My interview with the Long Island Catholic

I told Mary, the journalist,  the story of how
"A Special Mother is Born" came to be.
Here's an excerpt;

Velasquez said “A Special Mother is Born,” “my own story of Christina’s birth,” was first published in Faith & Family magazine in spring of 2007. “I received so many letters in response from women who had the same epiphany of being surprised by this powerful joy, this encounter with Jesus in the person of their special needs child, that I knew I was on to something,” she continued. “I began collecting stories from mothers three years ago, and was delighted to meet many courageous faith-filled women.” Reading former Senator Rick Santorum’s story in The Philadelphia Inquirer about his daughter with special needs inspired Velasquez to ask fathers to contribute to the book as well.

You can read it on their website.

Prenatal Down Syndrome Diagnosis Booklets Available Free to Medical Providers

from PR.com:
Atlanta, GA, December 23, 2011 --(PR.com)-- This week, Canister launched a revamped Lettercase program to distribute free copies of "Understanding a Down Syndrome Diagnosis" to medical providers nationwide. The booklets, authored by Stephanie Meredith, were created with input from representatives of the national medical organizations, including the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Medical Genetics, and the National Society of Genetic Counselors, and the national Down syndrome organizations.

The booklet contains accurate, up-to-date, and balanced prenatal information about Down syndrome for patients learning about a prenatal diagnosis from their physician. The booklet covers available health and education services, common medical conditions for babies with Down syndrome, information about pregnancy options, and helpful resources about the condition. The booklet also includes a Spanish translation and has been optimized for different reading levels.

Practicing medical providers who are involved in delivering Down syndrome diagnoses are eligible for a free copy of the booklet at http://www.lettercase.org/, and medical facilities may also purchase additional copies as needed. The philanthropic program is funded exclusively by the creators of the booklet, Canister, a small design studio in Atlanta, GA.

Justin Meredith, the owner of Canister, explained, "We created these booklets four years ago to fill a void of resources for expectant parents learning about a Down syndrome diagnosis. Since that time, we have distributed nearly 20,000 booklets and been fortunate enough to receive feedback and assistance from representatives of the national medical and Down syndrome organizations. The medical professionals have always been the keystone of our program, so we've dedicated our professional skill and funding capacity to make this resource available to them."

Think twice about dropping your donation into that Salvation Army kettle!

As a social worker in the eighties, I worked extensively with the Salvation Army, so I had a positive image of their good works, and regularly donated to their kettle campaign each Christmas. This all changed this week when Anita Crane, a reporter for World Net Daily sent me the Salvation Army's policy on abortion. It has loopholes which are unacceptable, too many babies fall through.

"The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of human life. Humankind was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). All people – without exception – are of value to him, holding a special place in his creation (Psalm 8:5), irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, health or social status, or their potential for achievement."
But it also states, "A serious commitment to the protection and care of the unborn calls us to a commitment to the prevention of unwanted pregnancy through means such as access to reliable birth control, safety in relationships, and societal respect of women."
Specifically, it says the Salvation Army "believes that termination [abortion] can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

My reaction is contained within the article, but here is the long version:
As a peer minister to women facing a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome, I have heard the horror stories of what the doctors tell women in order to convince them to abort their child. They are told their child will do nothing to help himself, will only live to 10 years of age, will be miserable, will make their siblings miserable, will never be able to tie her shoes, read, graduate high school, and ruin her parents' marriage. This information is patently false.

The truth is marriages last longer when a couple has a child with Down syndrome,according to this Vanderbuilt University Study, and more are graduating high school and college every day, thanks to inclusive education. No one can say how long a child will live based on information gathered pre-natally or what their IQ will be, and Dr Brian Skotko has just published the results of a survey in the American Journal of Medical Genetics saying how happy families who have a member with Down syndrome are.

