Ethical Dilemma

Twelve year old Kallie is admitted to the hospital and found to be in need of surgery for a "life-threatening" condition stemming from a hemorrhage, or "bleed" in her head. She was born with Down's syndrome and is moderately mentally retarded, but has lived her entire life with her parents, who are enjoying a brief visit to relatives in New York when the need for surgery is diagnosed. The family is from one of the Caribbean islands, and they practice a religion that forbids surgical cutting. The physicians explore the possibility of surgery with Kallie's parents, but they remain steadfast…