I completely agree; I think that special children are a very important aspect of our society. I worry that as science progresses, just as Father Jonathan has said, that children with Downs Syndrome and other “imperfections” will be frowned upon by society. I had a scare when I was pregnant with my twins; they told me one of them may be mentally retarded; however, they couldn’t perform any type of in depth testing until birth. I was very upset and my doctor simply asked me if I would want to “thin” (the nice word they use to say abort) the pregnancy. I said no, and he told me not to worry about it. He went on to say that no matter what is abnormal with my kid, I’ll love her anyway, so just enjoy being pregnant. I believe the world would be a boring place without different people; God gives us these children for a reason; perhaps to teach appreciation for difference, tolerance for “imperfection”, and a keen awareness that God does everything for a reason.

The tone of your comment is completely off track based on the article you refer to. The article welcomes this new procedure purely on the fact it is less evasive and the only mention to abortion is to say it “would create an ethical dilemma for many couples following a positive result. There are fears that the new approach could ultimately lead to a greater number of abortions”
So in what way does that promote abortion? It doesn’t. The Telegraph (which incidentally is a right wing publication) is merely reporting the news of a procedure. It is not adding opinion to that news.

I saw this coming years ago. Prenatal testing is such now that many parents can “screen” pregnancies for a “perfect” baby. Fetuses can be aborted for any number of unwanted diseases. As prenatal testing improves and gene splicing becomes more sophisticated we will be moving toward “designer” babies.

“Yes Doctor, my husband and i have decided we would like a blue eyed, blond, 6′3″ tall,very intelligent male baby. We want to be clear Doctor that any possibility of birth defected diseases be eliminated. Also we want to make sure the homosexual gene and the fat gene are also eliminated. Also we would like him to be well endowed. let me see, what else,… oh yes Doctor, make sure he has a smattering of freckles, AND i do not want him to have his Father’s ears. They are way to big for his face. Thank you Doctor.”

Seems like Hitler’s new world order and genetic engineering was not so much an inhuman crime. Hitler was just 100-150 years ahead of his time.

“People have used selective breeding from plants to people. This really is just an extension of that.”
Um, where have I heard that thought process before, hold on, superior race, super-humans, oh yeah, Adolf Hitler. And, “Different circumstances often require different morals.” Well, is that a fact sandbag, because I have some special circumstances and it would be really convenient if I could have some special morals to help me deal with them. We cant question the unborn and poll them on what they think of being of “eliminated”, but I am sure you would readily give me a reason that you should be spared though. Just a thought, differant circumstances and whatnot. scouts out

Father Jonathan:

I am a educational advocate that assists families in obtaining appropriate programming from the public schools for their children with special needs. I must tell you that it is a war out there. Bean counters rule the roost in school systems and they see your child diverting money from other programs. For many, the sad truth is that unless a parent hires an advocate or attorney to represent them, the child will either not live independently, or be inadequately prepared for the workplace and many simply drop out. I perform volunteer work in the prison system and I see a large percentage of these individuals that have undiagnosed learning disabilities. Unfortunately, advocates for the disabled are in the minority. We need more people and organizations to champion their plight. I mean no disrespect, but it has seemed to me for a long time that the Catholic Church and Operation Rescue have focused so much on the rights of the unborn, but once they are born, they turn their backs. The public schools have well-financed lobbies that have worked to weaken the rights of children with disabilities. The Catholic Church and Operation Rescue have the clout in money and manpower to make a huge impact. To get a better picture of the magnitude of the problem, please go to my website at http://www.narda.org and then go to Narda News. I would be happy to discuss this with you further.
I hope that I can count on you to join the struggle in this important civil rights issue.

( IMDB.com )

Graduated from the Don Guanella School in Springfield, Pennsylvania in 1985.
Used to work as an elevator operator.
Is an usher at a Catholic church near his NY home.
Mother, Marian, is a retired trade-show manager.
Tours with his 3-piece folk band.
Is the youngest of 4 children.
Serves as a goodwill ambassador for the National Down Syndrome Society and is editor-in-chief of its quarterly magazine.
Father, Frank, is a retired NYPD inspector.

Personal Quotes “People said I could never become an actor because I’m retarded. It goes to show you that anyone can make their dreams a reality… unless they’re brain dead.”

Where Are They Now (November 2001)
Lives with his parents in NYC, but has a weekend home in Long Island.
Tours with his band, works with the NDSS, and occasionally acts.

Anyone remember Corky? I watched the show ‘Life Goes On’ when I was younger. There was actually an episode dealing with this issue, if I remember right… When mom got pregnant again, they went through the stages, even considering aborting if the amnio came back positive.. Corky asked them if they would have done that to him if they had known before he was born. It was a scene that sent chills up my spine then, just as this discussion has now.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with DS patients. It’s not even something that I can properly describe. They are a JOY to be around. They point and laugh when you make sillly mistakes.. they go after what they want, wether it be some alone time in their room, or the KFC on the desk in the nurse’s office that sure smells and tastes a lot better than the bland, squishy food that dietary makes you eat. Once they get it into their heads that they can do something.. good luck stopping them. Sooooo frustrating sometimes… I’ve worked with some bound to wheelchairs for most of their days, but they’re still quick to laugh and love. They are beautiful, wonderful people. And it’s absolutely heart breaking to watch them go through their trials, especially in group homes and other long term care facilities when sometimes there is little or no family interaction. But then, it’s heartbreaking to watch anyone go through their true trials in life.

