Down Syndrome Parents: Palin Is Role Model

(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.

[karlae-2009]

Palin is not my role model! As a mother with a child with DS, and very much engaged in my son''s life - education, health and social - all of us mothers ARE the role models to society and our children. Educating others, dealing with challenges with our DS children. I do not judge anybody who chooses not to do the same for whatever reason. Physicians and allied health professionals need to be more educated on the subject. There are other men and women very much dedicated to making a change for our children. Do not make a blanket statement for all parents. Sarah Palin is not my role model... I am my role model and I know many other parents who are as well. Just because she has a baby with DS does not make her a role model - for that matter, my child''s father would qualify for the label, even though he''s not involved at all in our son''s life. What you do to ensure they''re healthy, educated, and experience life in a positive light, that makes a difference.

I wish her baby many blessings - she''s just getting started in experiencing this new role. There are more challenges than just having the baby.

p.s. There are other reasons for which women - and girls! - choose to terminate pregnancies. I do not judge them, and others don''t know their individual stories and circumstances.

[karlae-2009]

Palin is not my role model! As a mother with a child with DS, and very much engaged in my son''s life - education, health and social - all of us mothers ARE the role models to society and our children. Educating others, dealing with challenges with our DS children. I do not judge anybody who chooses not to do the same for whatever reason. Physicians and allied health professionals need to be more educated on the subject. There are other men and women very much dedicated to making a change for our children. Do not make a blanket statement for all parents. Sarah Palin is not my role model... I am my role model and I know many other parents who are as well. Just because she has a baby with DS does not make her a role model - for that matter, my child''s father would qualify for the label, even though he''s not involved at all in our son''s life. What you do to ensure they''re healthy, educated, and experience life in a positive light, that makes a difference.

I wish her baby many blessings - she''s just getting started in experiencing this new role. There are more challenges than just having the baby.

p.s. There are other reasons for which women - and girls! - choose to terminate pregnancies. I do not judge them, and others don''t know their individual stories and circumstances.

[karlae-2009]

Palin is not my role model! As a mother with a child with DS, and very much engaged in my son''s life - education, health and social - all of us mothers ARE the role models to society and our children. Educating others, dealing with challenges with our DS children. I do not judge anybody who chooses not to do the same for whatever reason. Physicians and allied health professionals need to be more educated on the subject. There are other men and women very much dedicated to making a change for our children. Do not make a blanket statement for all parents. Sarah Palin is not my role model... I am my role model and I know many other parents who are as well. Just because she has a baby with DS does not make her a role model - for that matter, my child''s father would qualify for the label, even though he''s not involved at all in our son''s life. What you do to ensure they''re healthy, educated, and experience life in a positive light, that makes a difference.

I wish her baby many blessings - she''s just getting started in experiencing this new role. There are more challenges than just having the baby.

p.s. There are other reasons for which women - and girls! - choose to terminate pregnancies. I do not judge them, and others don''t know their individual stories and circumstances.

[karlae-2009]

Palin is not my role model! As a mother with a child with DS, and very much engaged in my son''s life - education, health and social - all of us mothers ARE the role models to society and our children. Educating others, dealing with challenges with our DS children. I do not judge anybody who chooses not to do the same for whatever reason. Physicians and allied health professionals need to be more educated on the subject. There are other men and women very much dedicated to making a change for our children. Do not make a blanket statement for all parents. Sarah Palin is not my role model... I am my role model and I know many other parents who are as well. Just because she has a baby with DS does not make her a role model - for that matter, my child''s father would qualify for the label, even though he''s not involved at all in our son''s life. What you do to ensure they''re healthy, educated, and experience life in a positive light, that makes a difference.

I wish her baby many blessings - she''s just getting started in experiencing this new role. There are more challenges than just having the baby.

p.s. There are other reasons for which women - and girls! - choose to terminate pregnancies. I do not judge them, and others don''t know their individual stories and circumstances.

[karlae-2009]

Palin is not my role model! As a mother with a child with DS, and very much engaged in my son''s life - education, health and social - all of us mothers ARE the role models to society and our children. Educating others, dealing with challenges with our DS children. I do not judge anybody who chooses not to do the same for whatever reason. Physicians and allied health professionals need to be more educated on the subject. There are other men and women very much dedicated to making a change for our children. Do not make a blanket statement for all parents. Sarah Palin is not my role model... I am my role model and I know many other parents who are as well. Just because she has a baby with DS does not make her a role model - for that matter, my child''s father would qualify for the label, even though he''s not involved at all in our son''s life. What you do to ensure they''re healthy, educated, and experience life in a positive light, that makes a difference.

