There will soon be available a new, noninvasive, prenatal test that is near 100% accurate in diagnosing unborn babies with Down syndrome. This test will involve a simple blood draw from the mother in the early weeks of pregnancy. It will most likely replace the more invasive tests of amniocentesis and CVS, which are currently offered in the second trimester. In addition to this highly acclaimed new testing, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) have new recommendations for who should receive this testing. Instead of the previous smaller group of advanced maternal age mothers, it is now recommended that all mothers get the screenings and/or diagnostic tests for Ds. Evidently, there were too many babies slipping through the cracks with the old recommendations (80% of babies with Ds are born to mothers under the age of 35). For the average person, this may all sound well and good. After all, in one sense, we can all benefit from knowing more information. One may think of how far medicine has come and how helpful it is that parents can know earlier that their child has Down syndrome.
However, statistics tell us that 90-94% of prenatally diagnosed babies with Down syndrome are aborted. And it has been documented (and I can tell you first hand as well) that when most doctors deliver the news, or rather "break" the news, to parents that their child has Ds, it is done with a bias. The diagnosis is typically delivered without any up-to-date information on Ds, without any Ds support contacts provided, and often times without compassion. The news IS delivered with an assumption that the parents will prudently, and even unselfishly abort their child. I know of many parents who have been told that their child will never walk, talk or go to school. Parents have been told that their child will suffer and not live to adulthood (the average person with Ds now lives well into their late 50's and even 60's). There is pressure from the medical community to "do the right thing".
As you can tell, I am not very excited about these "medical advancements". It inevitably means that there will be less children in this world like our sweet Erin. In fact, if the abortion rate reaches 95%, as it is in Europe, we may be seeing very, very few children with Ds...the last generation. Imagine the support and help our kids could have if the millions of dollars spent on seek and destroy methods in medicine could be used for legitimate research and therapies. And with less of our children here, it will impact the medical care that those living will receive. And of course I cannot even begin to measure how many lives our children have touched for the better and how they've made our world a better place.
All of this does make me ask the question...Why? Why is there a eugenics holocaust going on in our country, and around the world, against people with disabilities? Why is there such a push to do away with the individuals who are disabled, rather than the disability? Is it because sweet children like Erin fill our prisons and commit serious crimes? Is it because they aren't loved by their parents? I think not. Is it about the almighty dollar? Maybe. Or is it because our generation of parents are demanding the "perfect" child, and the doctors and researcher are following along, very much willing to play God, out of fear of lawsuits? More likely. Another answer would probably be that 30+ years of abortion on demand in this country has left us numb; we are accustomed to treating the unborn with less dignity and respect than they rightly deserve.
It is my prayer that others will come to see the blessings that come with parenting a child with Down syndrome. In my perfect world, I would hope that everyone could experience the special charm and love that we have experienced, either as parents themselves, or in knowing someone with Ds. I truly believe that Erin is a gift for the world. We are sure smitten with her!
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