I’m all for safer medical testing. With the proper information ahead of time, one can utilize the time for educating yourself and being prepared. BUT I think that ethical usage of this kind of technology is not just some forgone conclusion in today’s world. And where do we draw the line?? Bi-polar disorder? What would you do if you knew that your child would be more likely to snap and take a few people with them because the chemicals in their brain don’t fire right? Diabetes? Asthma? Where does the quest for genetic purity stop? Does a government make it mandatory when their healthcare system finally cracks under the strain of a vast and ever growing population?

I feel for anyone that has to watch their child with absolute worry all of the time. The health problems are definately a trial that seem unfair to say the least. Life is already a short, fragile thing.

But it’s a beautiful thing, no matter what shape, size, color.. or medical condition.

I would like to comment to Christine with the family history of Spina Bifida-

If it reassures you any at all, I can tell you this- I HAD the choice to abort my pregnancy after my AFP test came back positive for anencephaly (same test they use for Down’s). I KNEW my child was not going to live outside of my uterus, but I made the choice to continue my pregnancy. I wanted to see the beauty of what my husband and I created together, and indeed, she was beautiful. I am sure that the women in your family felt the same way I did at the time, that she was my child, no matter what was wrong with it, and deserved at least a small chance at living, even if it only meant while she was inside me. Unfortunately, she was stillborn, but those months of carrying her, and feeling her move inside me are something I will always cherish.

Thank you, Father.

Three years ago today I delivered my seventh child, a daughter with Down Syndrome. Reading many of these comments is actually a nice way to end this day of celebration. Like all of the other families here who have a member with Down Syndrome, our lives have been changed for the better.

I am writing not in response to the opinion, but in response to the way you wrote your opinion. Am I allowed to have my own opinion? I appreciate any and all opinions especially those different than my own; however, I do not respect an opinion that tells me how I should feel about that opinion. Please see … ‘the following story should be appalling’ and ‘Listen to the twisted logic of the lead researcher’. If you have already decided how others should resppond, why should we bother reading it? This is why organized religion breeds ignorance.

I am so happy to see this subject being talked about. Many, Many people do not realize what a family goes through raising a child born with a problem (or one developed early on in life). I’m not talking just about the, often so hard, times….but also the tremendous love they come to know from these children.
It’s an innocent, pure love. One that never questions, never judges.
It’s the way I imagine God wants all of us to love. I often wonder why we ‘healthy’ people can’t seem to grasp it more often.

[...] Down syndrome babies have rights, too (Fox News blogs) [...]

Fr. Jonathan- I served on the board of directors of a community based organization that teaches life skills for the developmentally handicapped. I found the downs syndrome clients to be very warm, trusting, loving people. They are eager to learn as well as work. What these loving people did to upset these scientists I will never know, but the world would be a poorer place without them.

I know a couple of people with Down Syndrome. They are two of the happiest, and loveable people I know. They would do anything for anyone, and are so appreciative of anything you do for them. Let them be born as normal human beings are. God put them on earth for a reason. Many times it brings families closer together. Thank you Father Jonathan. God Bless you and the families with Down Syndrome chidren.

For Miriam:

I agree that it isn’t us parents who cannot handle the special needs child/child with a disability, it is society around us and the school systems as they are that cannot handle these children.

Society has to stop viewing our children as inferior, defective, etc. They have to stop viewing us as parents as people pitied all the while feeling secretly grateful that “it didn’t happen to me!” and telling us that “God gives these special children to special people like you to be there parents!” because they couldn’t handle it themselves. You don’t know what you can handle about raising a special child until you HAVE a child you love who NEEDS you like this!

Please remember when you see us with our children in public, that we are human just like everyone else and we are doing what is best for our children. Our children simply require a whole heck of a lot more than most! Yes, it takes alot more of your tax dollars for their education, their medical needs are also usually beyond what our insurance system will cover as it is organized today, and therapy is often ongoing and difficult to pay for…..and none of this is comfortable, easy-going coffee shop conversation! But, don’t ignore us, walk away, avoid eye contact when you pass us in the local mall. We need friends too, a smile from a stranger even. So do our children.

I refused to be tested for Ds, or any other kind of baby disability because I wanted to see the baby God would give me. He gave me two children. One was a DS baby. She is now 18 yrs. old and the joy of our life. She is vivacious, and full of love. Angela plays harmonicas, and the drums in our church services. She reads, spells, swims, rides in the Christmas and 4th of July parades. Works in a cafeteria with little supervision because she learned her duties so well, that she does not want any one to help because it’s her job. She graduated from High School, where she had so many friends,went to the prom with her boyfriend who Has Down’s. She and her boyfriend hold hands,enjoy life with each other. PLEASE DON’T DESTROY THE HANDICAPPED, THEY WILL BRING JOY TO SOMEONE’S LIFE.