I shared this in my article for the National Catholic Register;
“We mailed surveys to families around the country, and 3,150 mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and people with Down syndrome responded. Here is just a sample of what we found:
• 99% of people with Down syndrome said they were happy with their lives;
• 97% of people with Down syndrome liked who they are;
• 99% of parents said they love their child with Down syndrome;
• 5% of parents felt embarrassed by their child;
• 97% of brothers/sisters, ages 9-11, said they love their sibling.”
Now, some would interpret Down syndrome in the definition given by the Salvation Army policy statement as "a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."


Some babies with Down syndrome do not live long. Some live for decades, outliving their parents.


Take another 'abnormality' trisomy 18. Most babies with t18 don't live to birth, that is true, but there are exceptions. Tell that to Rick Santorum whose three year old Bella Maria is still with us, and Mary Kellett of Pre-natal Partners for Life whose son Peter was a blessing to his family and the world till his recent death at 6 and 1/2 years.
So, if Salvation Army says abortion is OK for babies with abnormalities, most women facing such a diagnosis will be told by their health care professional that that includes them.

It is beneath the dignity of a Christian organization to allow innocent unborn children to be killed. It is beneath the God-given dignity of the babies to be told their lives can be cut short because their mother was raped (the other exception) or they are not perfect enough. If God only gives them life while in their mother's womb, who are we to cut it even shorter?


It is the position of KIDS Keep Infants with Down Syndrome that possessing an abnormal prenatal diagnosis does NOT lower the God-given dignity of a baby. We believe that all human life is sacred from conception till natural death, and if, in the tragic circumstance that a baby is destined to live only the briefest of times, only within a mother's womb or a few brief moments or days afterward, that we must give that child the full span of life and not end her life by abortion.

There is always the possibility of an incorrect diagnosis, so we must always decide on the side of life, and trust God with the life of our beloved child.
The Salvation Army should re-consider their position on this critical issue, as it is not consistent with a pro-life stance.
Let them live, Salvation Army. Let the babies live.

Support their moms if they feel that they can't do it alone, and give them hope for their child's future, if not here on earth, forever in eternity.
That is what we celebrate with the birth of the Christ Child, the birth of the giver of Eternal Life.

Send Salvation Army a message that you will not be donating until they revoke the loopholes in their abortion policy using this contact information:
Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan
The Salvation Army
International Social Justice Commission221 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022, USA
Phone: (212) 758-0763Email: IHQ-ISJC@salvationarmy.org

Read the entire article here.

Watch my talk tomorrow live at Family Resource Council

Follow this link to the live webcast at 12 noon EST. Please pray for me as I discuss Down syndrome; Disaster or Divine Smile?

Museum of Motherhood Talk on "Genetic Diversity"

The talk where I introduced my concept of "genetic diversity" to a conference on multicultural motherhood, given Monday at the Museum of Motherhood in Manhattan was well received. Attendees were very enthusiastic about the idea of a new paradigm of perfection, one not based on flawlessness, but on wholeness, of fulfilling one's purpose in life, as introduced by Amy Julia Becker at her keynote address for the Down Syndrome Conference at Princeton University.
You can see my chatty talk here. 

A little Down syndrome beauty

I just discovered a stunning blogspot from a German photographer, Connie Wenk,  who like me, finds the beauty of those with T21 absolutely irresistible!
 Its called That Little Extra, and they have a calendar!

I will be calling in on the Health Matters radio show with Dr Delgado

"Health Matters" with Dr. George Delgado M.D., F.A.A.F.P. of Culture of Life Family Services (COLF's) (every 3rd Thursday)

Join Dr Delgado every third Thursday as he discusses health issues from a Catholic pro-life perspective. During the program, please call in with your health questions:             760 931 1604      and Dr Delgado will address them. Every Third Thursday, the doctor is in. 

Dr. George Delgado is the medical director of Culture of Life Family Health Care. He practices family medicine, providing medical care that is faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church for newborns, children and adults. Dr. Delgado is an NFP Medical Consultant trained in NaProTechnology. Additionally, he and the other members of the staff are available to counsel women who are in crisis pregnancies. Dr. Delgado received his medical degree from the University of California, Davis and completed his residency at Santa Monica Hospital/UCLA. He is board certified in family medicine and in hospice and palliative medicine. Dr. Delgado is a Voluntary Associate Clinical Professor at UCSD School of Medicine.

