Handle with Care, by Jodi Picoult (2009)
This novel follows the family of Willow O'Keefe, a young girl born with Type III osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone syndrome. The novel is told though the eyes of numerous people, including her mother, father, sister, her mother's OB/GYN and her mother's lawyer. The brittle bone syndrome means that Willow must be extremely careful ~ the slightest movement can and will break her bones. To care for Willow, her mother Charlotte has become a stay-at-home mother. Her father Sean, a police officer, works overtime to afford the treatment and other special needs for Willow.
After Willow suffers broken bones while on vacation Disney World, her parents are initially arrested on grounds of child abuse. Her parents seek out a lawyer to sue the bark, but end up discussing a lawsuit against the OB/GYN on grounds of malpractice for a wrongful birth. The theory being that if they had known earlier that the fetus Charlotte was carrying, they may never have carried Willow to term. They are told that if they win, they will have sufficient funds to care for Willow throughout her life. Filing suit, however, means that Charlotte will be pitted against Piper, who, in addition to being her doctor, was also her closest friend.
The novel traces the medical ethics of and personal morality in the case of a disabled child. In addition, it explores the impact of such a child has on other family members. Sean is opposed to abortion and knows that that option was not truly an option. He opts out of the lawsuit and defects to the defense. This leads to a separation between Charlotte and Sean.
Willow's older sister, Amelia, feels neglected by all the attention given to Willow. She develops bulimia and starts cutting herself to make her self feel. All of this is done in secret and her parents are unaware of how the attention to Willow affects Amelia. No one considered how the wrongful birth suit would impact Willow. She feels somehow the cause of the split between her parents.
Jodi Picoult did a lot of research into both the disease and the ethics surrounding a wrongful birth lawsuit.
5 Stars
Read: December 12, 2015
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