EVERYONE IN THE HUMAN RACE HAS SOME SORT OF MENTAL OR PHYSICAL HANDICAP. DO WE DESTROY THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE INCLUDING PEOPLE LIKE dR. lO; wHO OBVIOUSLY HAS A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN MY DAUGHTER.

mY DAUGHTER IS MY BEST FRIEND WHO LOVES ME UNCONDIONTLEY. i KNOW ONLY OTHER PERSON WHO LOVES ME LIKE THAT, AND THAT IS MY SAVIOUR, JESUS.

As a parent of a special needs/medically fragile 4 yr old son, I too have experienced physicians who push prenatal tests in order to give “the mother all the information” in time for her to make the choice to abort if she chooses to do so. They don’t want to be sued for not giving the mothers all information possible to make an informed choice!

Downs Syndrome is only one of the genetic disorders screened for with the current test, and the most talked about….so much so that even my 20 year old niece referred to her test with during her recent pregnancy as “The Downs Syndrome Test”. At this crucial prenatal period, I did have this screening test done… and then yes, even the amniocentesis, because there are certain conditions that, if prepared ahead of time, the doctors and hospitals can then treat the mother and baby with a more intense level of care, offer more monitoring, and even intervene with invitro surgical procedures, if needed, that can save a baby’s life for example! My husband and I not only wanted to be prepared for our child, if he/she survived pregnancy, but we wanted our doctors and the hospital to be prepared as well.

Giving everyone involved as much knowledge to work with was CRUCIAL to our son, Oliver, arriving, 12 weeks early, weighing 430grams (15.2 ounces) and surviving! Oliver stayed 7 months in the Intensive Care Nursery and grew to a hefty 9lbs 8 oz before we were able to bring him home to join the rest of our family!

Just because there is a new test, doesn’t mean there is no longer personal accountability. Parents have to decide to have these tests done or not and they will also be the ones to decide what they will do with the results. If you go into the doctors’ office knowing you will not abort no matter what the test results are, then you are testing to get results for the sake of arming everyone with knowledge, hopefully gaining time to prepare, and most importanly giving your CHILD the best possible chance of survival. In our case, we prepared ourselves, our doctors got all the information they could, and we all did what we could and let God do what He would about whether Oliver would survive. Science was merely a tool.

Dear Father:
As the parent of a 39 year old Down syndrome daughter, I find it appalling that so many think they have a “right” to murder these unborn children.
Our daughter is a sweet and loving young lady. She is loved by all who meet her. She has worked at a sheltered workshop since graduating from high school in 1990.
She is very active in Special Olympics, having participated in bowling, swimming, track, skiing and bicycling.
One of my daughters is a Special Education teacher. She has said that there are fewer Down babies being born (aborted), but there are relatively more autistic children (not aborted, because there is no test to identify them)
Our daughter is the youngest of our four girls. I learned much about parenting and love from her. She is a gift from God, and no one should be allowed to murder a precious, living gift from God.
God bless you , Father

“There are many degrees of Down Syndrome, some live happy, semi-normal lives while others require 24/7 caregivers and often outlive their parents and end up in instituitions or worse.”

Ah, no - there are no “degrees” of Down Syndrome. They either have it or they don’t. There are, however, degrees of differences with CHILDREN…some have more medical issues than others, some learn at faster or slower paces, some are short, some are tall…they are INDIVIDUALS. Secondly - these are children with Down Syndrome - not parrots (who “outlive their caregivers”) or get stuck in institutions…a typical child would end up in an institution if they are ignored and underestimated for years - we know better now. Good god, man - wake up from 1940!!! Sorry, but it really ticks me off to hear this crap - this is the misinformation we have to deal with on a daily basis.

“God sends the harder to raise children to stronger parents”. Ah, no. As a parent to a child with Down Syndrome I do not feel like I am any stronger than my friends and family members who do not have children with Down Syndrome. In fact, I know quite a few with typical children who make me gasp in awe…how they can put up with them day in and day out…talk to a parent of a child with a discipline problem - THAT takes strength.

Do you find it the least bit interesting to read the comments about children with Down Syndrome from parents and people who have direct involvement with them and compare them to the comments of those who don’t - or who have “survived the nightmare” of a prenatal close-call? My son give me far more back then I can ever give to him. There are no words to accurately describe it - no way to really show you unless you take (about 2 minutes) to be around him. Doesn’t take long. Yes, the prental diagnosis was tough. I know he may not grow up to be a Dr. or Lawyer. But I’m pretty sure he’s never going to be a drug addict, an alcoholic, a wife abuser, a dead-beat dad. He will have choices (thank God). He will graduate with his High School diploma (as have many other people with Down Syndrome), he can have the choice to go to a college program or get a job. He can live with us or live on his own (yes, with a little assistance - but what kid DOESN’T need assistance). He will have choices.

I was told when he was born not to look at an adult or even a teenager with Down Syndrome and think that is exactly how my boy will be when he grows up. We know so much more now then we did when they were kids. Regardless - he is a person. He laughs and cries, he gets his feelings hurt and feels great joy. He has learned some things at a “typical” rate and has taken a little longer to learn others…but he still LEARNED (and tries harder than any other kid I’ve ever seen). Don’t even dare to begin to say he is not viable or a burden.

