The Boy in the Bubble

David was born with a disease called SCID (Severe Combined Immuno Deficiency). His immune system didn't work, which meant that he would die if he came in contact with even one microbe. A bone marrow transplant could save him, but in 1971, the year David was born, medical techniques were still in their infancy. One of the doctors who dealt with the disease was immunologist Raphael Wilson. He developed the isolator, a kind of transparent, sterile tent. Right after his birth, David was placed in an isolator. The idea was that he would be safe there until a cure could be found. But that took significantly longer than his family and the doctors had hoped. Under the media's eye, little David grew into a happy toddler, an active preschooler and a smart little boy, all those years, he never had any bodily contact with other people. Everyone's initial optimism changed to doubt. David stayed healthy and grew, but the better he understood his situation, the more depressed and anxious he became. This is when the ethical question presented itself: was this a full-fledged existence, or a medical experiment that got out of hand and had tragic consequences for a human life?