‘Before the birth of son Trig, Palin says she knew the abortion option was there’

From ABC News (with video):

In an interview to be aired on “20/20,” former Alaska governor Sarah Palin tells Barbara Walters about her decision to continue her pregnancy after tests revealed that her baby would have Down syndrome. The interview includes footage of Palin’s son Trig, as well as other members of the family talking about the impact of Trig on their lives.

An excerpt:

Ninety-two percent of women who get that news terminate the pregnancy, according to research reviewed by Dr. Brian Skotko, a pediatric geneticist at Children’s Hospital Boston.

Palin said she knew abortion was an option but was able to overcome the fear of the unknown to go ahead with the birth.

“I knew that the option was there. … I thought again, for that split second, ‘OK, now I know, too, why, when that fear strikes you, because of the unknown,’” she said. “I understood then, too, why a woman would consider [abortion] an easier path to perhaps, if you will, do away with the problem, instead of understanding that every child has purpose. There is destiny for every child. And it can be good, in our world. And that’s what I held onto.”

When asked by Walters if her “right to life” stance on abortion dictated her choice, Palin said her decision was not “politically motivated.”

“My decision certainly wasn’t a political decision. It was a holding onto a seed of …that promise that things will be okay if we choose life. And that certainly has come to fruition in my life,” she said.

Two of Palin’s children said they did not know about Trig’s Down syndrome diagnosis until after he was born. Todd Palin said he expects Trig to keep up with the family’s outdoorsy lifestyle and do all the things the couple’s other children have done. Kids with Down syndrome, he said, “are just beautiful gifts from God for all of us to learn from … and to make us stronger as we live. He is just another kid in our house. … But he has, but he has just been a blast.”

(Photo from AP/National Review)

This entry was posted on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 9:47 pm and is filed under abortion, Down syndrome, NOT2BEMISSED, politics, prenatal diagnosis. 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.