Thank you, Father, for posting this. Any discussion on this is good to have. I am actually pro-choice but had the prenatal test done just because I wanted to know - but I knew I wanted him either way. My husband and I love him with all our hearts and will fight for him and for his rights until our last breath. I believe that the prenal testing can be used for good - but know that it has a higher than probable chance of increasing the already high rate of abortion due to DS diagnosis. It’s very sad. If I can do anything at all - I just want people to know the truth about our kids…to stop listening to all the outdated bs out there…the misconceptions…the stuff that some people might say to make themselves feel better about deciding differently then we did. Just make sure if faced with this same decision - make sure you make an INFORMED decision.

Down Syndrome is a lifestyle choice, not a birth condition. These babies could be normal if they wanted to be. Ridiculous? Of course, but substitute “gay” for Down Syndrome and you get my point. Many of you fine, upstanding Christians can accept a Down Syndrome baby, but would throw your gay kid out of the house. Hypocrites.

Dear Father Jonathan: Thank you for your column on Down babies. As the sister of a man with Down who died last year at age 50, I know the blessings these babies bring to families. Yes, there are heartbreaks, too, but Down children are full of love. They give and receive love unconditionally.

So many are now aborted that I call it genocide. Thank you for taking a stand for life!

Monica Roland, Lockport, NY

I’ve read Fr. John’s article and I’ve been reading your comments. They all say pretty much the same thing… a child is a gift from God, ect. Personally, I got NOTHING from snippets of the article that Fr. J posted that made any reference to abortion.
That said, I have a view to offer. I have no children of my own. I do have a fabulous nephew and a gorgeous new niece (born New Year’s Eve of all days!). But both times, when my sisters were carrying these great kids, the family held its collective breath. You see, there’s a little something that runs in our family called Spina Bifida.
My mother nearly died giving birth to her second child because the baby was hydrosyphalic. I almost wasn’t here to read your comments and contribute my own. And, no, the baby didn’t survive. The doctors approached my father and he literally had to choose which one they would save.
Two of her sisters each lost a child because of this severe deformity. And I have a cousin who has endured countless surgeries. She now has kids of her own. They’re fine.
I have to wonder, if these women had had a choice at the time (this was before abortion was legal), and had KNOWN what was wrong, would they have willingly gone ahead with the hell they faced.
Knowing them, I think I can say they would have, but there will always be a shadow of doubt in the back of my mind.

What I’m trying to say is, yes, all children are worthy of life and all that niceness. But a baby is a big job. I refuse to use the word ‘burden’. But, like i said, a baby is an enormous undertaking and a baby with a serious problem is even more so.
Some people just know in their bones that they’re not up to the task.
These people do not need to be condemned or pitied. Their wishes need to be understood, accepted and respected.

If one woman wants lots of kids, fine. Treat your uterus like a clown car if you want. But if another woman doesn’t want kids, “perfect” or not, it’s nobody’s business.

As the mother of a child with cerebral palsy, I am horrified at the mere suggestion of “testing for abnormalities” in the womb of a pregnant woman. I know a good many young adults with downs syndrome along with many others who have cerebral palsy, autism etc and the love they share with others is so unconditional. They love without expecting anything in return. I see the teenage kids of today making a joke out of kids who retarded and physicaly disabled and I blame the parents and the school sytem.

My son received an education because his dad and I fought for him. Granted, he is limited in his knowledge, but his limitations do not give anyone the right to place more limits on him. Contrary to what many might think, if we WORK with the limitations, they become less noticable and become great triumphs.

I have what is called “The Beatitudes for Special People” author unknown and they say everything that needs to be said.

“Blessed are you who take time to listen to difficult speech
For you help us to know that if we persevere we can be understood.

Blessed are you who walk with us in public places and ignore the stares of strangers, for in your friendship we feel good to be ourselves.

Blessed are you who never bid us to “Hurry Up!” and more blessed are you, who do not snatch our tasks from our hands to do them for us, for often we need time rather than help.

Blessed are you who stand beside us as we enter new and untried ventures, for our unsureness will be outweighed by the times when we surprise ourselves and you.

Blessed are you who ask for our help and realize our giftedness, For our greatest need is to be needed.

Blessed are you who help us with the graciousness of Christ,
For often we need the help we can not ask for.

Blessed are you, when by all things, you assure us that what make us individuals is not our particular disability but our beautiful God-given person hood which no handicapping condition can contain.

Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for your understanding and love have opened the doors for us to enjoy life to its full and you have helped us to believe in ourselves as valued and gifted people. ”
author unknown

Why does God allow the disabled to exist? To show us his unconditional love.
NO ONE loves more than a person with a physical or mental disability.

Fr. Johnathon,
Thank you so much for speaking out for the DS community! It’s only those who do not know someone with DS who are trying to eliminate them from society, I have yet to meet even one parent or relative who wished they didn’t have their child with DS.

The problem is not really the tests, the problem is society’s view of DS and the medical communities overwhelming bias AGAINST people with DS. The number one worry of parents is how this child is going to function in society and ‘get along’. As one poster mentioned, the child themselves are a joy and breeze to deal with - dealing with school, the medical community, our neighbors and even our churches, are the really hard part. Fix this, and problem solved.

s I did not have an amnio and my last child was born with DS and two heart defects. When she arrived at the NICU they assumed she must have survived this far by accident and they asked us if we wanted to just let her DIE!!!!! We removed her from their care and placed her in a place that did value, and fought for her life as strongly she did herself.

