Boy in the Bubble (2006)

Abstract

"When David Vetter died at the age of 12, he was already world famous: the boy in the plastic bubble. Mythologized as the plucky, handsome child who had defied the odds, his life story is in fact even more dramatic. It is a tragic tale that pits ambitious doctors against a bewildered, frightened young couple. It is a story of undendingly committed caregivers and resourceful scientists on the cutting edge of medical research. This American Experience raises some of the most difficult ethical questions of our age. Did doctors, in a rush to save a child, condemn the boy to a life not worth living? Did they, in the end, effectively decide how to kill him?" [description taken from DVD case] Includes DVD special feature: Gallery: David Vetter's Spacesuit. Some footage of David's life is available to be viewed at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bubble/