When Edward Batha’s newborn daughter was diagnosed with Down syndrome, he thought it would spell a lifetime of suffering. But one year on, her resolute character and sunny nature has led him to rethink what it means to be a member of society.

From the (UK) Independent.

I find it wrong the way that such a child is portrayed in the whole [prenatal] process, as if you are going to give birth to a reject or a mongrel. In years not so distant from now, people will be able to learn what chance their children have of becoming alcoholic, depressed, epileptic and so on. Will these all become grounds for premature termination or will we be obliged to face the fact that we are all born different? And will Mia’s kind be given the respect they so richly deserve?

For myself, I have no doubt about the worth that Mia’s character can contribute to our world. Just by being her cheerful, stoic self, Mia has changed me. Now I know of no one whose hand I would be prouder to hold as we walk laughing down the street together.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 9th, 2007 at 4:40 am and is filed under Down syndrome, NOT2BEMISSED, ethics, families, first-person, parents, personal stories, prenatal diagnosis, public attitudes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post