No easy choice

Book Description

Ellen Painter Dollar confronts one of the most challenging intersections of faith, science, and parenthood in this deeply personal exploration of reproductive ethics. Living with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic condition that causes brittle bones, Dollar faces an agonizing decision when her first child inherits the same disorder. Should she and her husband use advanced reproductive technologies to ensure their next child would be born without this condition?

This intimate memoir weaves together personal struggle with profound theological questions that many families now encounter. Dollar examines how procedures like in vitro fertilization and preimplantation genetic diagnosis challenge traditional understandings of human value and divine will. Her journey illuminates the complex moral terrain where medical possibility meets spiritual conviction.

Through her candid storytelling, Dollar invites readers to grapple with fundamental questions about suffering, perfection, and what constitutes a meaningful life. She challenges assumptions about disability while exploring how consumer culture shapes our definitions of worth and success. Her narrative offers no simple answers but provides a thoughtful framework for wrestling with the ethical dimensions of reproductive choice.

For readers seeking authentic engagement with contemporary moral dilemmas through a Christian lens, Dollar's story provides both vulnerability and wisdom. Her experience demonstrates how personal crisis can become a pathway to deeper understanding of faith, family, and the complexities of modern medical decision-making.