â—ŠAbortion VS Down Syndrome â—Š

I learned today that a person can find out ahead of time, like two or three months into the pregnancy, if their child is gonna have down syndrome or not.

If you found out that your child is gonna have down syndrome or any disease for a matter of fact.

Would you keep it, knowing that your child will never be accepted into society as anything, but an object of pity?

I don't think I would be able to put anybody through that type of pain, but if I chose an abortion, that means I'm killing something that was made inside of me, something that was a part of me.

I am very curious as to what people would do in such a situation.

Abortion or Down Syndrome? Please explain why you chose what you did.

( )_( )
(='.'=)
(")-(") Arrivederci!

Ok, I'm editing this out because I agree with Bob down below.

I'd keep it. Because he/she deserves a fair go in life. It's not fair to kill it just because it has a down sydrome. And they're still your child. You'd love it no matter what.

There's also a syndrome that can weaken the body. I was told that the baby could live only to its twenties.

I don't want to get attached to the baby and then for it to just die and leave me forever.

As for what Bob said, I agree, but it does not matter how society makes you feel, but your child.

"I'd be protesting K-mart for not having some 8 legged pair of pants........"

And that's why I regret not being able to meet you in person. You sir, are a great person.

( )_( )
(='.'=)
(")-(") Arrivederci!

I wouldn't, and I work with kids who cannot look after themselves and It breaks my heart.

It is forbidden in certain cultures to create another who cannot look after themselves.

Nature does not allow it, and though the love of the parent transcends all things, though i've never yet known this love....I still wouldn't.

nevermind.. not gonna go there today...
~Anthony

I have a cousin who has Down's syndrome and it is quite surprising how incredibly smart these kids are . When someone is sad she will go and give them a big hug .....something most people without Down's wouldn't even have the compassion to do.

My only opinion is : who has the right to pick and chose their children ? They are not like a litter of puppies where you get to pick the cutest one to keep .
If my mom had of known I would end up with a disease in my 20's would she have decided to end my life before I was born .....hopefully not ....
And I do hope that when the day comes that I might need care that the nurse aid or whomever doesn't look at me with pity thinking I should never have been born.....

My choice I would have and keep the child .....but that is only my opinion . Who am I to judge another .

^^ You'd think so at 16 I guess........But at 34 and a mother of 2 ....they are not

I would never abort a baby, period!

How would you feel if you had the baby aborted because the doctor said he/she had down syndrome. But then afterward, they discovered that there was a mis-diagnosis.

Also, ever heard of something called a miracle. They happen daily.
There's a boy that I used to babysit who had cerebal palsy. The doctors said he wouldn't live to be over 6 or 7 years old and would never walk or talk. That boy is now 16 years old and a junior in high school. He walks with a walker and gets around just fine.
Children are resilient creatures and overcome the greatest odds. I don't think it's fair for anyone to take away their chance at greatness....

In my opinion, a child is a child, and a parent's love is unconditional...it shouldn't matter if the child has down syndrome. And I sincerely believe that children with down syndrome are the closest to perfection. I have never seen one hit or make fun of another child, and I've never seen them talk bad about someone, or ever put another person down. They are total sweethearts. And when people say they won't experience happiness...well, I went to an amusement park just last summer, and I saw this girl who was probably about nineteen, and she had down syndrome... and there she was, sitting right in between her mom and her dad, laughing her head off because she was having so much fun on a ride. If that isn't happiness, than I don't know what is. Because that girl looked happier than even I could ever be.

I could never abort my child. While I was pregnant with my 11 year old the doctors and my mom both tried to talk me into aborting him. I had literally put my life on the line for him and to this day I have no regrets.

My son has since been diagnosed with Bipolar disorder, but he is one of the lucky children who knows the true meaning of genuine love.

In my opinion all children with a disability are also the most caring. There is no reason to abort a child in my mind.

