Down Syndrome Parents: Palin Is Role Model

CBS Evening News: Parents Say Doctors Need More Care In Counseling Expectant Parents

(CBS)  When Sarah Palin was four months pregnant with her fifth child, she received life-changing news: her baby had Down Syndrome. Today, five-month-old Trig is one of 400,000 Americans living with Down Syndrome. And the Palins' decision to have the baby has made her a role model to the parents of some 5,000 children born with the genetic disorder each year.

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While most Americans hadn't heard of Sarah Palin before she became John McCain's running mate, she was well known to many parents of children with Down Syndrome, CBS News anchor Katie Couric reports.

"Gov. Palin went through the same thing we did," said parent Sharon Vopal. "Same prenatal testing; same screening."

Advances in prenatal testing mean more and more expectant parents are finding out earlier. And for some, the reality is too grim to bear.

"Forty percent of babies with Down Syndrome are going to be born with congenital heart disease," said geneticist Robert Marion. "Every baby with Down Syndrome has developed mental disability. A small minority grow up to be independent."

Marion says the vast majority of women who receive a prenatal diagnosis terminate their pregnancies.

"That is such a personal decision and it shouldn't be colored by anything that the doctor says to them about the diagnosis," Marion said.

But that isn't always the case, according to Vopal, who lives in Basking Ridge, N.J.

"I knew right away when she [the doctor] walked in," Vopal said.

Sharon and her husband Jim were expecting twins when tests revealed that one of them has Down Syndrome.

"What did she recommend? Did she say what your options were?" Couric asked.

"She said, 'You're early enough along in your pregnancy that you can terminate,' and in our case, since it's twins, the term she used was 'selective reduction,'" Vopal said.

But Jim is Catholic, and while Sharon is not, they're opposed to abortion - just like Gov. Palin.

"After telling her that we would not terminate, nothing else was discussed," Vopal said. "No information. No resources. No help. No advice. They gave Jim a business card for us to call a genetic counselor, if we chose to. And they led us to a side door."

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Katie Couric's Notebook: Down Syndrome

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The Vopals' experience is a common occurrence, says Amy Allison, executive director of the Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City.

"What we have found historically is that physicians are giving biased information when they're presenting prenatal diagnosis," Allison said.

According to a 2005 survey of nearly 1,300 parents of children with Down Syndrom, a majority reported that the doctors "did not tell them about the positive potential of people with Down Syndrome."

So advocacy groups like Allison's have embarked on a campaign to educate physicians and, in turn, expectant parents about the genetic disorder.

Through a program called "Changing Lives," parents of children with Down Syndrome go directly to doctors and present their version of Down Syndrome 101, giving advice on how to break the news.

"Families can walk out their doors feeling isolated and alone, or they can walk out feeling like they've got a support system," Allison said.

And often, the supporting cast steals the show.

One Down Syndrome teen, Jack Murphy, said: "I want people to know about me - that I'm outstanding, outrageous, smart and intelligent and I know I'm good looking."

The Vopals have now had their twins, and they hope - as the rest of the country learns more about Sarah Palin - Americans also learn more about Down Syndrome.

"She made her choice and we made our choice and other people will make decisions that are best for them," Jim Vopal said.

[patobrientoo]

Sarah Palin is NOT a role model for parents of Down Syndrome kids. If you want role models, check out my parents and my 47 year-old sister. My parents, with five kids at home, kept their Down Sydrome daughter when doctors were telling people to put her in an institution and go one with their lives. And they started one of the first groups for parents of kids with Down''s ever! And my sister has a great life -- WITH our family. I see Sarah Palin USING her child and trotting him out in public day after day to make her look good. (He''s an adorable little guy, isn''t he? Such a good kid.) But I don''t see her as any kind of role model. She doesn''t know what the future holds with her child. He''s only a few months old. Pretty much like other babies. We''ll know what kind of role model she is when Trig starts growing up. And maybe she''ll stop using him as a badge of honor.

