I read this article this morning. As I read the comments from parents that said they would abort their baby if they found out it was going to have Down Syndrome, it occurred to me what a different conversation there would be if they didn't know they were going to have a baby with Down Syndrome. These people would learn that they were given a gift.
The comment "I would have a very hard time dealing with a retarded child. Retardation is relative, it could be so negligible that the child is normal, or so severe that the child has nothing… All of the sharing things you want to do, the things you want to share with a child – that, to me, is the essence of being a father. There would be a big void that I would feel. I would feel grief, not having what I consider a normal family."
Let's talk about this statement. If you had a "retarded" child, the first thing you would do, is stop using that word. You have a child that has Down Syndrome. This is not who the child is. "It could be so negligible that the child is normal, or so severe that the child has nothing". First, no child is normal and every child is special. The severity of a child with Down Syndrome does not dictate the child having nothing. If they have family, they have what they need and so do you. Yes, some people grieve at what they "thought" they wanted. Heath White told his story and he sounded like all the people that said they would abort their baby with Down Syndrome. His child is not perfect but his love for his daughter is perfect.
Being Catholic, I reflect on what God gave us when he gave us Katharine Mary Rogers, our precious Looly. He gave us love. Pure and simple love. We were open to life. Life. Before Looly, I never even considered what having a special needs child would be like and when we were told she had Down Syndrome, I still didn't know. But we trusted in our God of love. We trusted that He sent this special baby for a big reason.
Let me tell you about Looly. She is three years old. She has blond hair, a beautifully round face, big hazel eyes, a mouth full of laughs! She wakes up happy every single day. When I get her out of her crib, I get the best hug of the day. Squeezes and warmth. I cover her with kisses. She is not potty trained yet because she is delayed. It will happen in her time, not mine. She can eat and drink on her own. She has recently fallen in love with books. She loves loves loves music! She loves her talking toys. She says a few words and will soon be in a program to bring her more verbal. She can run and jump. She can climb. She loves to swim. Looly is stubborn. I have a greater patience than I ever had. She is funny! She knows how to tease us. Looly is love. Love is kind.
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