Today she a is very healthy & bright, lives a happy and meaningful life that is very close to her typical peers. Even if she didn’t, she is a human, and none of us have the right to judge another’s life worth living or not. What a horrible precedent this sets… where does it stop?

And in the meantime, it just further makes her life seem less valuable to society since in many people’s eyes, she just simply should not be here and that she is a huge burden.

Just for the record- we get NO government of supplemental help with our finances for her at all. She is paid for by US.

AND!!! There IS research to help people with DS!!! There WILL be help for the cognitive delays.

Read all about it here : http://www.dsrtf.org/

I’m the adoptive mother of two children with congenital limb defects. Both were born in Russia where abortions for malformed fetuses is commonplace. Thank God (and I do thank God) their birth mothers had no idea of their handicaps until they were born. They were immediately placed into the orphanage system. Their determination and ability to meet life’s challenges are a daily inspiration to me and many, many others who take their good health for granted. Not all people feel capable of coping with parenting different children, but I have watched parents rise to meet the challenges and grow in incredible ways by being the parent to a “less than perfect child”…..and btw…..there is no such thing as a “perfect” child.

Fr. Jonathan has brought abortion into the arena, front and center. And the conservative followers of FoxNews have responded strongly. Many people, including Fr. Jonathan, have personal experience with relatives with Downs Syndrome, and I want to be very, very respectful of each and every one of your experiences. I do understand that most parents come to value their children with DS very highly. Most DS children are truly loving and giving and authentic, in a way that experience and education sort of knock out of the rest of us.

Yet most respondants are talking about babies or young children. We are hard-wired to respond protectively towards youngsters, especially those in trouble. Babies clearly cannot survive without adult intervention, and we are programmed to nurture.

But babies grow up. Medical science has made tremendous inroads, so that the survival of even badly disabled babies is possible, maybe even probable. A full grown 16 yr old is much more difficult to handle than a baby, especially if a male and prone to frustrated outbursts. As for DS, there are, I believe, four degrees of disability. It’s not a matter of progressing from one to the other; you’re born with what you’ve got, and that’s that. It’s my impression that the 4th stage is badly disabled, although in all unaffected areas likely to be healthy. That speaks to a relatively long life requiring constant care. All parents of disabled youngsters have to worry about what will happen to their children once they can no longer take care of them.

It is beautiful that some parents feel sorry for the families who have not been blessed with a child with DS. That’s been expressed several times here, and it is a testament to the mothers & fathers & siblings of those children. I do think a society can be judged by its willingness to accept and provide for the disabled, the old, and the sick. Certainly, we benefit tremendously by being able to show compassion and care for the humanity in people who can not, for one reason or another, contribute to their own care. Christianity is almost defined by its altruistic concern for the marginalized, and I think most of us in the Western world have reason to be grateful for that.

But … everything in this world is finite, and we must of necessity acknowledge the existence of limits. There are limits to what certain individuals can bear and there are even limits to what all of us as a society can bear. Although Fr. Jonathan might hold very strong views of what is right or wrong for a person to do (as do most people on this blog), I think it very difficult to dictate to another human being. I would hesitate to tell a woman she could not have an abortion because of Downs Syndrome or whatever. People break. Even adults. Bad situations can get worse. I believe we are free to judge (that’s one way we learn and set parameters for ourselves), but I believe we have to give couples the right to make their own decisions on abortion.

As you might guess, I agree with Mrs. Post above. I don’t see a fetus as a full-fledged human being — in my mind, that would reduce the mother to nothing more than an incubator. I am not Catholic and I have to defend the rights of the mother above those of the fetus. (For one thing, the mother is here, born & grown up, while the fetus is still a hope and a dream.) As I have stated before, I don’t know when a fetus acquires a soul or when exactly it becomes a person. I cannot agreee that the unborn deserve the same Bill of Rights as the born do. Yes, a week either way doesn’t make a great deal of difference. But you have to draw line as to when it’s murder. In my mind, it’s murder once a baby is born. Even defenseless as it is, a born baby is a person. Unborn? No.

Fr. Jonathan may well be right that ultrasounds are the best argument against my point of view — that a fetus is not a “done deal” as a born baby is. I am not arguing for abortion, per se, but I do support the option. Life is messy.

In my world, it is perfectly right and proper for Fr. Jonathan to pursue his view of God and man and how people should respond to God and their world. And that would include arguing passionately against abortion. Just as others, including me, will insist abortion is an option, and an option that can be exercised without repercussions from the state. This is not a matter for the state. Be careful of what you legislate — one law always leads to another. There is a division between “Caesar’s world” and God’s. Once upon a time, when the Vatican wielded great temporal power, it lost a lot of its moral compass and opened the door to Protestantism. Not to take a cheap shot, but …

In any case, I greatly value this blog. Mainly because Fr. Jonathan presents the world from a different viewpoint than I’m used to, as do most of the readers. Thank you.