[nvorr]

Your role model didn''t even have the guts to share the knowledge of her son''s condition with anyone in her family. Many people didn''t even know she was pregnant. Governor Palin acknowledged familial support, given the fact that one of her siblings'' kids was born with some abnormality. Had she shared the information with her family she would have had their support as well.

It almost seems she was embarrassed by her son. Sadly, we didn''t even see her or her husband hold him in public until after people started commenting on it.

[yongamerica]

Sarah Palin herself expresses mild symptoms of down''s syndrome. Because of her experiences with it, she can relate what her daughter''s son is experiencing.

Any mother that can''t teach her daugher about safe se x and stands on the side while her daughter gets pregnant out of wedlock, not once, but twice, is not a person fit to handle a political office responsibly.

Your coverage is like one long Palin for VP commercial thinly veiled as reporting on Down''s Syndrome. Just stop it and DO YOUR JOB!

[rrauch1]

Role model if that includes speaking in tongues and attending 6 colleges in 6 years to earn one degree.

[mommakat64]

Good, very good. It''s about time for true discussion of options...instead of just suggesting the easy way out. I have found that doctors have become quite "my way or the highway" about things. Some doctors, like mine, discuss naturopathic and other "alternative" ways of dealing with health issues, which is very welcome in the face of such high medical costs...and insurance companies not funding even legitimate cures and procedures.

[nvorr]

There was a story the other day which talked about how she toured the state''s prison facility, and rode with her son on her lap. Everyone blasted Britney Spears for doing this and said she was a bad parent. Does this not apply to Sarah Palin. I have two problems with this, 1) she took a baby with her while conducting official business, and 2) she did not have him restrained in a child safety seat.

[hypnotoad72]

That was a good read, thank you.

But given the plight of pregnant teenagers in America, when will more articles describing root factors be addressed? The media is a prime suspect, as it does feed into peer pressure that gets children to "play around" in the first place. Obama has it wrong by wanting to teach Kindergartners what a pee-pee does. "Abstinence only" is only being talked about nominally; the underlying concepts of self-respect and respect for others being why one waits in the first place remain completely unspoken. Parents can do only so much; after a point it''s the peer system that takes over. Like it or not, we''re a community - albeit a large one. And the media needs to get away from slap-happy programming. There is a time and place for everything, but I dare say the greed of the marketers ensure the wrong material gets into kids'' hands. Keeping material and its advertisement appropriate to the ratings system helps (encouraging kids to bypass laws to see an "R" rated film when they''re under 17 is as awful as any other form of abuse)

[mommakat64]

youngamerica....sheeesh, you are a rumor troll. The sequence of dates allows that Trig is Sarah''s.

[hypnotoad72]

Any mother that can''''t teach her daugher about safe se x and stands on the side while her daughter gets pregnant out of wedlock, not once, but twice, is not a person fit to handle a political office responsibly.

Posted by yongamerica
-----

Please read my post below as it directly talks about sexuality. How do you know she didn''t teach her kids? And even then, ambient influences are not irrelevant either. Peer pressure for *** is not much different than credit card companies seeking out high school or college kids.

[stn_sage]

I don''t know that I''d consider her a role model for her baby! That''s a bit of a stretch---!

But, I do hope she does a better job with the baby than she did with her shameless, nymphomaniac daughter whom she FAILED miserably! Good luck.

[patobrientoo]

Wait a minute, hypnotoad72, do you even KNOW what Obama wants to teach little kids? He voted for a curriculum for kids grade K through 12 -- each grade taught appropriately. For kindergarten, what is appropriate is to teach kids how to resist pedophiles, for crying out loud. It has NOTHING to do with what a pee-pee does. (What kind of a stupid comment was that, anyway?)
The misinformation that goes around is outrageous. We''re going to elect another candidate that people mistakenly think is a ''real'' person we''d like to have over for a barbecue. I don''t want the president to be someone who does good barbecue. I want a giant on the world stage who can think, reflect, plan, work with people (not get snarky with them like Palin or pop his cork like McCain). I want a return to sanity. Is that too much to ask?
And I''ll know what kind of parents Sarah and Todd are with Trig when I see how they handle his growing years. I know from whence I speak. It''s tough. But rewarding. I hope they can handle it. But I''m not ready to canonize them just because the accepted him into this world. That part was only right.

