the thing, I do. I do have

a choice. SARA:
Really? Is that so?

- Yeah.

- That's your sister. Have you forgotten?

- No.

- Do you know what's gonna happen?

Yeah. Believe it or not, Mom,

I actually thought about it.

Sara.

KELLY:
Have you lost your mind?

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