Question

Before much was known about Tay-Sachs disease, Betty and Irv, a young Jewish couple, gave birth to a son who had

the disease. Their doctor told them that the boy would become very sick and slowly degenerate over a period of about a year, and then he would become blind and suffer convulsions. They were also told that there is absolutely no cure for the disease and their son was sure to die. After watching the child suffer for about six months, Irv was not able to stand it any longer. He put a pillow over his son’s face and suffocated him.

• Under these circumstances, do you feel Irv was justified in performing a mercy killing?
• The couple wants another child. Given that they have a one in four chance to produce another child with Tay-Sachs, what should they do?

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