[barbaraf4]

The testing described in the article was developed to test for birth defects (specifically Downs)in babies being carried by women in their 40s.

If Sarah Palin is such a pro-life advocate, then why did she bother to even have the testing done?

She is not a role model. She is a self-serving hypocrit and liar. Her ambition knows no bounds and if McCain is elected, I would watch my back if I were him. She will make it into the White House some how.

[oneamerican4]

It is plainly obvious from the majority of posts - that liberals have no regard for life, regardless of the age of the individual.

[donc196]

Let me see if I''ve got this right...if I say "Obama s*cks" I''m a god-fearing patriot republican. IF I say "Palin s*cks", I''m a liberal leftist terrorist appeasing sexist pig DEMOCRAT. Ok, as a Combat Vet of Viet Nam, I''ll just say McCain s*cks...Now, do I get Swift Boated?

CBS for McCain/Palin! No? I guess I am relegated to going to the internet to ferret through all the junk for the truth. At least most of the bloggers are clear about where they stand. Shame on Katie. this is not her first offense...I may need to put her in the same category as her ABC rival, Charlie Gibson. Your listeners (this one is a former one) are not suckers, you know.

p.s. Exposing any infant in a room where the decibel level was as high as it was in that convention hall is irresponsible at best, in my opinion downright negligent--especially for a child with special needs.

p.p.s. What kind of children''s advocate would be part of a campaign that totally lies and misharacterizes age-appropriate *** education assome kind of dirty introduction to *** education. The bill Senator Obama supported included age-appropriate *** education for young children designed to help hem protect themselves from sexual predators by recognizing inappropriate behaviors in an adult. I made sure my daughter understood very early in life what her "private parts" were and that no one should touch her there and how to say "NO" to an adult and later report the incident if it happened. Shame on the McCain/Palin campaign for LYING in their ad and shame on CBS for tacitly supporting such a campaign in every sneaky way possible. Shame! shame! shame on you!

[gretagreen]

She''s not a role model for any kind of mother!! She acted very irresponsibly in flying after her water broke. Every mother and doctor knows how dangerous that is. She knew yet risked her baby''s life by doing it.

Now, she''s neglecting him. I''m a feminist but when women have children, we put them ahead of our career which means we MUST spend a lot of time with them when they are babies. Her baby is too little to be away from his mother.

Sorry, everyone, she may be a lot of wonderful things, but she''s not a wonderful mom.

[mabirdy]

What bothers me most is that Sarah Palin''s choice to have her baby is somehow painted as noble while another mother to be, who may have been carrying her only child, is demonized because she made the tougher decision.

Palin, Republican, evangelical, and a politician to boot, may have made a selfless choice, but she also made the politically correct choice. Would she be standing there as an icon to motherhood if she had aborted her baby?

But what about the pain of the families who made a different choice? Who wanted that child but for some reason, selfish or unselfish, could not bear to bring the baby to term? What about providing health care for everyone and providing long term health care for families who have special needs children? Where is the Republican sympathy for unwed mothers, for teenagers facing such decision? Hypocrites. The pro-life movement only cares about people before they are born. Afterwards you are on your own.

[lucydog22]

People may have missed this: She went into labor a month early while being in Texas. After the water had already broken, she took an 8 hour airplane flight to Alaska and then a one hour car drive to get to her personal doctor who had no birth/ob-gyn facilities, in order for him to deliver the child.

Does this sound like she was making decisions in the best interest of her Down syndrome child she was giving birth to? She passed by hospitals in both Texas and Alaska and risked infection or other possible mishaps, just so her own doctor could deliver. Sounds to me like she might have actually wanted something bad to happen and lose the child. If nothing else, this doesn''t show me a person with sound facilities for decision-making.

I really have to question anyone who would fly in a plane from Texas to Alaska while in labor.

