Perhaps those misinformed in Canada, (land of my grandparent’s birth,), should visit the Museum of Science in Boston, where my oldest son recently viewed a display on the study of cancer and Down Syndrome.

Ironically people with Down Syndrome DO NOT get adult cancers, and trust me, as the mother of an 11 1/2 yr old daughter with D.S. who is also a luekemia suvivor, I became all too familiar with the link between cancer and D.S. Some of these studies began in Toronto. Wouldn’t it be ironic if indeed the cure to cancer were found in Trisomy 21?

I hope one day my sons will live to see that but if indeed Down Syndrome is “wiped away”, as my son’s fear may happen with the trend to abort those less than perfect, we may be robbing ourselves of the greatest opportunity to find a cure to one of man’s greatest afflications. (remember you can’t see autism and other conditions on an ultrasound!)

So I applaud Mrs. Palin for not aborting her son and hope that she can help fuel this study which has the potential to not only save thousands of lives but millions of dollars in medial costs….and we know that in Washington D.C. and all across our nation, economics rule…for better or worse.
Sincerely,
Jeanne Zarrella, R.N.

Physician, first, heal thyself. Get educated, too. Children with Down syndrome have many societal benefits — strengthening marriages and families, being super reliable workers, and bringing love into their greater communities.

but the comments to the 1st article make me sad too with all the liberal bashing.
saying liberals and the left are baby killers and would like to abort all children with down syndrome.

i see this everywhere now in almost all the articles i read on down syndrome.

i am a liberal and i am pro choice.
and i willingly and happily gave birth to my daughter who has down syndrome.

but i feel so unwelcome and maligned in this world which spouts love for my daughter and such hate for me, the liberal…

liberals are NOT the enemy.
we are not one size fits all just like people with down syndrome are not one size fits all.

If pressed, I imagine this perspective isn’t meant to pressure all women with a prenatal diagnosis to terminate. However, now that Dr. Lalonde has established a criteria wherein termination should be carried out, where is the line drawn? Poverty income? Dual-parent household? Six-figure income? Age 33 or older?

More importantly, who draws that line?