May 28, 2099- In the past year, an inordinate number of IVFs with FMMDNAs
have resulted in failures. The most recent case involves a New York couple,
Harold and Clara Gardner. When the Gardeners walked into the Louise Brown
Center of Fertilization and Gestation, a division of New York Hospital last
spring, they hardly knew that they were about to begin what would be the
most traumatic year of their lives. The Gardeners wished to have a child
and, because Clara’s eggs were malfunctioning, they requested an
non-nurture mother donated IVF with FMMDNA. An egg was found in the
freezer, DNA removed and replaced with Clara’s DNA, fertilized with
Harold’s sperm and placed in Clara’s uterus. This routine procedure was
working out just fine until Clara’s second month of pregnancy when
abnormalities were found in the in-utero DNA testing. The DNA did not
appear to be Clara’s, but it was also not identical to the DNA of the donor
eggs. Further testing indicated that the fetus seemed to be a mix of the
two DNA (plus Harold’s) which could cause problems in the fetus’s
development. The Gardeners decided to keep the fetus and hope for the best,
but in the 7th month, further testing indicated that the baby would be
extremely abnormal and would suffer from severe medical problems if born.
The fetus was aborted and is currently cryogenically preserved indefinitely
until cures for his abnormalities are found.
    This situation, horrifying as it may be, is not an isolated incident. Last
year a Brooklyn woman who ordered an IVF with FMMDNA and was given a
malfunctioning egg that repelled her DNA. And two months ago, another
couple was given an egg which had two sets of DNA in it. Dr. Frank
Schulman, director of fertility services at New York Hospital, said in
interview today that he believes that these three incidents are
“coincidental and unrelated to the practice of IVF with FMMDNA”.
    But across the country, many people have been speaking out against the
continued practice of FMMNDNA. A poll taken by Chrono2099 indicates that
43% of women and 46% of men believe that BabyMaker, the company that
produces the technology needed for FMMDNA and other fertilization
techniques, should regulate its product.
History of Reproductive Technology
Since the twentieth century, scientists have investigated ways to aid
fertility. One of the first breakthroughs was artificial insemination,
where the male ejaculation is inserted into the female without the use of a
penis. The doctors of the time called it artificial because the penis was
not present during conception, but today of course, we are advanced enough
to have the knowledge that such processes hardly represent an
artificiality, but rather an enhancement of human reproductive life. The
most common way to conceive a child, of course, is IVF, in-vitro
fertilization. IVF can be done with eggs donated by the nurture-mother
herself, or with eggs donated by another female. In the past 15 years, the
preferred method has been to use eggs “from the freezer” (medical slang for
eggs donated by non-nurture mothers and preserved cryogenically in
hospitals) which have undergone FMMDNA, Fetus Mother Matching DNA. Eggs
which have undergone FMMDNAs have had the original DNA sucked out them and
replaced by DNA from the nurture-mother. This FMMDNA procedure is the
procedure which is currently being debated.
Christian Groups Ecstatic
Religious groups, such as the People for the Christian Way, are thrilled
that the dangers of advanced reproductive technology are being pushed to
the forefront of debate. Long opposed to most fertility enhancers, PCW and
other Christian organizations have been pushing medical technology
companies to regulate IVF and AUG with or without FMMDNA. Such groups
insist that “procreation and nurturing of children should occur within the
marriage bond with conception resulting from union of the wife’s egg and
husband’s sperm”. “Not everything that is technically possible is morally
acceptable,” said Robert Hafferty, president of the PCW, in interview. He
stated that his organization was pleased with the recent criticism from
secular citizens of FMMDNA, but that, really, all “artificial” reproductive
practices must be stopped.
    It seems that if the problems with FMMDNA are not fixed soon, we may be
looking at a world without fertility aids; a scary prospect for the 22nd
century.