Please call in tonight between 6 and 7PM Pacific Time with your questions and comments. Dr Delgado is discussing pre-natal testing and raising a child with special needs. The number is 760-931-1604

MaterniT21 threatens to extinguish the Down syndrome population

This is the point of view I explore in my article in the National Catholic Register on this new prenatal screening test for Down syndrome which was released this week.

If you missed us on "Faith and Culture" the first time, here's your chance

Show host Colleen Carrroll Campbell just informed us that EWTN is re-airing our "Faith and Culture" interview on the following dates and times, according to the online schedule.
Sunday Sept. 18 at 5:00 PM EST, 

Monday Sept 19 at 2:30 PM EST 

Wednesday Sept 21 at 11PM EST. 

Its called "Keeping Infants with Down Syndrome".

If you miss this, its not archived, you'll have to purchase the DVD in the EWTN Catalogue. 

Surgery for the unborn baby with Spina Bifida

Yes, I knew it was possible, and I applaud it. Yet, the unsettling thing is that the listeners of NPR are amazed by the fact that an unborn baby is worthy of surgery, some are actually saying that it runs contrary to natural selection and good economic sense. Read the article here. 
There are scientists who are discovering possible pre-natal biochemical therapies for Down syndrome, like Dr Jim Paddy Baggot of Los Angeles, CA. He sees some ways that the malformation of babies with Down syndrome can be stopped by intervening before birth by making sure the developing baby is given the right chemicals. to overcome genetic defects. Dr Baggot describes his work;

Initially, my research centered on  pathways involving folate metabolism. This was because earlier research conducted by Drs. Lejeune and Peeters suggested a problem of folate deficiency in Down syndrome. And indeed we did find an abnormality in the pathway of folate metabolism.
When we compared our work with other similar research, we found that our results can be explained by a gene that was present in chromosome 21.
There are normally 2 copies of chromosome 21 in each cell. With Down syndrome, there is an extra copy of chromosome 21. That means that there are three copies of each gene on chromosome 21. Gene products of chromosome 21 will be increased by 50%. What we saw in our data was that the substrate of the gene product was reduced by similar amount. When a result is caused by a 50% increase of gene product, this is called the gene dosage effect. As far as we know, we were the first to show gene dosage effect on this gene, and the first to show gene dosage effect in amniotic fluid.
As part of our comprehensive global survey, we looked at carbohydrates and simple sugars. It revealed no major abnormalities. It was important to look at simple sugars because one syndrome of mental retardation known as galactosemia is characterized by an excess of a simple sugar, galactose. This work was published online at Internet Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
In 2008, our research team was blessed with the publication of two additional  articles in the prestigious medical journal Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy.*

New Zealand Ministry of Health sued in International Criminal Court for eugenics violations

For immediate release

A group of parents of children with Down syndrome have lodged a complaint with the International Criminal Court against the Governments(of New Zealand) screening programme for Down syndrome.

Group spokesman Mike Sullivan said the group has applied to the Office of the Prosecutor under the provisions of Article 15.1 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The Court has confirmed that the application is being considered.

The Prosecutor has been asked to investigate and intervene in the Ministry of Health's antenatal screening programme, as it persecutes against people with Down syndrome through the prevention of their births.

Evidence was presented to the Court's Prosecutors showing the screening programme prevents around 75% of births of people with Down syndrome in New Zealand.

The programme is promoted and funded by the government at a cost of $9.4M per year, or around $75,000 per unborn child diagnosed with Down syndrome.

The complaint names the Minister of Health as responsible for the programme under his statutory role. Article 27 of the Rome Statute provides that a role as a government official shall in no case exempt a person from criminal responsibility.

