Savior sibling ‘glad I am in this family’

Born to save sister’s life, she’s ‘glad I am in this family’ - Good News - TODAY.com: Looking at vivacious, outgoing college senior Marissa Ayala today, it seems several lifetimes ago that she set the medical world on its ear when she was born for the express purpose of providing bone marrow for her leukemia-stricken sister, Anissa. Time magazine featured the sisters on the cover of a 1991 issue that debated the ethics of “baby farming.”

Critics howled, and parents Abe and Mary Ayala found hate letters in their mailbox. Even today, Marissa hears the whispers of people who know her background story. But the 21-year-old Southern Californian said Friday that she and Anissa are as close as any two sisters can be — and that she lives in a family full of love and gratitude.