[sardines46]

if your water breaks, it doesn''t mean that the baby will pop out within seconds! some women can go a few days after their water breaks until they go into actual labor. if sarah palin was in touch with her doctor, it was not so irresponsible to fly- especially as pointed out that the flight personal had no clue her water had broken. if she would''ve been in actual labor, it would''ve been pretty tough for her to stay quiet and in one place... as anyone who''s given birth knows.
birth in america is considered a major medical emergency- which it isn''t!

[sardines46]

if your water breaks, it doesn''t mean that the baby will pop out within seconds! some women can go a few days after their water breaks until they go into actual labor. if sarah palin was in touch with her doctor, it was not so irresponsible to fly- especially as pointed out that the flight personal had no clue her water had broken. if she would''ve been in actual labor, it would''ve been pretty tough for her to stay quiet and in one place... as anyone who''s given birth knows.
birth in america is considered a major medical emergency- which it isn''t!

[nvorr]

if your water breaks, it doesn''''t mean that the baby will pop out within seconds! some women can go a few days after their water breaks until they go into actual labor. if sarah palin was in touch with her doctor, it was not so irresponsible to fly- especially as pointed out that the flight personal had no clue her water had broken. if she would''''ve been in actual labor, it would''''ve been pretty tough for her to stay quiet and in one place... as anyone who''''s given birth knows.
birth in america is considered a major medical emergency- which it isn''''t!

Posted by sardines46 at 08:29 PM : Sep 10, 2008
----------------

So, the fact that the baby was already starting out with challenges wasn''t enough to make her give his welfare more consideration?

[tgraziosi1]

My twin son was born with Down Syndrome in May of 2008. I could not have had more support. We knew very early and as a family agreed to move forward with the pregnancy. I was fully aware of all my options and was always proactively approached for support. I can not speak more highly of my doctors from Newton Wellesley Hospital, Children%u2019s and Brigham and Women%u2019s. I guess you never realized that living in Massachusetts had so many benefits until you need them. I don''t know if I agree with your news cast. I would hate for people to reconsider their decision based on the lack of support that some my have received. We couldn''t be more in love with our son and wouldn''t change one thing. Theresa Waltham, MA

[itgranny]

cbscrash07- you need to be caged for a very long time you sicko!

[itgranny]

It is plainly obvious from the majority of posts - that liberals have no regard for life, regardless of the age of the individual.
Posted by OneAmerican4 at 07:33 PM : Sep 10, 2008

It''s plainly obvious to me you conservatives have no regard for life, regardless of the age of the individual. try googling and see what comes up with the image search of these words: iraq, war, wounded, dead, children. Another good one is: poverty, hunger because you seem to think once the kid is born, nothing more needs to be done!

[nvorr]

It is plainly obvious from the majority of posts - that liberals have no regard for life, regardless of the age of the individual.

Posted by OneAmerican4 at 07:33 PM : Sep 10, 2008----------------

Oh yea, Sarah''s regard for Trig''s life is real evident!

[tryhonesty]

Palin is no role model. She seeks political power over regard for her family (or anyone elses). I am sure glad she is not my mother.

[ubrew12]

"Down Syndrome Parents: Palin Is Role Model":

She DOES seem like a exemplary Republican:
- As mayor, she took a balanced budget and left it $19 million in debt.
- As mayor, she fired the town librarian when she insisted that banning books was not in the mayors purvue.
- She ''told Congress no'' about the bridge to nowhere, but ''told Congress yes'' about the money to build it. Thats like a pickpocket asking to be rewarded for returning your wallet (empty of all its cash).
- Her idea of raising 5 kids, most under 14, is to let someone else do it. She''ll see them during the photo-ops.
- She believes that women should be forced by the government to give birth to their rapists child.

[lanawonders]

Governor Palin, is a great mother???

Is that why her 17yr old daughter is knocked up.

And believe it or not the National Enquired is reporting that her son who is headed for Iraq, is nothing more than a drug abuser pill poppin, cocaine, smoking weed loser, who had no choice but to join the Army.

Great Mom - Go Sarah

[shanev137]

She had a Downs Syndrome baby......big friggan deal.

