Begging for money over the 'net....is this ethical?
 

Site solicits money for couple's in vitro quest

(excerpt from the article)
Shelton and Brandi Koskie watched year after year as their younger siblings married, got pregnant and had babies. Nearly four years into their marriage, Brandi, 25, and Shelton, 26, felt they were falling behind. In private, the Koskies talked about filling their College Hill house with little ones. After 17 months of trying the old-fashioned way, they turned to a doctor for help. Shelton has a medical condition that makes in vitro fertilization their best option for having a baby of their own. The doctor's best guess was that the procedure would cost $15,000 -- not the kind of money Brandi, an advertising account exec, and Shelton, who works in the publications department at Cessna, had lying around the house. Brandi's a natural problem solver, Shelton said. By the time they'd left the doctor's office, she hit on an idea: a Web site that chronicled their experience and asked visitors to donate $1 to help their cause. BabyOrBust.com launched early this month and has already earned the couple $1,100.


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Not trying to be funny but if they don't have the financial means to pay for IVF, do they have the money to raise a baby? Plus, statisticly couples that use IVF usually result in multiple births so we're possible talking about one or more babies.

Something about this just don't sit right with me. What do you think?

My first thought, exactly. A delivery can cost around $15,000, easily.

Well insurance will probably cover the delivery (I think most insurance does) but it probably doesn't cover procedures like in vitro.

I disagree that if they don't have 15,000 cash right now in hand to plunk down that they don't have the money for a baby. A baby is not going to need 15,000 cash right now for its care. The care (diapers, food, etc.) can be paid for as they go, as most folk do.

Now I agree that in vitro often results in multiple births so they will need to evaluate whether they have $$ for that. Maybe twins, no problem but getting into 3 and 4 and 5 babies at once? They will need another website. LOL.

All in all, I think that it's not terribly private but if they are not private people then I don't see a problem with asking others to help with the IVF. I probably wouldn't do it b/c i'm too traditional and see it as kind of odd but I don't see a problem with the website approach in general, and I also cannot think of any ethical issues that it raises. Perhaps folk will want a share of the baby? LOL. Probably not.

SC

Does it typically cover the entire cost of delivery or a portion?

Hi Ladylike, I think it will vary by your insurance coverage.

SC

I am broke as hell. Maybe I should chronicle my experiences, and beg for money online.

Let's join in our efforts. We can call it 2BrokeSistergreeks.com.

Ditto.

I'm down. :D

Can ya'll make it three? lol

I don't agree on asking for money over the Net for IVF. They have financing plans, take credit cards, etc. Just sounds real tacky to me, but then again, I don't have fertility issues. :( *knock on wood*

Guess according to their morals it is "ethical". However, to you and to me, I don't think so. I wonder if they thought about adoption.