Mr Sullivan explained the complaint presents evidence obtained under the Official Information Act. This includes details the previous Labour Minister of Health had foresight that the consequences
of the screening programme would be the prevention of births of people with Down syndrome via selective abortion, leading to a significant reduction in their numbers. ``The current Minister of Health is continuing with the programme in the knowledge that the vast majority of pregnancies with Down syndrome will be aborted and has consistently refused to address any of our concerns,'' Mr Sullivan said.

The group who lodged the complaint is comprised of 37 concerned parents, siblings and supporting organisations, including a number of doctors.

The groups position statement is genetic screening must not be used to prevent the birth of unborn children with Down syndrome, as this is discrimination.

The group recognises genetic testing may help some parents prepare for the birth of a child with Down syndrome, in which case it should only be only directed towards safeguarding or healing the unborn child.

For further
information contact:

Mike Sullivan, 09
436 1498 0r 021 406 266
mike.b.sullivan@xtra.co.nz

Mike Sullivan loves our kids!

Read my blog post over at National Right to Life News about Mike Sullivan, the engineer from New Zealand who is suing  his government over eugenic abortion in the International Criminal Court. I hope this idea catches on, it means that this could be done in every nation which has signed onto the Rome Treaty and has universal pre-natal testing for Down syndrome and other anomalies.

Colleen Carroll Campbell: A dangerous perfectionism

Read this eloquent column in the St Louis Dispatch by EWTN series host Colleen Carroll Campbell on the new pre-natal screening tests for Down syndrome.

She says, Count Eileen Haupt and Leticia Velasquez, two mothers of daughters with Down syndrome, among the latter. The pair recently founded an organization known as Keep Infants with Down Syndrome, or KIDS. Their goal: to encourage expectant parents of Down-diagnosed babies by spreading the word about research advances and the joy these special-needs children can bring.The potential audience for their message is vast. Today, many women are bearing children later in life and thus facing higher odds of a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis. (A 20-year-old woman has a one-in-2,000 chance of conceiving a baby with Down syndrome; for a 40-year-old woman, that chance is one in 100.)

  Colleen Carroll Campbell: A dangerous perfectionism

Down syndrome Dad fights eugenic abortion in New Zealand

 Following TV3's 60 Minutes(on New Zealand television) documentary on June 12 “Down but not out'', parents of children with Down syndrome announced they will lodge a complaint with the International Criminal Court against the Governments screening programme for Down syndrome.

The basis of the parents' complaint is that the Government's antenatal screening programme specifically targets foetuses with Down syndrome and other rare genetic conditions, through the prevention of their births.

 The 60 Minutes documentary was introduced with the statement “people with Down syndrome may soon disappear from the face of the earth.'' 60 Minutes revealed the new screening programme was introduced without public consultation and the Ministry of Health “did not bother'' asking the opinion of anyone who has Down syndrome, about the programme.

Mike Sullivan, father of three-year-old Rebecca Sullivan who has Down syndrome, featured in the 60 Minutes documentary. He said people with Down syndrome and other disabilities are human beings who live full and rewarding lives. “They must be treated on an equal basis with other members of our society, without any form of discrimination.''

De-Anne Jensen, mother of three with her oldest son having Down syndrome also featured on 60 Minutes. “Government documents say it costs less not to have children with Down syndrome around, so it looks like they are working to do away with Down syndrome. It's cheaper; you don't have to pay for the special needs things. The Government and medical experts are putting a monetary value on our baby's lives,'' Mrs Jensen said.

 The parents' complaint references Government Cabinet papers obtained under the Official Information Act stating the outcomes of the programme will be a reduction in the number of births of
people with Down syndrome, with around 90% of unborn children diagnosed with the condition being terminated. The persecution of an identifiable group of the civilian population through the prevention of births is specifically prohibited under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which New Zealand is signatory.

The group is supported by parents with other disabilities that are being similarly targeted and other organisations who support their concerns.

The groups position statement is that genetic screening must not be used to prevent the birth of unborn children with Down syndrome, or cause harm to any unborn child.

