A parent choice, which child...

[HelChamp]

Not sure where it coudl be post, I thought in poll, but since the scenario could be various, it would not match really.

I watched last week Chicago Hope in the morning, and the episode was about a father which had to decide which of his two sons will survive. After and accident (soemthign poisonous or not sure, I miss the 15 first minutes), the mother is in coma or something like and the two kids are in danger of death.

They need to have a kidney for survive and the father shoudl give one of his own to one of his son. The father would wanted to give his both for saev his two son, but of course, the medical system not allow the kill of the father for saev the two children. The father would have to decide which kids he will aev and which kids they will let to died and did it for not let both died. Finally, there is an happy end, they found another donator for the second child, but it was a show, in real life, the chance that a donator came within 24h for a donation is not always so easy.

Ok, now to the DQ related things! I know that the medicine isn't the same in DQ period, but if there was another medical case and that Mike or Sully have to save one of their kids, which they would choose? I don't wish this to any paretn, I must admit that was really hard for me to watch it beacuse i'm a mother of two and I wouldn't want to choose between my kids - they are totally different, not better or wrong than the other and that would probably kill my heart to make a such choice.

1- So, if in season 4... Mike as a doctor should save between one of her child, which between Colleen and Brian she would choose?

2- If in season 4... Mike was unconsious and Sully had to choice which of Colleen and Brian will have a chance to survive (another doctorin town or they are in travel to Boston and others doctors here of course)

3- And why not Matthew opinion in that, since he still the big brother who want to protect them, heshoudl keep his voice in this decision.

4- In season 7 (if it was a season 7!)... If Mike have to choice which child she have to save between Brian and Katie?

5- If in season 7... Mike was unconsious and Sully had to choice which of Brian and Katie will have a chance to survive (another doctorin town or they are in travel to Boston and others doctors here of course).

I ask for the choice taken, not for the end of the story if it was a story (like at the tv, was able to save both children at the end, but a choice should be tak before for save at least one of them during the episode, a quick decision to take). If have some poitns to bring, but I would like to heard other about the question because there is many points to considere for this kind of decision.

I hope that isn't a too wrong topic, but since this episode just touch me so much, I was thinking about what it could be about a Mike-Sully children story.

[Sophy]

Oh wow, this is crazy hard, but crazy realistic!! It could happen!

Thanks for this well described dilemma and the reason you "came up" with it. I need some time to think about the different situations you listed.

I can't help but think of a movie, Sophie's Choise, where the mother had to choose one of her kids to be killed and one to live and with a destiny she wasn't sure of what it would be. I wonder how she made her decision (it had to be made in less than a minute). I think she chose the one she thought would be strongest, who would be able to stay alive in the given situation. But I'm still not absolutely sure how she made that choice. I guess it's deeply individual.

I'll be back with my thoughts.

[Ella]

No topic is wrong, Hel. And this is definitely something very interesting (and new!!!) to discuss. So before I answer I would like to say that I highly appreciate this thread.

But I admit this is hard (like Sophy I had to think of Sofie's Choice, this absolutely disturbing scene when she had to choose one of her children).
I also had to think of another thread: The Borders of Dr. Quinn. I wonder if such a storyline was beyond these borders. Not in general, but for a family show like Dr. Quinn. I imagine children watching such a scenario. As I said: the scene in Sophy's Choice was disturbing, and I believe it would have an absolutely disturbing effect for children to see something like that in Dr. Quinn.
Even if there was a way out for the not-chosen-kid, and there would be an happy end after all, there would still remain the choice, which was done. A dark feeling would remain.

I agree with Sophy that it is not unrealistic at all. Just imagine both children involved in an accident and need an operation at once to survive. With only one doctor.

Well, I have to think a bit more about this topic and I'm eager to read more opinions.

[Jen]

This is a very interesting question, Helene. And quite scary to think about, as well.

You know, the first thing that came to my mind too was Sophie's Choice and the actual choice scene in that. (On a sidenote, Sophy, it's interesting to hear your interpretation of it because I've also thought about it in similar ways as you. But I think the idea of it is that we can never know for sure, and that's the strength of the film: each viewer has to make their own conclusions about the reasons behind the decision, if there even can be any reasons.)

I agree, Ella, that Dr. Quinn wouldn't probably have been able to deal with such an idea, because it's ultimately a family show. To think of it, I can't really recall many tv shows which would have brought up such a difficult situation (except for some hospital series, as you mentioned having seen Chicago Hope, Helene). At least not very often. As Ella said, making the characters go through such an awful decision would change the atmosphere of the show. Even if the other kid survived too, I guess then he/she would always have to live with the knowledge that the other kid was chosen over him/her. And so would the mother/father making the ultimate decision. It would be just too cruel.

I can't actually even imagine how Michaela or Sully would act in such a situation. It's very difficult to picture either of them just giving up on hope on any of their children like that. If I had to try to imagine their behaviour, though, I would think that Michaela would simply not accept that one of her kids would have to die. She would probably fight until the end to save them both. The way I see her, I think she would maybe do her best for both of them even if she then lost them both rather than turning her back to one kid and letting them die just like that. I don't think she would even consider trying to save just one kid at the expense of the other. Somehow I don't think she could ever accept the consequences of a decision like that, and she would then have to live with them for the rest of her life. And Sully...hmmm. I'm not sure, actually. I mean, I think he would see it the same way as Michaela and be totally devastated by the situation and do his best to help Michaela save the kids. But if it was clear that one kid was already going to die and there wasn't anything else that Michaela could do for him/her, maybe (and I'm saying just maybe), Sully could see things more clearly and would then advise Michaela to go help the other one and try to save at least one of the kids. But on the other hand, in that case I think also Michaela would see the obvious and hurry to do her utmost best for the other kid who would still have some hope. But not until it were clear that one of them would not survive no matter what she did.

It's a good question, Helene. I'm afraid I can't think of any logical answers to it regarding Dr. Quinn.

[lrsmith11]

oh Jen, beautifully said. I agree wholeheartedly! Especially about Sully being able to see things more clearly.

I think alot of it may have to do with the fact of whether Mike is the doctor or not.

[Gemma]

I agree with you two too. She would have struggled to save both of them, even putting in danger both lives. According to her religious beliefs I don't see her able to let die one of them. Jen you are great depicting Sully's mind too, yes, probably Sully would have had an idea about what was the best thing to do, but sometimes he was mistaken too.

[Amber]

I agree with you, Jen, I don't think Dr. Mike could have lived with the knowledge that she had let one of her kids die, and she would do her best to try to save them both...