Friday, September 30, 2011

The Good, the bad, the ugly.


(Leighty and her brother) 
  I know I have written about this new test before, but this article says it’s looming near.  It makes me sad.  Why you ask?  When I had Leighty we didn’t have a diagnoses of Downs Syndrome in utero.  If I did I wonder if I would have missed out on the excitement of planning for Leighton. Would I have chosen that name? Would I have made her all her snuggly blankets? Would I have researched Down syndrome and prepared for her diagnoses and not Leighton herself?  I don’t know, so I guess it happened the way it needed to.   
(Leighty lounging)
Why do I care if there are less Ds kids around?  When a minority starts to become a little more of a majority in our country the more it is accepted by society.  Does that make sense? I explain it like homosexuality.  The more it’s out there, the more it’s accepted or tolerated by society.  We even have same sex marriage in some states (not saying I’m for or against it here, just an example).  We'll be missing out on a lot of education between children, and parents if 90 percent are terminated. If some of the people that helped me through the shock of finding out chose to terminate where would I be?  Would I know that everything would be fine?  I can read about other people’s lives with their children and see life's pretty great for them.  They are all so adorable with their almond eyes.  Now I have Leighton I have a special space in my heart for all her peers that share the same markers.
In the article it has some really good info.  It said among the more then 3,000 Down syndrome adults they did a study on that 99% were happy with their lives, 97 % liked who they are, and 96% liked how they looked. I think that is so amazing.  I can ask you these same questions and I can pretty much guarantee that 96% of the ladies who read this are not happy with how they look.  My husband thinks I’m weird but I’ve always told him Leighty seems to be pretty comfortable in her skin.  He says it’s just me being comfortable with her, but I disagree it’s just something I feel in her mannerisms (She has the I’m cool factor).  Some people wonder how will it affect their other kids.  They did a study on the Down syndrome patient’s siblings too.  Of the siblings 12 years and older 97% of them said they felt feelings of pride about them. I see that with my kids.  They love her; they fight over whom she loves the most.  She loves them both; they always get the second most smiles (I get the most).  They brag about her.  The other day I told my daughter to quit growing so big, and she said she had to so she can grow up and she can be a Mom and have a Down syndrome baby.  I’d say her family seems to adore her.  My son started crying in bed because his heart felt empty when he was away from his sister.  It was so cute that he can feel it in his heart when she isn’t in his presence.  We’re so happy to get the chance to know this little girly.   It will make me sad for those who terminate. They will miss out on having a perfect child like mine.  She's so adorable and deserving of giving and receiving love.  Whats next for America? No more people with freckles?
(proud sister)
 -JS

3 comments:

  1. I found your blog through the list of 31 for 21. I have been going back and forth about this test too. It breaks my heart to think that the abortion rates would be even higher. If people had even an inkling of what a joy it is to have children like ours, it would be such a different story! PS, your kids are gorgeous!

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  2. She is so wonderful Jessica! I think we all feel so proud to be a part of her family, we all fight over her attention and love! In the short five months that we've known her she has already taught us so much about love for each other, and self-confidence, and defying labels... We are finding 'perfection' is in being who we are, and in knowing that what makes us different, is what makes us special...

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