The group recognises genetic testing may help some parents prepare for the birth of a child with Down syndrome. Any testing must respect the life and integrity of the unborn child, cause no harm, be only directed towards safeguarding or healing the unborn child and be presented in a way that does not discriminate against people with Down syndrome or any disability. Any testing must be developed in full engagement with those with Down syndrome.

For further
information contact:

Mike Sullivan, 09
436 1498 0r 021 406 266 mike.b.sullivan@xtra.co.nz

Welcome to Sonrise Morning Show Listeners

And thank you Brian Patrick for covering so much important information in our interview! Brian understands that when you disrespect the right to life of those with Down syndrome, all our dignity is diminished.
If you are not familiar with the Show click here. 
All the Catholic luminaries like Danielle Bean, Donna Marie Cooper-O'Boyle,  Patrick Madrid, Sarah Reinhard are on this wonderful show about everything Catholic.

Mandatory pre-natal testing to be considered in France

My friends at the Lejeune Foundation in France are calling for all those who oppose the eugenic abortion of babies with trisomy 21 and live in France to sign a petition opposing this practice. France already has an abortion rate of 96% once Down syndrome is detected through pre-natal testing, universal testing would be catastrophic to this population and to human rights in general, setting off a possible chain reaction throughout Europe. Below is a translation of the original letter from the Foundation Lejeune.

On May 25 and 26 of this year, the National Assembly [the lower house in the French Parliament] will resume its debates and votes concerning the proposed bioethics law.  

If the deputies follow the recommendations of the Senate and the Special Committee on Bioethics, the pendulum will swing, in the next few days, and France will implement a policy of eugenics with regard to infants with Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome.  

Because all of us are vulnerable and called to show solidarity with those who are a little more so, we cannot accept this or let it happen.  

Please act today by signing the petition that we will send to the legislators and by sending this message to everyone on your e-mail address list.

We thank every one of you for your irreplaceable support of this petition drive.  

 The Staff of the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation

WHY A PETITION AGAINST EUGENICS?

 -

Because the legislators in both Houses of the French Parliament are currently debating the contents of the forthcoming bioethics law and are preparing to legalize systematic screening for Trisomy 21.  

-

Because 96% of the babies diagnosed before birth as having Trisomy 21 are eliminated, some of them as late as the ninth month of pregnancy.  Instead of expanding this search-and-destroy mission aimed at infants with Trisomy 21, we should instead take advantage of the future bioethics law to put a stop to the current trends!  

-

Because obliging the doctor to propose prenatal diagnosis to all expectant mothers would lead us from a de facto situation of eugenics to a legal system of eugenics that completely contradicts the Civil Code (art. 16-4).  

-

Because infants with Trisomy 21, like all of us, want to live, to love and to be loved.  

-

Because the degree to which a society is civilized is measured by its ability to protect its weakest members.

-

Because all of us are vulnerable and called to show solidarity with those who are a little more so.  

-

Because, with technological advances, it will very soon be possible to detect many other disorders or predispositions to diseases. The logic of search-and-destroy will be extended to an ever-increasing number of babies.  

-

Because by choosing to eliminate the sick instead of trying to cure their illnesses, science and medicine abandon their purpose and deny themselves.  

The purpose of this petition is to denounce the eugenicist ideology informing the bioethics law, which is clearly expressed by its intention to screen systematically for Trisomy 21, and to challenge our legislators concerning the blatant contradiction between the Civil Code and current eugenics practices.  

If your share our concern and our willingness to fight for greater respect for the lives of the most vulnerable, then sign this petition, which we will forward to the members of Parliament and to the French government.  

Life is the most important political issue for Man:  the members of Parliament, like the future candidates for the Presidency of the French Republic, cannot ignore this.  They must recognize the determination of the French electorate on this subject [and also realize that people of good will in other countries will be watching carefully how they deal with this latest threat to fundamental human rights].  

SIGN THE PETITION HERE. 