What does this have to do with being the president of the most powerful country in the free world?

Do you think Putin is going to take that into consideration before he nukes us?

[teaandjam]

I have an Aunt with Down Syndrome and I am 44 years old. Is this something new? Are we all to weep for Mrs. Palin? I am not too fond of this women. Let''s discuss teen pregnacy next and we have another poor soft story about what Mrs. Palin might be going through.People in the real world are losiug their jobs. About 7,000 homes a day are going in foreclosure. Food and gas prices are going up . I am tried of these soft pity stories.

[uutan]

I had a brother in-law that had Downs Syndrome, I never met the man. He had to be watched 24/7. He was beyond the capabilities of my mother in-law, dad die when he the son was 16. He was institutionalized. Now think about this: When you have a child in need of constant supervision when you are 40-46, what are you going to do 35 years later when you probably need help yourself? Bless anyone who cares for a Downs Syndrome child, but don''t try to make the decision for the 80% who decide otherwise. Sarah Palin is wealthy enough that care will never be an issue, but what about the rest of us. Don''t make her out to be a saint and the rest of us ............

[uutan]

I had a brother in-law that had Downs Syndrome, I never met the man. He had to be watched 24/7. He was beyond the capabilities of my mother in-law, dad died when the the son was 16. He was institutionalized. Now think about this: When you have a child in need of constant supervision when you are 40-46, what are you going to do 35 years later when you probably need help yourself? Bless anyone who cares for a Downs Syndrome child, but don''t try to make the decision for the 80% who decide otherwise. Sarah Palin is wealthy enough that care will never be an issue, but what about the rest of us. Don''t make her out to be a saint and the rest of us ............

[dsmomnj]

This story was spot-on. I have a daughter with DS syndrome and run a local DS support group. Most families get poor information from their OBGYNs about Down syndrome. The 2005 survey mentioned shows a large gap between how mothers thought their prenatal diagnosis was handled and how doctors thought they did.

I, like another mom who posted, was diagnosed in Mass. and received excellent references and supports. That changed dramatically when we moved to NJ while I was still pregnant.

Most women I have met were not given accurate information about DS; they are not connected to other parents; they were pressured to terminate. One friend was offered a termination 4 times, and 3 offers were from docs who did not know her.

45% of women are pro-life, so where does the 90% termination rate for DS come from? A large chunk of it can be laid squarely at the medical community''s feet for mis-information. I hope that we can educate the medical community to be more balanced in the information they choose to give us.

By the way, I am pro-choice but CHOSE to keep my daughter. There are many women like me in the DS community.

[tabitha325]

I found it sad that in this day and age that there are doctors still out there that are so insentive on this matter. I was hoping that things have changed since I had my son 18 years ago who happens to have Down Syndrome.I think this news story has to be told so the new parents out there will know and understand that there child is a blessing. My son is the most loving, caring and good natured young man you could ever meet. He is my angel. I also think that this country should hang its heads in shame for the lack of funding that special educating gets. And I think that it is high time that people out there undestand that our kids are human beings who have feelings and are loved and can give love. As my sons father has always said "he would change the world for our son, not our son for the world". I think everyone who has blogged on this about politics has missed the point of the story and that is that there needs to be more programs out there to help parents who happen to be blessed with a child who has Down Syndrome. I feel that our son is a blessing and that he has taught us so many things. And I think that this story was put out to help raise awarness and to tell new parents that they are not alone and that they can raise a child who has special needs and that there may be struggles but the joy you will get is so much more then words could ever say.

[uutan]

I had a brother in-law that had Downs Syndrome, I never met the man. He had to be watched 24/7. He was beyond the capabilities of my mother in-law, dad died when the the son was 16. Mom went to work, he was institutionalized. Now think about this: When you have a child in need of constant supervision when you are 40-46, what are you going to do 35 years later when you probably are in need help yourself? Bless anyone who cares for a Downs Syndrome child, but don''t try to make the decision for the 80% who decide otherwise. Sarah Palin is wealthy enough that care will never be an issue, but what about the rest of us. Don''t make her out to be a saint and the rest of us ............

