The deVeber Institute
for Bioethics and Social Research

“I want to live!”

Mary was 12 years old when she presented at my office in 1971 with a Wilm’s tumour of her kidney, which had spread to her liver and lungs. She had only a 10% chance of a long-term remission with chemotherapy and surgery. Understandably, her parents were upset, and given the serious side effects that I described, they questioned the reason for treatment with such a poor prognosis. However, they finally agreed to her treatment.