In this image made from video provided by Vicki Black, Ariel is seen with six legs before surgery, in Bristol, England. AP

One of the feel good stories in the news recently is the dumped six legged dog, although only four legged by the time it hit the papers. Videos on the news show a now happy puppy running around. Does the story have a human equivalence? There was a time when many children were given up for adoption if they had medical differences or difficulties and this often lead to an unhappy life. Some children were subject to medical treatment including gender assignment at birth in a sincere but maybe misguided judgement by a doctor.

Some medical treatments are seen in a positive life, treating cleft palates, insulin injections, and for most of us, glasses as we age but what are the limits?

Recent reports of innovative genetic treatments and STEM cell programmes are promising although the stories are often tempered by concerns of what could go wrong but with the level of testing required this is very unlikely. The feel good stories are always pleasing to read but the human ones are far more complex and we need to tread this path carefully.

Dennis Fitzgerald,

Melbourne, Australia