Bob: If you ever go to protest K-mart or WalMart let me know sir. I will be right there with you proudly diplaying my sign for eight legged garments or what ever a child may need as well.

--Sher

Killing an unborn child because it is physically and will be mentally imperfect is outrageously selfish and (can't think of a word right now).

If we were all predicted to be the way we are and how we got to be so, the world would be bare to nothing but dirt. It would be empty because we are all damaged, and we would be shot down before we even became socially unacceptable.

My older sister was predicted to have problems. From the day she was born, as my mother told me, she was sick. Terribly sick. No doctor wanted to do anything about it. She developed an almost complete hearing loss along with the common speech impediment. She will lose all of her hearing one day.

If my mom had ever aborted my sister for fear of her not being "accepted" into society, i would have never forgiven her for her decision. If i ever knew that i missed out on something i could have had, like the smile my sister always has, i would have grown up a very unhappy girl.

And i agree with Sunny. They don't deserve to be a parent at all...if they can't handle being supportive and loving, parenthood doesn't belong to them.

Congratulations on the baby, Sunny. :)

-Nora-

It all comes down to each persons understanding of what a good life is.

For me being alive is about being independant, aware and able to explore and learn.

And so when i think about bringing a baby into the world, and then add the knowledge that my child wouldn't be able to do these things to any great level by my reckoning...then i wouldn't want to do it.

^^^ Actually, I believe that it is because they have a better understanding of peace and love than the majority of the human race can accept.

--Sher

It depends on the person who holds the baby itself. If they choose abortion, whether it has down syndrome. It is still their choice.

We are not going to judge another person's actions. It is not our place.

It's pretty hard to say what I would do. But let me tell you this..

I have an aquarium, with lots of fishes. Also expensive and beautiful ones.. (alright now you think, where the hell is she going)..
Had one beautiful sweet one, he was very sick, he was dying slowly and painful. I knew I had to kill him. Stop the suffering. Take it out the water.. And take it's life in order to help him.
But I couldn't. I just couldn't. And I don't know why. ..

Well.. what did I do?.. I took the poor fish to the pet (hahaha). Got him the most expensive medicines I could get. Gave him the best care I could.. Took care of him for a month.

And what happened? Nothing.. found him dead on the bottom of the aquarium last week.

Well. I didn't take his life, I tried my very best to safe him. And I know that. I know I did.

So If I'm doing this for.. for what? A fish!?.. Then hell yes, I would do it for a child aswell... I would never take his/her life.

Wow...I really think that is heartless.

Mona...i actually shed a tear over the little guy. :'(

GO TOWARDS THE LIGHT, FISHY!!!! GO TO FISHY HEAVEN AND MAKE LITTLE FISHY ANGEL BABIES!

At least you tried.

-Nora-

Lit said "No tards are going to ruin my genepool."

Wow, that is the most heartless and ignorant statement I've ever heard.

I hope with all my heart you are never blessed with children of your own. Because no child deserves to be subjected to the harsh ignorance that you just displayed.

Oh and as for your genepool, I'd say its screwed up enough already.

Mona-

Oh my...that was a touching story! It made me laugh and teary all at the same time. >.<

Lit-

You are such a comedian aren't ya? 'Tis a shame no one is laughing at your ignorance.

If I knew ahead of time that my child is gonna turn out like you, I'd killed myself for even being able to bring such form of life into this world.

~Atomic

@ Lit -* rolls eyes in disgust*

*Tosses Sunny some chicken* blows kisses to the beautiful babies

*shakes* Atomics hand

my uncle has down syndrome and I don't love him any less because he doesn't look like I do.

I think if you know you are going to have a baby with downs you have alot of thinking ahead of you. Because raising a downs baby is more stressful than raising a child that was born "normal". Finanically it will be harder because they have more health problems, chances are they will get alzhimers when they are in there 40's.