Dear Father, this topic is near and dear to my heart. My younger brother called me in tears about 6 years ago to tell me he and his wife just had a Down Syndrome baby. I was devastated. The next day, I was on a plane to help them through this terrible time. When I got to the hospital, there was this beautiful little baby! Okay, his ears stuck out a little bit and his face looked a little different. I realized that this was not so terrible after all. I will tell you the worst part. My brother and his wife did not think that their friends and family would want to be around them because he had a “birth defect”. They thought they would be on their own. My brother was originally going to name him Matthew after me, but did not because he was concerned about what I would think. I told him that was crazy, he was my nephew and I loved him no matter what. Here we are 6 years later. We have had so much fun over the years with Shane. He plays, goes to (regular) school and is very popular, fishes, tells stories and is the most loving kid I know. I speak with him on the phone every week and he is just as easy to talk with as any other 6 year old. No one in our family can imagine being without him. Everyone in our family has also seen first hand, God’s message of unconditional love.

By the way, shortly after his birth, I proudly saw his parents “fix” the name error. He is Shane Matthew now!

I agree Father. Isn’t it nice though that we can have this discussion? There have been many comments here that indicate this could be good - even for pro-lifers like us. It’s an actual cying shame that anyone would ever use this to kill a fetus - no matter what religion. Any religion or “moral code” that condones abortion is simply unacceptable.
We have 2 healthy children. I also have a mentally retarded cousin - so does my wife. They are wonderful people.
When the doctor asked us when - not if - we wanted to take the tests that indicate Downs, he was shocked that we did not feel the need to know. I told him that we will accept and love any child - no matter the hardship - it is simply the right thing to do.
Thank you for what you do Father.

Your comments are very timely and well expressed. My 46 year old Downs brother enjoys the thrill of his life every time I give him a ride home on my Harley, an almost weekly occurance during the summer months. You might find it interesting to note that I’ve been told there are adoptive families who are on waiting lists, waiting specifically for a Downs child. One of the highest abominations to God is the shedding of innocent blood. May God forgive us as a culture for the horror we have perpetrated in the name of personal convenience, not to mention a messed up perspective of what constitutes valuable life. Thank you for raising the bar.

The late Chaim Ginott, who was a principal as well as a psychologist, included this comment told to him by a survivor of the Holocaust, on the last page of his book, Teacher and Child:

“I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no man should witness: Gas chambers built by learned engineers, children poisoned by educated physicians, infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot and buried by high school and college graduates. So, I am suspicious of education.”

Ginott then added, “My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts should never produce learned monsters, skilled psychopaths, educated Eichmans. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more humane.”

Those of us in the disability field (whether parents, professionals, or friends) have our work cut out for us to encourage a discussion and genuine consideration of the bioethics of these tests and HUMANITY. Perhaps the next generation (who have grown up in the era of inclusion) will help carry the torch in the future?

The other day my wife was telling me about her experience with a little boy she had met with Down syndrome. Earlier in the day, while walking back home from the doctor’s office, she stopped for lunch at a tiny restaurant. While her food was being prepared, a little boy with Down syndrome came out of the kitchen and right up to her. He had a small mirror in his hand which he was playing with as a toy. He turned his toy so that the side with the mirror was facing my wife. He wanted her to see.

Later that night, hours after telling me about this — which certainly doesn’t seem to be a big deal in the first place — she said that for some reason there was something here — this littly boy — that really touched her. She said that for some reason, throughout the day, she had been contemplating what it was exactly that had touched her — what was different about this little child?

Eventually she figured it out. Her experience with other children is that they are always taking things for themselves. But with this little boy, he wanted to share — or rather give. Any other child would have only looked at themselves. Yet this child with Down syndrome wanted my wife to have the best part of his toy.

My own experience with a woman with Down syndrome is special, too. There was such innocense and happiness and joy about her. She seemed free of all the insecurities with which the rest of us are stained because of our human experience in this world.

Once, right before mass, while everyone in the pews was silently preparing, a lady with Down syndrome, along with her mother, sat just a few feet away from me. As I was sitting there, the lady looked over at me and whispered, ‘My name is Theresa.’ I whispered back, ‘Hi, my name is Matt.’ She then said, ‘My birthday is ….’

She was so innocent! I really felt such joy and couldn’t help but smile. Then her mother, thinking that her daughter was bothering me, said, ‘Theresa, stop.’ I wanted to tell the mother, ‘No, please, I really want her to keep talking to me.’ Perhaps I’ll never be better prepared for mass again. I was in a state of great joy and wanted to worship God for his little ones — they have the greatest souls and really are better than the rest of us. Also, I thought it wonderful that St. Therese of Lisieux is my favorite saint and that I had just met another little flower with the same name.

We have a son with Down Syndrome. He is 26. He is generally happy, friendly, hard-working and fun-loving. Pretty much the same things we hope for our other two children. Having better, less invasive tests is a good thing. Of course, the accuracy of this test is not yet good enough to be certain about a diagnosis. The bad thing is that many believe that abortion is an automatic choice after a diagnosis of Down Syndrome. How sad. One hesitates to criticize individual couples who make a hard choice. However, as public policy, elimination of a category of citizens, simply because they are inconvenient at times, is obscene. Abortion of a baby with Down Syndrome is not a cure, nor a preventitive, it is elimination. The world would be a more imperfect place if it did not have some citizens with Down Syndrome in it.

