Getting Down can only Go Up!

Well!

I've been thinking about this topic for a bit of time, so let's see how well it translates over to the internet.

Hello, Internet!

This is a happy post! I have to preface my thoughts with this because it may not seem like a happy post at first. But it will get there, eventually. ^__^;; First, an explanation is in order...

So recently a coworker and friend posted a link to an article about how in Norway apparently they test for Down Syndrome in fetuses...and how 99% of those pregnancies were aborted. Also, the government encourages this choice based off of the concept that the Quality of Life is low and it's a "trial" to live with Down Syndrome. And those whom do keep their children are frowned upon as causing a financial drain on society.

Now, we all know that the internet is only true to a certain extent, so I did some research. One  Two Three

The information kind of went back and forth, but my resulting conclusion was that there was a large degree of truth in the article, but also to take the part about the government interference with a grain of salt.

After that, my response was:

1. "GATTACA IS REAL!"

Paired with a heavy amount of sadness.

Gattaca is a movie about social bias based on Eugenics. We watched (most of) it my seventh grade year (we skipped a few parts. :| ).

The saddest element in the movie is how the characters have the world against them from the very first moment that they start developing in the womb. (Which can be said about pretty much all types of social bias, but that's a conversation for another day...)

My second thought was this:

2. If they don't want them, I would take them.

I would be their mother.

If I had a child with Down Syndrome, I would keep him or her.

Of course, I'm told that if I was actually faced with the situation in reality I might change my mind, due to the extreme stress.

But here's some more thoughts and perspective for you.

3. My Uncle Jimmy has Down Syndrome.

My mom has told me a couple of times that when she was little she used to be able to understand what he was saying, but she lost that ability as she became older.

When I was young I didn't know how to interact with Uncle Jimmy quite yet, but as I slowly went through adolescence and became a teenager I made a decision to talk and interact with him as much as possible when I visited. As I did so he seemed to perk up more and talk more and interact more.

But he became frustrated and despondent when, later on down the line, I couldn't understand what he was trying to communicate. However, it wasn't that he was not talking, it was that I wasn't listening correctly!

Also:

4. I currently work with children that are Deaf-Blind as a Communication Intervener.

Deaf-Blindness is a general term and can span from mild to profound on either spectrum. So a person can be more Deaf than Blind, or more Blind than Deaf. Most people think of Helen Keller when it comes to Deaf-Blindness, but she is one individual who is both profoundly deaf and profoundly blind. Which is not always the case.

Additionally, Deaf-Blindness can actually just be part of a whole; a symptom of a greater disability, such as CHARGE Syndrome or Usher Syndrome. It can also be caused by premature birth, infections, chemical exposure, or other things.

When you are working with a Deaf-Blind child  you often end up working with another needs and levels. So I suppose that it's safe to say that I've started "listening" a little better in the most recent span of time. (Uncle Jimmy would be proud. :) )

Based on my (admittedly limited) experience as an Communication Intervener, I am now more likely than ever to have/adopt/raise a child with Special Needs than ever before in my life. A thought that I actually think on often.

Plus:

5. I am turning 30 years old as of March 10th (roughly a week from now).

The older that I get the more I have to be careful about my health and whether of not I will be able to give birth to a healthy child. The probability of me having a Down Syndrome child biologically is becoming a higher and higher probability. So if that does end up happening, it's far better to accept it now and learn love in advance.

6. And I have to take into account other health issues as well.

Ones which may result in me not being able to have children at all. (That's a rather dire look at the future, and while I'm usually an optimist I have to look at the situation realistically. *shrugs* It could happen, I could actually be placed in this position.)

So if I had the choice between not having any children at all and adopting a child with Down Syndrome that is unwanted and in need of love and a family, you better believe that I am going to love that child with all of my heart and all of my soul. <3

I will be someone that the Lord can trust to love His children, no matter what trials they face.

I'm reminded of a Mormon Message that came out a while back. It's called, "A Father Indeed." One of the original Mormon Messages, it's a family-wide discussion about why Bill is a True Father.

First it starts out talking about his relationship with his wife and how, when she became ill, he took the harder path and stayed true to his family, his love, and his commitments to God.

The second part, however, is about his desire for a son. He had all daughters before that point, and loved them equally. But a part of him knew that he was meant to have a son, and when the doctors told his wife to have no more children Bill said a very specific prayer, asking for a son.

But the promise he makes is that he is willing to take any son that Heavenly Father is willing to give him. And the Lord gives him a son with Down Syndrome.

The thing that I find the most remarkable is the sheer love Bill has: for his wife, his daughters, and especially for his son. He constantly sacrifices for them without complaint.

And his son thrives because of it. When he was born the doctors said that he would most likely never progress or learn how to take care of himself or self-feed. And yet in the video itself his son is shown explaining his father's prayer, and is an articulate, happy adult. Bill couldn't have known that his son would ever reach that point, but it is through his love that his son does achieve that!

The same goes for any other individual with Down Syndrome, in my opinion. They are basically untapped potential. Yes, there is definitely a scale in which it affects them more or less. I'm told that my Uncle Jimmy is on the level of an eight-year old.

But an eight-year old is still a pretty aware kid! An eight-year old knows right and wrong and can be pretty precocious sometimes. And if they are encouraged to excel and work hard then they truly can lead a happy life and follow their dreams.



There are plenty of individuals with Down Syndrome whom have been successful. First there's Jamie Brewer, who is an actress.

There's Madeline Stuart, an Australian Fashion Model:

And also Isabella Springmuhl Tejada, a Guatemalan fashion designer who showed her work at London Fashion week.

So the idea of aborting a child simply because they have Down Syndrome--not based on the severity of it or that child's ability to thrive--makes absolutely no sense to me.

Especially when they have the opportunity for so much potential.

You can't tell from a medical test whether they would be good at singing, or love animals, or be an excellent older sibling. You can't tell from a test if they might be skilled at cooking, or have a talent for gardening, or if they are likely to be on Broadway. Because the test for Down Syndrome is Pass/Fail. It's not based on merit or ability, heart or soul.

And even if a child with Down Syndrome is on the low end of the spectrum, their potential grows the more that you plant it, water it, and tend it with love and care. Raising a child with Down Syndrome seems much like raising any other child--there's messes and mischief and confusion.

But there is also laughter, hugs, music, and joy. There's not much that is better than that. :)