I wish her baby many blessings - she''s just getting started in experiencing this new role. There are more challenges than just having the baby.

p.s. There are other reasons for which women - and girls! - choose to terminate pregnancies. I do not judge them, and others don''t know their individual stories and circumstances.

[karlae-2009]

Palin is not my role model! As a mother with a child with DS, and very much engaged in my son''s life - education, health and social - all of us mothers ARE the role models to society and our children. Educating others, dealing with challenges with our DS children. I do not judge anybody who chooses not to do the same for whatever reason. Physicians and allied health professionals need to be more educated on the subject. There are other men and women very much dedicated to making a change for our children and I can think of them as role models as well... but do not make a blanket statement for all parents. Sarah Palin is not my role model... I am my role model and I know many other parents who are as well. Just because she has a baby with DS does not make her a role model - for that matter, my child''s father would qualify for the label, even though he''s not involved at all in our son''s life. What you do to ensure they''re healthy, educated, and experience life in a positive light, that makes a difference.

I wish her baby many blessings - she''s just getting started in experiencing this new role. There are more challenges than just having the baby.

p.s. There are other reasons for which women - and girls! - choose to terminate pregnancies. I do not judge them, and others don''t know their individual stories and circumstances.

[karlae-2009]

Palin is not my role model! As a mother with a child with DS, and very much engaged in my son''s life - education, health and social - all of us mothers ARE the role models to society and our children. Educating others, dealing with challenges with our DS children. I do not judge anybody who chooses not to do the same for whatever reason. Physicians and allied health professionals need to be more educated on the subject. There are other men and women very much dedicated to making a change for our children and I can think of them as role models as well... but do not make a blanket statement for all parents. Sarah Palin is not my role model... I am my role model and I know many other parents who are as well. Just because she has a baby with DS does not make her a role model - for that matter, my child''s father would qualify for the label, even though he''s not involved at all in our son''s life. What you do to ensure they''re healthy, educated, and experience life in a positive light, that makes a difference.

I wish her baby many blessings - she''s just getting started in experiencing this new role. There are more challenges than just having the baby.

p.s. There are other reasons for which women - and girls! - choose to terminate pregnancies. I do not judge them, and others don''t know their individual stories and circumstances.

[karlae-2009]

Palin is not my role model! As a mother with a child with DS, and very much engaged in my son''s life - education, health and social - all of us mothers ARE the role models to society and our children. Educating others, dealing with challenges with our DS children. I do not judge anybody who chooses not to do the same for whatever reason. Physicians and allied health professionals need to be more educated on the subject. There are other men and women very much dedicated to making a change for our children and I can think of them as role models as well... but do not make a blanket statement for all parents. Sarah Palin is not my role model... I am my role model and I know many other parents who are as well. Just because she has a baby with DS does not make her a role model - for that matter, my child''s father would qualify for the label, even though he''s not involved at all in our son''s life. What you do to ensure they''re healthy, educated, and experience life in a positive light, that makes a difference.

I wish her baby many blessings - she''s just getting started in experiencing this new role. There are more challenges than just having the baby.

p.s. There are other reasons for which women - and girls! - choose to terminate pregnancies. I do not judge them, and others don''t know their individual stories and circumstances.

[laurensmom3]

Wow, Vicar1 is truly ignorant. "A special pillow angel with a few less genes than everybody else" is the way he (most likely, I think) describes a child with ds. First of all, our children have MORE genetic material because they have an EXTRA chromosome. Pillow angel refers to the severely disabled 6 year old child who underwent controversial treatment to keep her small so it would be easier for her parents to carry, transport her, etc. Vicar1, children with ds learn to walk, run, play sports, read, feed themselves, torment their siblings, use the toilet, talk, write, charm people, make friends, sing, dance, swim, whatever they are interested in just like any other kid. I am not special, nor am I a victim. My daughter has not only charmed and captured the hearts of her mother and father, but also her stepmother, stepfather, stepsisters and stepbrother. We''ve all learned from her and welcome her in our lives. Our lives are better because of her and the people she has brought into our lives. Maybe I AM special; as I get to be the mother of two daughters who are both amazing to me regardless of their total number of chromosomes.

[mtngurl8]

I think Palin''s decision to have her son was admirable. What would probably have been better would have been a form of birth control since she has 4 other children and having a child at 43 is not ideal for either mother or especially child. The increase in premature births and DS, bi-polar etc. can be accounted for by men and women having children later in life, which though understandable is still irresponsible. Also-Palin needs to take care of this child-any mother with a 5 month old baby spec. needs or not needs to be a mother first not distracted by being the 2nd most powerful person in the country. And yes maybe it is different for women as a woman it is unfair but it is God''s plan for women to bear children and the responsibilities that come with them. Career yes, but not vice-pres. sadly we really can''t realistically "have it all"