[forever1973]

Sarah P. is NO Hillary C.!

[idnnsg]

Palin is against s.3x education, against birth control, against choice, against environmental protection, against alternative energy development, against freedom of speech (as mayor she wanted to ban books and attempted to fire the librarian who stood against her), against gun control, against the separation of church and state, and against polar bears. She is FOR seceding from the United States.

Palin completely lacks any real preparation to become the second-most-powerful person on the planet, let alone the PRESIDENT when McCain kicks the bucket from malignant melanoma.

Palin''s support of "abstinence only s.3x education" hasn''t worked with her own daughter, so she''s not a very good parent, either!

In WHAT WAY is Palin a "role model"?

Answer: NO WAY!

Sarah Palin DOES NOT represent American values and is UNFIT to be president!

[techhere]

Ashamed!

[momo641]

To jMcGlvray,

I agree Sarah Palin is not qualified to be VP of this country; however, I take serious offense to your ignorant remark about her "inflicting life" on her mentally disabled child. Have you ever known anyone with Down Syndrome? It appears not. If you had, you''d know they are some of the most loving and happy people on this earth. My sister has Down Syndrome and I don''t know what kind of person I''d be without her.

Obama ''08

[justsane-2009]

sardine...you might not go into labor immediately after your water breaks, but the chances are very good that you will soon. by her own account, she was also having contractions. so yes, getting on a plane without informing any member of the flight crew of your condition was in fact, irresponsible and dangerous. unless of course, you weren''t actually pregnant????

two choices: irresponsible and sorely lacking in good judgement, or not pregnant. since choice two seemingly has been laid to rest, we must by default choose door number one.

[justsane-2009]

momo641--you''re quite lucky with you son. many children with downs syndrome are less fortunate. yes, they are sweet and loving (most of the time), but needing round-the-clock care and having some of the health issues (and the short life span that many downs syndrome children can expect) may not exactly qualify as an ideal quality of life...

[justbefree1]

First of all, I think it was tacky of CBS to run a story on Down''s Syndrome using Sara Palin as an example of a parent who "chose to keep her child". Maybe she has stirred up interest on the subject, but they certainly could have done a story without naming her.

Second, isn''t PRO CHOICE all about the CHOOSING!!! I support women having the choice to abort unwanted pregnancies but also think they should be able to make the choice not to abort without being judged. Seems like a double standard to me.

I think keeping a Down''s baby is a VERY personal choice. I think no one has the right to judge a parent making this choice.

Some of the comments I read here are hateful. I don''t know how you can hate a woman who was introduced to the public a short time ago that you don''t even know.

I will make my choice later about who to vote for but don''t imagine I''ll end up making hateful comments about the other choice.

[ericdrexil]

I can judge women who choose to abort. In 1965 my mother attempted to abort me. On more than one occasion my life was nearly snuffed out. My mother had "good reasons" for ending my life. Her husband was absent. He was seeing another woman. She had a 10th grade education. She had nobody to help her. There are other factors to be considered. None of which are worth my life or any other childs. Hardship or pain or want of resource cannot justify ending my life. For those of you who wish for choice, I encourage you to put yourself in my mother''s shoes. Then; put yourself in mine.

[voxpopulus]

If a Down''s syndrome teenager is impregnated by some lowlife, Sarah Palin will insist she carries his child to term. Some role model

[blackyowe]

Our country is nuts. Palin belongs on Jerry Springer not in the White House. God help us all if Obama doesn''t win. Canada is looking better to me every day.

[shanev137]

Palin and all her republican followers want to overturn Roe vs. Wade and force women to get back-alley abortions.

[smurfcrusher]

I recognize her "pillow angel" mentality.

She would rather impose her beliefs on Americans than to free us to discover cures for life-threatening diseases, via stem-cell research.

While the neocons waffle, the rest of the developed world forges ahead and leaves us in the dust.

[smurfcrusher]

Check out these very insightful and well researched comments by no other than Matt Damon.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26646843/