It's completly up to the mother/parents what she decides to do and thats the only thing should matter is what they decide. But just remember they wouldnt' love you any less why should we love them any less?\

Working with individiules who were "labed retarded" really helped me understand the pros and cons. If you don't want to raise the child they have great places that will take your child and you can visit, adoption is also an option. And if you just can't see yourself going through it then there is abortion. I would never tell someone not to get an abortion because it is there body not mine. But ...love is unconditional thats what i've always been told anyways...

JPM or Lit or whatever you like to call yourself...Don't you think that your statement was a little bit inane. Seeing as you call yourself intelligent..

Awe, hehe, no need to sob for my fishy, I know he's fine in fishyheaven!

Haha

children with down syndrome are alike any other human. i work with a girl with down syndrome and she knows what is going on, she is just like a child. she is 28 years old and is one of the happiest people i've ever met. only messed up disgusting people see them as nothing and/or make fun of them. abortion is murder anyway.

I didn't read all of the responses and most everyone knows how I feel about abortion but I wanted to jump in any way. My brother was told that his son could possibly have down syndrome when his wife was about 3 months pregnant. When asked if they were going to keep the child my sister in law said "why the hell wouldn't we, that's our baby and he'll be here with us no matter what" -- something a REAL woman would say. The fact that a child will have down syndrome or any other disorder doesn't mean they don't have the right to live. And who cares what OTHER people are going think of your baby. I've watched many PBS specials about children with down syndrome living completely normal lives and being happy, inspiring people more than most of us could ever imagine. EVERY child deserves to live...abortion should NEVER be an option. My opinion.......

*nods* ... Well said Natalie..

*nods* ... Well said Natalie..

00psie double post, sorry! *blushes and hides*

Ok...i would have thought you people might have learned your lesson with Justplainme or all the other firestarters we've had in here.

In case you have forgotten..here's how the attention seeking formula works.

Interesting topic discussion+absurd highly offensive statement+highly offended moral liberal replies=lots of attention for the perpetrator.

Solution, ignore the hook and just focus on replying to the idea of his post...which is in essence a valid point about selective breeding and survival of the fittest.

there isn't survival of the fittest anymore among human beings.

Would you kill your baby...?? Hum, like, because people would pity ME for having a down syndrome baby, or because the baby might suffer?
I would keep my child, forever. The questions works better for me this way: I sent my pregnant cat to the vet (this is just an example) and I was told that they had discovered that the kittens were sick, and that although the pregnancy probably wouldn't be complicated for the mother cat, the kittens would be born in a terrible shape, distorted, objects of pity...
Of course I'd keep my cats! If I knew they would be born dead, I'd still give them the dignity of being born, at all!! Oh, well, if they were to be born dead, maybe not, because then the mother cat would cry....But one thing I know, from living with cats all my life, is that the mother cat wouldn't care what shape the kittens were born in, whether they were stupid, twisted, or pitied. She would love them truly, all the same. I can only hope that the human mothers in them have enough motherly instinct in them to preserve and protect their young, no matter what the cost.

//Truest Lies//

Before you ask...yes, I know that many of you think that a human and a cat are very different. Okay, but they're both mothers. That doesn't (at least shouldn't) vary very much between them.

Another teary animal story!

OH MY GOD, I'M SERIOUSLY GOING TO CRY!!!!

First fishies, now kitties...

It's so BEAUTIFUL! XS

-Nora-

So nicely put ^

Of Course I Would Keep My Child...Why Should I Abort It? Down Syndrome Has Become a Very Common Disease Thats Very Managable In This Century, And I Believe Every Child No Matter Their Birth Defect Or Their Destined Obstacle In Life Deserves The Chance To Live And Have a Shot At Life....If You Take That Away From Them, Its Just Murder *All Apologies To Those Who Are Pro-Choice, Abortion Supporters, Republicans, And To All Those Affended* xoxo-Nikki-xoxo

How elitist....

And Idealist...

Lol..

How the world goes round and round...

Edited out.

I loved the story with the kittens, Truest Lies =*(