October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a time to renew our appreciation for ever life no matter how big or small, born or unborn, typical or unique.
To celebrate these precious lives, I’m sharing a snippet from from the chapter “Protecting Every Life,” from my book Distortion (which entails much more than just how the Christian Left is twisting the Gospel and damaging the faith).
Please take the time to learn more about Down syndrome, what you can do to support people with Down syndrome and their loved ones, and most importantly, celebrate and defend every life!
The total number of abortions due to “medical complications” is often inflated by cases in which prenatal tests show the baby had some kind of disability, often a cleft lip or Down syndrome. An infamous article by the New York Times, of all outlets, acknowledged that 90 percent of all American women who receive diagnoses of Down syndrome abort their unborn babies.38 But as the 10 percent of parents who choose life will tell you, what initially seems like an insurmountable complication turns into a bouncing, bubbly blessing.
Lori Scheck, daughter of Tim and Beverly LaHaye, is one such mother who faced that crossroads. But she chose life. The mother of Stephen, a smart and precious boy with Down syndrome, writes:
Abortion takes the glass and heaves it over the side of a cliff while the pieces shatter on the rocks below. While it may eliminate the disappointment, sorrow and frustration, it also eliminates the hope, joy and pride of accomplishment that child can bring. What a travesty. What arrogance. What right do we have to destroy that little person because he doesn’t measure up to someone’s standard? If the choice were left up to the child, I am confident he or she would choose life. I know my son would.”39
The United States is making headway in elevating individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Today many adults with Down syndrome hold jobs, pay taxes, participate in sports, fall in love, go to college, and serve as volunteers in their communities.
In March 2014 national news outlets told the story of an inspiring young man with Down syndrome whose restaurant offered “lunch, dinner and hugs” to every customer.40 His name is Tim Harris, and he doesn’t lead a normal life—he leads an exemplary one that we could all take lessons from. Two years after Tim graduated from the Eastern New Mexico University with certificates in food service and office skills, he and his parents started their restaurant “Tim’s Place,” where the bright entrepreneur offers patrons a meal and a loving hug.41
Tim is exceptional, but he is not the exception. Here are several facts about Down syndrome doctors don’t always tell you:
- In the United States more than 350,000 people have Down syndrome.
- Since the 1980s, the life expectancy for persons with Down syndrome has more than doubled, from twenty-three to fifty-five years of age or older.
- Children with Down syndrome are first and foremost children. They are more like other children than they are different.
- Most people with Down syndrome have some level of cognitive delay, but there is a wide spectrum of mental abilities.
- Families with a child with Down syndrome have a lower rate of divorce.
- Many siblings of children with Down syndrome have an increased awareness of special needs and develop a compassionate and caring outlook.42
There is more great news. There are roughly two hundred families registered with the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network at any given time. These are families who are praying to adopt a child with Down syndrome.43
To learn more about Down syndrome now, you can visit Downs Syndrome Brochure.com for more information.
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38. “World Down Syndrome Day,” Concerned Women for America, http://www.cwfa.org/world-down-syndrome-day-2/.
39. Tim Harris, Breakfast, lunch and hugs at Tim’s Place,” CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/10/health/human-factor-harris/.
40. Abby Ellin, “Man With Down Syndrome Runs N.M. Restaurant,” ABCNews, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/03/man-with-down-syndrome-runs-n-m-restaurant/.
41. “Facts About Down Syndrome” Concerned Women for America, http://www.cwfa.org/downsyndromebrochure/facts.shtml.
42. “One of the Most Compassionate Missions in the United States,” Down Syndrome Prenatal Testing, http://www.downsyndromeprenataltesting.com/one-of-the-most-compassionate-missions-in-the-united-states/.
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