I recommend that people google “Welcome to Holland” to learn a bit about having a child with Down Syndrome.

Father Jonathan,

In your quest to be relevant and play by society’s rules (i.e. scientific arguments are the only arguments that really matter), be careful what you say.

“Science—not religion and not pro-life politics—will transform the way we think about abortion.”

In India, this same “science” that you hope will transform attitudes about abortion is used to identify culturally-disfavored little girls for death. Now “science” is making it easier to target Down’s babies.

These technologies are currently an incredibly useful tool in preventing abortions, but only because of a residual respect for life that ultimately flows from religion. Lose the religious basis, and the ultrasound easily becomes a seek and destroy weapon.

Keep defending the unborn, but use all your tools (moral argument among them) and don’t rely on heartless science to save the day.

John M.

I am going against the majority on this one. People have used selective breeding from plants to people. This really is just an extension of that.

While I would be in favor finding a “cure” to Down’s but we are talking about here is almost pure genetics. Finding a cure would require individual gene resequencing (and we are no where near that level of technology, and never will be so long as the ethical/morality debate rages) and if we were at that level the cost would be beyond most if not all parents.

The best bet is to reduce its genetic footprint. It basically serves the same purpose for future generations of a “cure”. By not cultivating that set of genetic traits in future generations, we can virtually eliminate it from the collective gene pool.

That said, I am very much in favor of selective genetic alteration to eliminate genetic diseases and disabilities. If my genes or those of my future children could be altered to eliminate even something as simple myopia, I am all for it.

Bottom line, it should always be a choice of the parents on how they want to deal with their own personal issues. There really is no room for debate as to what is ethical and what is moral when the only two people who should reserve judgement are those who are directly affected by the decision they make (i.e. the parents).

You guys need to back out of the bedroom/home and leave people alone to make their own decisions. There is no need to legisilate what goes on between two consenting adults (short of the obvious, lets try to keep it relavent to this topic).

This will sound bad - but I don’t see a lot of wisdom in throwing resources at a non-curable condition that is going to be a burden on society. If parents want to take this on solo - fine, but can we please not look for public monies to help with this! Tax money to find prevention - great. But not for support of parents who did not consider the cost/burden when they elected to have the baby.

Let us try to focus on the positive here, that there is a new test that is much safer that will allow parents to be able to make more decisions and preparations in advance. As I have seen and heard, children with Down Syndrome do require more care and have different needs than normal children. This test will not make people love their children less, but will help them to prepare for a child that might have special needs.

I am the father two imperfect children - both brilliant, beautiful and successful - but imperfect just the same. My father was the father of four imperfect children, including me. If you haven’t gotten the point by now, we are all flawed, and who among us has the right or wisdom to judge the imperfection of others.

I spent several years working with both developmentally disabled and mentally disabled folks and I learned more from them than they ever learned from me. The most important lesson: life is what we make of it, not what life has made of us. Disability is normal.

Very well said Father. I especially like what you say about science. Science has shown as the growth of a human person inside the womb. The fetus is no longer something unseen, or unknown until it is born. Science shows us that indeed the fetus is the beginning of a person’s life. It seems so obvious, it feels odd to have to say it.

Father,

Check out Alaska’s Governors new baby. http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trig.php

Tony

To the father who said “Thank the Gods the test came back as negative. I have a healthy, intelligent, and happy 14 year old son now…” I say:

I have an extremely healthy, highly intelligent and always happy 17-month old son who has Down syndrome. Thank God he sent him to me & not to someone like you who couldn’t accept him and possibly wouldn’t have let him be born. He is the light of my life and a joy to our family every day! We are expecting our 4th child in a few weeks and CHOSE not to have prenatal testing done because it doesn’t matter to us if this child also has Down syndrome.

Regardless of where you stand on the abortion issue, most of you wouldn’t admit to advocating genocide, although that’s what this issue really is.

I think the point Father Morris is making is that the wording by the doctor that the “healthy” fetus wouldn’t be harmed:

“saving normal fetuses from invasive and potentially dangerous procedures such as amniocentesis”.

Without a genetic test, you have no idea if the fetus is normal or not, so the doctor’s wording doesn’t make sense. It may be dicing words a bit.

My 18 month-old daughter has Down syndrome and has the constitution of an elephant. She is strong and healthy. She has never even had ear infection. We found out at 20 weeks and it never occurred to us to terminate the pregnancy. We chose to be parents to the child we were given. Down syndrome was, frankly, the least of our worries. There are far more scary things out there.

My wife and I are both agnostic, so religious views are not relevant to us. Life is life. If you want to create super-race by preventing births of children who do not conform to your idea of normal, that is your prerogative. Luckily, there are millions of us out there who cherish life in whatever form it comes in. I’d rather have a child with Down syndrome than a kid that will grow up to be a jack*ss. Next we’ll just kill kids who get cancer or other diseases that are difficult to live with because people are too selfish or too worried about polar bears.

Most of us don’t want a child with some type of problem. However, the truth is that there are thousands of diseases and disorders out there that could strike your “normal” kid at anytime. Are you going to throw your kid out with the garbage if that happens?

