Thursday, September 11, 2008

Another good reason

why I have no problem sharing my life and my children publicly. I know it needs to be heard.

Los Angeles Times ran an article about how detrimental it will be that people are seeing a positive role model that continued her pregnancy despite a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Of course they're referring to Sarah Palin. They say it's bad because other people might see this person and decide not to terminate their own pregnancy with a genetically abnormal baby. This might reduce the abortions of these people. Furthermore, not everyone is equipped to raise a child with developmental delays.

9 out of 10 babies prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted.

I don't know about you, but this MAKES ME SICK. I have a high hope that people WILL see Sarah Palin and see baby Trig and as a friend, Di, puts it, we will see the "Trig Effect" as the world sees the POSITIVE side of raising a child with Down syndrome!! I hope Los Angeles Times is right... I hope it does help people to see that they don't have to have an abortion due to Down syndrome. And yes, furthermore... I hope that those that don't feel equipped to raise a child with developmental delays will see the joy of adoption as a better way than abortion...

10 comments:

  1. I have known of the abortion statistics on prenatally diagnosed Down Syndrome and have been shocked and sickened by it too. I am a single woman with no children but am planning to adopt a child (or children) with Down Syndrome (likely from Eastern Europe) either once I'm married, or as a single woman when I can adequately support myself and a child. I am horrified that ANY children would be killed because they are thought to be "less than perfect". I have spent the last 10 years of my life working with kids with special needs and have only fallen more in love with these children and their families. True, there are specific challenges for families raising these children, but on the same note, I've never heard parents of typically developing children describe the process as "easy". Thank you for doing your part to share the truth of these precious children and for setting an example for adoption. I can't wait until I can join in with my family and show the blessings of special needs adoption first hand as well.

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  2. I am OUTRAGED that anyone would think it was a BAD thing that fewer people might abort babies with Down Syndrome. I can't even believe doctors are saying that.

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  3. It makes me ill just to think that someone would abort a preg b/c a child has DS. We know what joy these children bring to us and our family/friends and can't imagine life without them. Although we struggle with certain hard times raising a child with special needs (surgery, therapies, delays, etc.) who says raising a "typical child" is easy. My "typical children" seem to give me very big struggles :) Also, there have been several moms I have spoken to who say their test to show if the child has DS comes out positive while pregnant and then the child does not have it at birth...what a shame to think you would abort and there may be nothing at all wrong with your baby (not that I agree with aborting if the child does have DS, didn't want it to sound like that).

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  4. I am stunned. I have never seen the statistic about 9 of 10 prenatally diagnosed babies with Ds being aborted. All I can think right now is "Lord, can that number be right???" (BTW - I don't believe you would put it out there if it wasn't and I am not at all expressing doubt, just shocked because I figured the number would be high but never guessed it is that high!)

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  5. Meredith, I find myself saddened at what you shared here. It tells you where the state of America's hearts are, if that is truly what people believe. I'm glad you're like a salmon, swimming upstream on this one, because those babies of yours will be blessings untold for years to come.
    Karen W.

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  6. Meredith, I find myself saddened at what you shared here. It tells you where the state of America's hearts are, if that is truly what people believe. I'm glad you're like a salmon, swimming upstream on this one, because those babies of yours will be blessings untold for years to come.
    Karen W.

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  7. Well, I am mad beyond words. Can't say anything else without being bleeped.

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  8. I was given the choice to abort my unborn child or suffer the consequence! I chose to NOT abort,he was my baby regardless and i would love him no matter what. I went ahead with the pregnancy I was (so i thought) totally prepared for a child with DS, I had accepted it and didn't stress to much at all, I knew what was to lie ahead! You can only imagine how I felt to be told after he was born that THEY GOT IT WRONG!(mixed emotions) my baby was delivered, with NO DS! I often wonder, how many times do they get it wrong? and I thank the Lord that I followed my heart and not the advise of others and didn't abort!

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  9. Disgusting man, he said almost word for word what the first pediatrician said when we had Meghan "Give her up or she will ruin your lives, why burden your children with her?" Ugh. I hope The PAlin's and Trig help people see how special our children are, whether Mc Cain and Palin win or not, she has turned the tide in a positive direction for our children.

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