Katie Couric's Notebook: Down Syndrome
You've probably seen pictures of Sarah Palin and her husband with their five month-old son. He's one of the 5,000 babies born in this country each year with Down Syndrome. It's a heart-breaking diagnosis for any parent ... hopes and dreams suddenly shattered. It means their won't be able to live independently as an adult.
Video: Advocacy groups are using Palin's candidacy as a chance to educate Americans about this genetic disorder, and that includes advising doctors to give expectant couples the entire picture, and not just one option.
In many cases, a woman who is told she's carrying a baby with Down Syndrome terminates her pregnancy. That can be an agonizing choice, but the parents of children with Down Syndrome say doctors do need to give parents all the information they need and deserve so they can make the choice that's right for them.
- 1
- 2
- next
See all 40 Commentshttp://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2008/09/09/segments/108539
Re: your comment: "Why not feature mothers with just delivered babies and those in pregnancy, and those kids in school, and working."
I, TOO, WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON CBS - OR ANY OTHER NEWS STATION - A PANEL OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN OF ALL AGES WITH DS AND HAVE THEM GET OUR VIEWS DIRECTLY - THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY ENLIGHTENING TO MANY!!!
While I agree with you about equal coverage, who are YOU to say it''s harder for those living with Down syndrome or for their families?
While it may indeed be more challenging early on - and that depends on each situation - PLEASE DON''T GENERALIZE OUR FAMILIES INTO YOUR LITTLE BOX, HUH?
I tell my story because I have been puzzled since first hearing about Palin, how she could possibly have risked her baby by flying to Texas during the last month of her pregnancy with Trigg and why she hid the news that he would have Downs Syndrome from her children, notably Willow who independently recognized his condition after the birth.
I am also puzzled why Katie did not make any disclaimer last night about the McCain''s (re "lipstick on a pig" ad) unauthorized used of Katie''s clip re sexism in politics???
Katie, your program NEEDS to do better justice to people with Ds. I know you''re planning other stories on Ds, too, and I sincerely hope that the Ds community will be heard loud and clear. PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME ARE CAPABLE PEOPLE, AND THEIR FAMILIES ACCEPT THEM FULLY. The medical community holds a strong bias against letting babies with Ds be born, and they look at our kids as needing to be "fixed." You come to my house and tell me what you think needs to be fixed about my daughter. You spend time with us, and see how "shattered" we are.
With that said, if Palin and McCain were elected, there would be nothing heroic about choosing to have a baby with Down syndrome, because every pregnancy would have to be brought to term. There would be no choice in the matter at all. You aren''t a hero if you had no choice.
And to put it bluntly -- we shouldn''t romanticize people with Down syndrome. Life is harder if you have Downs, or if a family member has it. Let''s not sugarcoat it.
Your mind is still corrupted by your environment for these kids used to be called as mentally retarded-mongoloids! But recent advances in intervetion and care make them useful and productive members of our society; they can even vote!
Please, rectify your wrong, or we will boycott your program, too! Same with we are doing with Oprah!
The child life begins with themoment of conception. The child has intra uterine life. He is entitled to, as we have to give him the best in life, and get out and see the wonders of this world!
My son Joseph is ten years of age with down syndrome. He answers the phone in the morning whenever I call my wife.He is doing great in school.He brings priceless joy to us, and our community.
as to our feelings when we knew that our children in our wombs have down syndrome? The high rate of percentage of pregnacy being aborted coz of the fear of the unknown given by the doctors
in taking care of the children with special needs.
I knew that my son has down syndrome I did not go for abortion, otherwise it is plain and simple SELECTIVE PREGNACY!
aLL BECAUSE THE CHILD HAS SPECIAL NEEDS, WE HAVE TO ABORT THEM? dONT BE PART OF STUPIDITY!
Katie, you need to spend time with families who have children with Down syndrome. You will find the challenges are not with the child but with society and the systems that surround the child. Katie, I challege you to report on what can be done to accept and support people who have Down syndrome. There is a very good article that you can do a search for on the internet called "If People with Down Syndrome Ruled the World". You have the responsibility to make your wrong, right. When you educate yourself on Down syndrome you will find there is NEVER really a CHOICE to be made. Choice can be a very bad word and when it comes to ending life, it is the most evil of words.
john mccain''s approve that ad. do you?
I demand a re-write.
- 1
- 2
- next
See all 40 Comments