Conceived by means of fertilization, Anna Fitzgerald (Abigail Breslin) was brought into the world to be a genetic match for her older sister Kate (Sofia Vassilieva), who suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia. Because of her sister’s dependency on her, Anna is unable to live the life she wants; in and out of the hospital constantly, she cannot take part in extracurricular activities such as cheerleading or soccer. When Anna turns 13 she goes into renal failure. Knowing that she will donate one of her kidneys to her sister, Anna sues her parents for medical emancipation and the right to her own body. Attorney Campbell Alexander (Alec Baldwin) agrees to work for Anna pro bono. The film is interlaced with flashbacks that detail the strong relationship between Kate and Anna, as well as how Kate’s illness has affected her siblings’ lives. Before the result of the case is known, it is revealed that Kate had asked Anna to file for medical emancipation. Believing that she would not survive the surgery, Kate wants to die. Anna wins the case, and due to her sister’s wishes does not donate her kidney. Kate later dies at hospital. The family moves on with their lives, being changed by Kate’s death, but every year on Kate’s birthday they go to Montana, which was her favorite place in the world.
Important characters and their major roles 1. Anna Fitzgerald – the youngest Fitzgerald child. Anna is smart, funny and observant. She struggles to reconcile her knowledge that only she can provide Kate, whom she loves dearly, with the organs she needs to survive and her desire to live without this extraordinary burden. Anna’s role in Kate’s survival has been a blessing and a curse for her, as it has made her Kate’s savior but has also made Anna unable to be her own person. 2. Kate Fitzgerald – the middle Fitzgerald child. She has struggled with cancer her entire life, and she appears with the fact that she might die. 3. Jesse Fitzgerald –