The Value of These Precious Lives

Article written by one of the new members of our speaker panel, Gretchen Thibault:

I’m thrilled to see Sarah Palin’s family with their little baby Trig on center stage. It’s about time this little member of our human race be brought to the center stage of society rather than shoved out of view and conveniently out of our minds.

In 1959, my husband’s oldest brother, Greg, was born. He had Down syndrome, too. He was the oldest of six, born in the days of mass institutionalization. Upon recognition of his “ailment” — called “mongoloidism” at that time — the doctors urged his parents to “put him in an institution because future children will be too embarrassed to bring their friends home.”

Each doctor’s visit resulted in pressure to institutionalize him. His parents never gave it a thought and raised him at home. The doctor’s fear was far from reality. The love and protection Greg’s siblings had for him was instinctual. Greg had a profound impact on those who came to know him, by demonstrating how to love others unconditionally. He died at the age of 18.

As busy parents of six children, I was surprised when my husband suggested we adopt a baby with Down syndrome. I knew it came from his heart and it immediately permeated mine. We learned there are long waiting lists for parents wishing to adopt these children. The Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati has a national database with more than 200 families waiting. A majority of those adopting a child with Down syndrome have, or had, a family member with Down syndrome, or they’ve worked with people with disabilities.

I found it interesting that those who are most familiar with Down syndrome are the ones who are wanting to adopt. If Down syndrome were so terrible, surely these people would know better than to take on such a “task.”

As a former high-risk obstetrical nurse, I’d seen many so-called “therapeutic” abortions performed on these babies before the 23rd week. They were prematurely induced and would die within a few hours after birth. I didn’t take part in these procedures.

Today, I know many families who have children with Down syndrome. Many of them recall feeling pressured by medical professionals to terminate. A 2002 study, reported in The New York Times, showed that approximately 90 percent of those diagnosed with Down syndrome are terminated. The pressure to abort today parallels the half-century-old pressure to institutionalize.

We are grateful our son’s birth parents, feeling unable to provide for him, made the selfless yet grueling decision to place him with us.

There are certainly hardships and disappointments with EVERY child, and those with Down syndrome are no exception. As Sarah Palin pointed out, “Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge. And children with special needs inspire a very, very special love.” I suspect my most heartbreaking moments will not be what Ricky does or doesn’t accomplish, but rather cruelty inflicted upon him due to people’s ignorance.

Hasn’t history shown us that targeting a selection of a population as being “less than human” or “undesirable” has always been faulty?

As we see Trig Palin, one of the many children with special needs in the world, I hope those who are ignorant, by no fault of their own, grasp an understanding of the value of these precious lives and root it in their hearts. Let us be a country filled with individuals who don’t simply talk about caring for those less fortunate than we are, but that each of us actually accepts the responsibility and cultivates this virtue.

Ricky has eight cheerleaders in his home. He is a Rock Star — his red hair and blue glasses that frame his crystal blue eyes draw attention to him wherever we go. That great smile doesn’t hurt, either. Our pride bubbles over. We don’t mind him being at center stage. His nature makes us see life differently. While the stories of Greg’s life were always inspirational to me, life with Ricky has taught me and my children a lesson that no words can. I hope watching Trig grow before our eyes, as a nation, makes us better people.

Gretchen Thibault lives in Shoreview. She recommends the following Web sites for anyone interested in more information: www.dsamn.org (Down Syndrome Association of Minnesota) and www.prenatalpartnersforlife.org.