We had to mourn the loss of a child that we will never have. She’s not going to be doctor or a lawyer, but she will be something. Already, she brightens the day of everyone she meets. To me, that is the greatest gift any of us can give to another. I don’t want to live in a world without people like my daughter.

The main problem we have is the shift in society’s view regarding life in general. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting YOUR child to have Down Syndrome, Autism, Diabetes 1, Cystic Fibrosis, or even a particular gender, etc.. The sad shift in society is when the child you CHOOSE-to-MAKE…you don’t want to live. Our society was appalled at what Hitler’s views were regarding this.

We should all be PRO-CHOICE…as long as it’s interpreted as our CHOICE-to-MAKE a baby. THIS should be the choice, not whether to end the life of another individual. We should all know how babies are made…please, let’s start there with exercising our pro-choice rights.

Sorry, Father, but your article lacks impact without the knowledge that 90% of fetuses diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted. Otherwise, there is no reason to think that testing and early diagnosis wouldn’t be good for a baby with Downs. Theoretically, it might be beneficial to have the advanced knowledge to prepare for any extra attention a “Down baby” might need at birth.

And, its that stark statistic, 90% of Down babies are aborted, that is so shocking and horrifying.

When my wife was pregnant the Dr. sat down to explain to us the risks associated with amniocentisis, before he was two minutes into it, I stopped him. I told him we were not interested in the procedure.
How any person with any morals could kill a child just because they may have some problem is mind numbing. So, for us the results would not have mattered, we would have loved the child just the same.
So, downs or not, there was no desicion to make.
These people that would consider it are the lowest forms of life.
If you would end a babys life because care maybe costly or it might be “inconvienent” I have news for you, raising a child is not supposed to be easy. Nothing worth doing is.
If you want easy buy a goldfish and leave the parenting for those of us that care.

Dear Father Jonathan,
I actually cried when I read the article you reference. I fear for the day when we make this test commonplace — and know that today there are far fewer Down’s children in the world than there were when I was a child, due to current testing. My child has autism, for which there is currently no test — but I know researchers are seeking a prenatal test for the same reasons that Dr. Lo has completed his research. I adore my child and while I pray for her to recover, I know that she is a blessing to us and enriches the lives of all who know her. For those of you who watched the footage of the Holy Father’s visit this spring, he visited and blessed children with disabilities and their families, and reminded us that their contributions to society may seem modest but are still treasured by our Father in heaven (and that’s a paraphrase, but the gist of his message). And regarding Ms Meir’s concerns above, they are real and valid — it is worrisome to think of what will happen to our children when we are no longer here — worrisome and frightening. Still, we do what we can and pray for Divine providence — and have faith.

It can take me quite a while to write any comment, and by the time I finished, I saw that many, many more had been posted. Before I tried to express what this debate was like from a disabled point of view. Now I want to say thank you for all the kind souls who’ve posted in defense of those with Downs, or any other disability. It helps to make the challenge of writing well worth it. Again, Thanks.

Father Jonathan,
Bless you. We have a neighbor who had a Downs syndrome son. He was and is the joy of the neighborhood. Oh he got himself into trouble on occasion but what boy doesn’t. He is now 24 years old, graduated from High School, holds two jobs and as I said a joy to behold. These children have every right to life, just as every child does. The ‘difference’ isn’t the child it’s the parents. I truly believe it takes a special parent to have a ’special child.’
God bless them all!

Thank you Father Jonathon for having the courage and compassion to bring this up.

“Unless, of course, we decide some human beings (the healthy, for example) have more rights than others.”

Been there, done that… it’s what makes the ADA (& it’s current updating) ever more necessary. Yet what things like the ADA can never address is the widespread aversion to what’s seen, perceived as damaged, broken, or otherwise defective bodies - our shells so-to-speak. It’s made things better - people are much more accepting as a whole than they used to be, I believe because the disabled can get out more, so that we’re not such a startling oddity - but unless each individual makes the effort to overcome it, the common aversion is still there.

It’s the root and core of the discussion, whether or not it’s acknowledged individually, or openly. Imagine for a moment the uproar if the test wasn’t for Downs, but was for heterosexuality? Think it would get *ANY* positive press then? That the disabled are less than any normal is evident in Lo’s PR piece, and I don’t doubt for a nano second that it’s viewed as a perfectly rational perspective, eminently practical, by millions of people around the world. Why else have a prenatal test at all? I mean it’s not like “I want to know so if it’s a boy we can paint the nursery blue”. I suppose it’s perfectly practical…

It’s also wrong from any *impractical* perspective. Unless you’re close to someone who is disabled, or until you’re disabled yourself and subject to the constant pressure and alas, outright bigotry, it’s very hard to understand - my poor writing skills do not make it any easier… We are not part of nor product of disease or calamity or accident. Part of my body & my brain have been compromised, become broken by an illness. Fix either or both, and guess what?.. I’m still me! I wish for a cure, believe me, but if a cure were to come along tomorrow, it would only give me more tools to work with - in an online context, it would be like upgrading my PC. Nothing more. But for all that, in the eyes of someone else, I am my disease. I am the disease that crippled me - the disease to be avoided, cut out & yes, killed if that were at all practical.

“They have a different set of values than Christians do. I don’t think that it is fair to say that they are wro