Post- Reading My Sister's Keeper

1. "The safety of the rescuer is of a higher priority than the safety of the victim.  Always."

This quote is shown through out the book and is even sometimes violated. Sometimes when we see a problem without knowing any of the emotional background of it, the answer is almost always lucid. But when we add in the emotional side of a problem it's hard to make a decision because we know that choice can truly hurt people even if it is the "right" thing to do. We see in My Sister's Keeper that this is the main struggle that stumps everyone.

Kate was diagnosed with a rare leukemia when she was two years old. In this equation she is the victim. It's not fair obviously, but it was the cards she was dealt. Anna is the rescuer for Kate in this equation. She was specifically made for Kate and all her life Anna has been the rescuer when Kate needed platelets, cord blood, bone marrow and a friend. So, what happens when the rescuer (Anna) is put in danger? Well, according to Brian, the fire fighter, when he goes into a burning building to save someone if he is about to die he has to leave the person in the fire because he is the highest priority. Most likely the person in the burning building didn't cause the fire, and it's not fair that they are there, but it is not Brian's job to save them if he is about to die. Should Brian save the victim or leave them? Should Anna help Kate and give her a kidney,even if it could cause detrimental effects for the rest of her life,but possibly prolong Kate's life? Or should Anna put her foot down after 13 years of being the rescuer because she is in danger? If you don't know the emotional side of this problem the answer is that Anna should put her foot down. 

What you don't know about this problem is that there is a mother in the mix that has fought 14 years to keep her daughter alive  at the cost of failing the rest of her immediate family. She has been in too deep for so long to not have any good consequences to pay for all the bad repercussions of her decisions. There is a father that has always been expected to be the rock and supporter through out all the doctor bills and emotional breakdowns. There are so many emotional variables that make the decision not so cut and dry. As much as we would like to believe and live by "The safety of the rescuer is of a higher priority than the safety of the victim.  Always." it doesn't always work out that way.