January 14, 2007 3:40 PM
Down syndrome: thoughts on prenatal testing
From today's Washington Post:
What's Lost in Prenatal Testing
Why Encourage Testing for Down Syndrome
By Patricia E. Bauer
She was a fresh-faced young woman with a couple of adorable kids, whiling away an hour in the sandbox at the park near my home. So was I, or so I thought. New in town, I had come to the park in hopes of finding some friends for myself and my little ones.
Her eyes flicked over to where my daughter sat, shovel gripped in a tiny fist, and then traveled quickly away. The remark that followed was directed to the woman next to her, but her voice carried clearly across the playground. "Isn't it a shame," she said, an eyebrow cocked in Margaret's direction, "that everyone doesn't get amnio?"
Read the entire article here.
Here's what I wrote on this subject 11/11/05:
Down Syndrome Now Detectable In 1st Trimester
Earlier Diagnosis Allows More Time for Decisions
Washington Post, Thursday, November 10, 2005
While this may be hailed as good news on the first page of the Post, I must admit I'm a little sad to see it. In a better world, everyone would know that people with Down syndrome have a unique contribution to make and that their elimination leaves the landscape a little less than it might have been had we welcomed them.
It's fear that drives the quest for the perfect test - resulting more often than not in an aborted baby - and the continuing drive for an earlier test. Now it can be administered en masse to eliminate those troublesome babies with Down syndrome who have slipped by to be born to younger mothers.
The ultimate irony is that in our lifetimes there has been so much enlightenment concerning Down syndrome - so that instead of locking these children away in institutions, we now raise them at home to love and be loved by their families, their neighbors and their communities. They are included in classrooms with their peers. They hold jobs in the community - and study after study reveals that where they are on the job, employee morale is given a big boost.
They are even homecoming kings and queens:
Lauren Welsh: Queen of the Class
Queen for Life: Jones Named Homecoming Queen
Homecoming king's election 'came from the kids' hearts'
A Wish Upon A Star Comes True In Bismarck
Triton Homecoming Queen Breaks Down Barriers, Wins the Hearts of Classmates
The King and I (If you only have time to read one, this one is guaranteed to make you cry)
These are just a few I pulled out of the top 10 of two Google searches: for Down syndrome homecoming queen and Down syndrome homecoming king. I mentioned above that Lauren Welsh is from our local high school. In the last place I lived, Petaluma, California, a young man with Down syndrome was homecoming king at Adobe High School.
How could these people who our society so fears that it spends vast amounts of money researching and testing to eliminate end up being number one in the hearts of their classmates?
My simple answer is this: because that's what they're all about. God is in the business of changing hearts, and a sprinkling of people with Down syndrome among us is one way he uses. If you have a family member or classmate or friend with Down syndrome, then God's been doubly good to you. But you probably already know that!
My eight "normal" kids are no angels (as anyone who knows us would tell you!), but people consistently remark on their kindness. Certainly, I can't take all the credit. Mostly, they are kind because they were part of the family team that's been raising four brothers with Down syndrome (one by birth, three by adoption). Each of us is different because of their presence in our lives.
What would happen in a world where Down syndrome was eliminated - so that parents could have "perfect" children who may grow up to be the furthest thing from perfect after all? The world would surely be a little less risky, a little more controlled. And a little less bright.
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You might also want to read About That Extra Chromosome and use my personal google on the left sidebar to search for more entries about Down syndrome.
Posted in Disabilities, Down syndrome, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink
Comments
Thanks for the article by Ms. Bauer. Reminds me of when Evan was a baby. I took him to the mall for a stroll. A lady looked into his stroller, gasped, looked at me & said, "Did you know when you were pregnant that he was mongoloid?" Shocked, I shook my head. She replied,"Too bad, you could have done something about it." I quite angrily told her Evan was God's gift to us and God had a purpose & destiny for his life. She looked at me like I was crazy & stomped off. It's great to see articles like this in major newspapers. People need to know the real & current facts not outdated info.
Posted by: Lori F | January 14, 2007 4:49 PM
Barbara- This news about prenatal testing for down's syndrome ( in the 1st trimester) just recently hit our local news station. I was deeply disturbed by it. I have always refused the AFP test, as they refer to it in California. I distinctly remember being pregnant with my middle son when the nurse offered me this testing, and I said "no". She said something to the effect of: " That's fine, but I'd have to strongly advise it if you were 35 or older." Something about her comment just did'nt sit right with me........ I am concerned that doctors and nurses are going to PUSH women into this type of testing.......
Posted by: Lisa | January 14, 2007 5:34 PM
Barbara,
Thank you for all your info. on Down Syndrome. We will continue to pray for God's guidance in adopting a child. This may be the direction that God will lead us in. It always helps to talk to people with positive input.
I will do some more research.
Posted by: Tammy Burns | January 15, 2007 4:35 PM
What are the barriers one faces when including children with D.S. in a mainstream preschool?
Posted by: mala | May 24, 2011 7:25 PM
