Mother of child with Down syndrome speaks out
Editor’s note. This appeared in ClinicQuotes.
When
tests reveal that preborn babies have Down syndrome, the majority of
women decide to abort. Here are the reflections of one woman who has a
child with Down syndrome:
Patricia E. Bauer “Selective Abortion Is Immoral” in Lucinda Almond
The Abortion Controversy (New York: Greenhaven Press, 2007) 25-26
When
tests reveal that preborn babies have Down syndrome, the majority of
women decide to abort. Here are the reflections of one woman who has a
child with Down syndrome:
Whenever I am out with Margaret,
I’m conscious that she represents a group whose ranks are shrinking
because of the wide availability of prenatal testing and abortion. I
don’t know how many pregnancies are terminated because of prenatal
diagnosis of Down syndrome, but some studies estimate 80 to 90 percent…
Margaret does not view her life as unremitting human suffering (although
she is angry that I haven’t bought her an iPod).
She’s consumed with more
important things, like the performance of the Boston Red Sox in the
playoffs and the dance she’s going to this weekend. Oh sure, she wishes
she could learn faster and have better math skills. So do I. But it
doesn’t ruin our day, much less our lives. It’s the negative social
attitudes that cause us to suffer.
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