Published by Beacon Press in 2010, The Match: Savior Siblings and One Family’s Battle to Heal Their Daughter tells the compelling story of the Trebing family, who decided to have another child to serve as a “savior sibling” for their daughter Katie, who was born with Diamond Blackfan anemia. Using preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and then in vitro fertilization, their pregnancy resulted in the birth of a son, Christopher, who later became a bone marrow donor for his sister. Beth Whitehouse, the author of the book, wrote a series of articles in Newsday which she expanded to write the book, which goes into the complexities of the decisions faced by this family, as well as some of the ethical questions raised by the choices now available.

As a Unitarian Universalist, I’m proud that Beacon Press tackles the tough issues. As a parent and grandparent, I’m glad that modern medicine makes it possible for parents to have options like this available for their children, if they have or can find the financial resources to pay for them.