Biology as Destiny (?)

Vincent/Jerome’s triumph over that 99% chance of heart failure is most definitely a nod to the idea that our genes do not determine our futures. This is a fascinating school of thought, especially since it embodies the will to “beat the odds.” As for me, I tend to lean more towards “biology as destiny.” After all, the sequence of our DNA nucleotides (and thus the makeup of our genes) decides what color eyes, hair, and skin we have, along with whether or not we are likely to develop conditions such as myopia or sickle cell anemia. We have no say in what order these base pairs should be in, as that is determined by heredity and pure chance. I generally have no qualms with the fact that my physical future is in part carved out by my parents’ chromosomes (after all, I have them to thank for being alive), but what makes me want to throw my arms up in despair is the role that chance plays in the process. I mean, if a random mutation causes me to be predispositioned to developing a life threatening disease, or to live with one from birth, what is there for me to do about it? Also, if chance determines that I inherit the incurable, diseased version of a gene rather than the normal one, I can’t just wish it away. What would it be like to subconsciously/consciously wait for the day that my illness begins to really take a toll?

The other day, I was reading a NYT article on Huntington’s disease, an inherited and incurable brain disorder; in it, a young woman named Katharine Moser tests positive for the gene. However, since there is no way to cure Huntington’s, she must live with the knowledge that she will die within the next 20-30 years. Quoting the article, “Most young adults who know the disease runs in their family have avoided the DNA test that can tell whether they will get it, preferring the torture — and hope — of not knowing. Yet even as a raft of new DNA tests are revealing predispositions to all kinds of conditions, including breast cancer, depression and dementia, little is known about what it is like to live with such knowledge” (Harmon 1 – “Facing Life With a Lethal Gene”). Katharine plans to cram as much as she can into the few years she has left, achieving as many goals and dreams as possible. This is definitely a means of fighting Huntington’s, but it is in no way a fight to beat the odds. Her biology, indeed, has affected the way she is going to live her life, cutting short the time she has to enjoy things and always luring at the back of her mind. Here, her biology seems to be shaping her destiny.