World Down Syndrome Day

Today is March 21, World Down Syndrome Day.

From the International Down Syndrome Coalition for Life comes this wonderful video which includes a picture of Wade.

As you watch it, celebrate Life with us!

Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My name welcomes Me.    Mark 9:36

Great Expectations

"But why," said Randall, completely bewildered, "why would anyone want to cure Down syndrome?"

At one of our last support group meetings, the discussion touched on the possibilities of current scientific research which will be able to map out that extra chromosome and its blueprint for our children. 

"Who knows!" said Chris, "I might be the one to figure it out, just like Randall might be the one who discovers the cure for cancer!"

Four years ago, I may have been more excited about such possibilities.  Today, however, I find myself lagging in enthusiasm when it comes to "cure-all" remedies for my son with that lovely extra chromosome.

For, hand-in-hand with the idea that he needs to be "cured" comes the ominous medical breakthrough of a non-invasive
prenatal blood test which will diagnose Down syndrome with deadly accuracy.

Deadly, because there is a demon lurking behind this medical "advancement"---a demon who peers out behind the words of a researcher from the Institute of Neurology and Genetics in Nicosia.

"The cheaper and quicker method of blood sampling rather than collecting fluid from the womb will encourage more couples to take the test and therefore slowly eradicate the disease. There is no cure, so this is a test for couples who want to know and prevent it.  It...can identify Down syndrome in the 11th week of pregnancy, early enough for a woman to end her pregnancy if she chooses."

---Philippos Patsalis

I don't know you, Philippos, but I'm sad that you choose to label Down syndrome as a disease that needs to be cured.  And I pray that somehow, somewhere, someone with Down syndrome will find you and love you until you know, as I do, that, indeed, there is no cure needed for this wonderful anomaly that makes our world beautiful.

For, wonderful though it may seem to be the Potential Mother of Future Scientists Who Discover Great Cures, I find it more wonderful still to be the mother of a little boy who, like nearly all others in his family of 47 chromosomes, has been given the cure for Hatred.

Great would be the scientist who could isolate the gene for loving others the way they should be loved.

And that, Philippos, would be the cure we all need.



If Down syndrome is a disease then the world needs to catch the symptoms and spread them quickly — unconditional love, purity, innocence, honesty, and an incorruptible spirit of Light!  ---Kurt Kondrich, (dad of Chloe, age 7, who belongs to the race that knows Love)

Yeah, Right...

"But, Mom," Randall protests, "Angry Birds is beneficial. It helps to develop eye/hand coordination."

(Sorry, Randall, I don't think it was written into your OT goals. Too bad.)