Abortion Referendum Thread

Test is available here - we were offered it but test at the time carried a miscarriage risk. We declined it.

We were offered it on both our bhoys and declined.

1 Like

Here is the documentary that I was talking about

https://youtu.be/x16wGajCHIw

+1

I don’t know your situation mate? - But if you could avoid it why would you want a down syndrome child? Obviously if it happened you would love the child unconditionally but if it could be avoided I presume 100% of people would go down that route, no?

After we were told that our daughter was a child with Down Syndrome, of course you are gutted, but the child has just been born, as in you have the child, taken over to one side, checked and then they come back and say that your daughter more than likely is a child with Down Syndrome. So the emotion of child birth and the beauty that goes with that is very quickly taken away from you.

My sorrow was that we knew we were having a girl so I had projected 30 years down the line and walking her down the aisle. And now that was gone (or so I thought) but now that seems so silly. And then I was angry as our paediatrician who we were with when we had Ben & Jerry at one scan checked via the scan for DS and said that my daughter didn’t have DS. The bollox didn’t make the birth either so I had a lot of anger towards him, be it deserved or not - I know people make mistakes and can only go on what they see but I remember clearly him saying it and ticking that box in my head. And yes there was relief in my mind right then when I thought our daughter wasn’t a child with Down Syndrome.

But our daughter was born and who is there with you is your beautiful child, this vulnerable life who needs you right there and now no matter what syndrome or condition they have. Beauty is beauty and comes in all different shapes and forms.

Would I take away Down Syndrome from my daughter, yes, of course I would, in a heartbeat. But in the same breath I wouldn’t give her back and I thank God for her in my life. Without her I would be nothing, she’s the best thing that ever happened to me, the most pure gift I could have ever received. She makes me the proudest parent every day and the love she gives to you, Christ if you could bottle it you’d make your fortune.

41 Likes

That’s a lovely post, mate - And I imagine the sentiments of anyone with a DS child and more than likely my own if I were to have a child with DS - I wasn’t getting at anything or being personal just hitting on what you said in the first half of your post really.

Come here Mouse, I get what you are saying. And you didn’t know the craic and that’s grand pal. I’m only putting across the other side of this debate.

Like I said, you’d take anything away from your kids in order for them to be ‘normal’ but what I’ve learnt is that normal isn’t what I thought it was. Normal is what’s put in front of you, normal isn’t necessarily having all your whit’s or faculties or whatever.

Part of being a parent of a child with Down Syndrome is bringing DS into the mainstream, that it isn’t frightening, that it is normal. Normal people who happen to have more needs. Simple

10 Likes

Being honest, i’d judge the kid more for being protestant than having DS, mate. :laughing:

3 Likes

:joy: We’re all God’s children Mouse. It’s just that my God is more middle class than yours…

1 Like

What do you mean here?

If someone gets an STD they should live with it as an STD is entitled to life.

So DS children have no right to live?

Sorry to hear that mate. I’ve got a 6 year old boy with non-verbal autism. It was a huge shock when we spotted the warning signs at about 12 months as you think you’ve got over the hump at birth of a healthy child and all that and everything that could go wrong. As you said, it just becomes your normal after a while and you get on with the hand you were dealt.

10 Likes

Babies and STDs.

Part of the problem parents of DS children face is people like you who use the condition to issue cruel insults. Your comments about Seamus Coleman were horrendous and now we have you on your moral high horse pontificating to parents about DS. You can’t have it both ways pal.

1 Like

I never said anything of the sort.

Oh Yeah, it was @Il_Bomber_Destro :rollseyes:

I can’t recall but if he did, that’s something for @Il_Bomber_Destro (RIP) to address.

You had no problem recalling it a while back when it suited your agenda…

4 Likes