Brenna, the darling girl we are adopting from China, has Down Syndrome. I knew that she had Down Syndrome when I found her and fell in love with her. Pat and I made an intentional decision to pursue the adoption of a child with Down Syndrome and in this post I attempt to explain why.
But perhaps the simplest answer is WHY NOT?!
An individual with Down Syndrome is indeed created in the image of God just like any other person. Brenna's extra 21st chromosome is no accident. God placed it there in her DNA, on purpose. It is who she is, who He created her to be. She is fearfully and wonderfully made, just as you and I are.
Down Syndrome is not a death sentence, nor a prognosis of a life of suffering. The life expectancy for an individual with Down Syndrome has risen from 23 in the 1980s to 60 currently. Yes, there are lots of health issues associated with Down Syndrome, but the medical community is aware of the risks and able to proactively and effectively monitor them, detect them, and in most cases, treat them. Early intervention and special education services are available in all school districts to help children with Down Syndrome reach their full potential, and there are so many community resources, groups and programs available to adults.
Individuals with Down Syndrome have relationships. They have jobs. They have hobbies. They fall in love. They make and spend money. They play. They worship. They have friends. They have personalities. They have pets. They make a difference in the world. They fulfill their God-given purpose.
We live in an era of medical technology in which pregnant women are encouraged to have prenatal testing to identify birth defects and genetic conditions. Many women who find out that the baby they are carrying has Down Syndrome will have an abortion. Statistics vary widely on how often this occurs, but the most reputable one I have found is 67%....2 out of every 3 babies diagnosed prenatally as having Down Syndrome are aborted. I am passionately pro-life and I am not going to apologize for that. I believe God's word is abundantly clear that life begins at conception, and that all life has value. So for me, these statistics are nauseating.
I'd like to also share this quote from Mark Bradford, president of the Jerome Lejeune Foundation USA: "Whatever the statistical realities may be, the number of those who choose abortion after a prenatal diagnosis is far too high. It should be none. To paraphrase the recently deceased disabilities rights activist, Dr. Adrienne Asch, the only thing prenatal diagnosis can provide is a first impression of who a child will be. Making such a radical decision as to end the life of a child based upon a first impression is a most horrible and violent form of discrimination. It has no place in an American society that is committed to ending discrimination in any form and that has intensified that effort for persons with disabilities over the last 25 years since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July 1990."
The Down Syndrome parenting books that I got from the library spend a good deal of time talking about getting a diagnosis, whether that is prenatally or at birth, and coming to terms with that as a parent. It is not my intention to diminish the significance of this process for families, as they are facing something unexpected and life-altering. If birth parents feel they cannot meet the needs of their baby with Down Syndrome, the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network is available to help: http://www.ndsan.org/
Brenna needs a family, and we're going to be her family. I am no hero. I am just a Mama who fell in love with her baby, and her baby has Down Syndrome. She also has dark hair, and brown eyes, and a precious smile. I can't wait to meet her, and hold her, and love her for the rest of my life. I know it won't be easy, but the best things in life rarely are.
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