Gabriela discusses pro-life indy filmmaking on "The Face of Pro-Life"

Gabbi recently did an interview with "The Face of Pro-Life" TV show about her film "An Extra Special Missionary" for the Goodness Reigns Film Contest which inspired a documentary on the Archdiocesan program, "Crossroads". on Holy Saturday,  (click on archived shows, date April 23, 2011, our portion of the show begins on 8:35). She is as good in front of the camera as behind it, and her dazzling smile when she discusses her love for her sister speaks volumes about the blessing Christina has been for her family and community.
You can watch "The Face of Pro-life" TV show by clicking here. 

Please take time to complete this survey about families with a child with Down syndrome

This is from Marcia Van Riper, a nursing professor at University of North Carolina School of Nursing

Update on Study about Adaptation and Resilience in Families of Children with Down Syndrome

During the past year, many of you were kind enough to take time out of your busy life to complete our online survey about adaptation and resilience in families of children withDown syndrome. In addition, many of you expressed interest in being interviewed. To date, almost 250 parents have completed the survey. As far as the interviews, I have conducted around 35 interviews, but plan to do many more now that the semester has ended here at the University of North Carolina School of Nursing were I teach.

The main reason I am emailing you today is to let you know that there is still time to complete the survey if you have not yet had time to do it (or if you started it, but did not find time to finish it). Also, if your partner or spouse has not yet had time to complete the survey, I hope you will encourage him or her to do so. Currently the majority of the parents who have completed the survey are mothers (190 mothers and 58 fathers). I believe it is very important to hear from both mothers and fathers, so again, I hope you will encourage your partner or spouse to complete the survey. In addition, you are welcome to share the links to the survey with other parents of children with Down syndrome. Currently, we have versions in English and Spanish. Soon we will have versions in Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese. Ultimately, my goal is to collect data from 2,000 to 3,000 parents of children with Down syndrome. Then, to make sure this information is shared in both the popular media and the literature health care professionals read. Your stories are very powerful stories, ones that will help change attitudes about life with Down syndrome, as well as lead to improved outcomes for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

Here are the links –

English Version

Link for mothers: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3KBM795

Link for fathers: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3KBQN5M

Spanish Version

Enlace para mamas http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZJ6C3YT

Enlace para papáshttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s/93QXKQC

Thank you to all of you who have already completed the survey and/or been interviewed. I have been doing work with children with Down syndrome and their families for over 25 years, and truly you and your children have been my best teachers.

Best Wishes,

Marcia

Marcia Van Riper, PhD, RN

Associate Professor Chair Family Health Division

School of Nursing/Carolina Center for Genome Sciences

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC

CB #7460 Carrington Hall Chapel Hill, NC. 27599-7460

President, International Family Nursing Association

vanriper@email.unc.edu 919-966-4284

The Perfect Storm now faces those with Down syndrome

My eloquent friend and co-founder of KIDS, Keep Infants with Down Syndrome  Eileen Haupt has really nailed it on this opinion piece for the Burlington Free Press.
Here's the heart of her piece;

There has never been a better time -- in the history of mankind -- for babies with Down syndrome to be born. There is better recognition of their potential, greater knowledge about this genetic condition, supportive laws, inclusion in schools, exciting new research that may lead to treatments for cognitive challenges, and in general, more understanding. In particular, advanced medical technology has significantly improved the quality and longevity of their lives.
But it seems advanced medical technology is a double-edged sword. For it has also enabled the development of more-accurate methods of prenatal testing to diagnose babies while still in the womb, thereby making them targets for abortion. Dr. Brian Skotko of Children's Hospital in Boston estimates that a shocking 92 percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome in utero are aborted.

Why is the moment just BEFORE we are about to have a scientific breakthrough in treatment for the cognitive delays of Down syndrome, are we also preparing to "eradicate the disease"? Are we deliberately turning a blind eye to science or so determined to form "the perfect race" that we don't care if things have never been better for those with extra chromosomes.
It makes me very sad and angry this Culture of Death. Oh Lord, we stand in need of Your grace!

New booklet for parents whose children are diagnosed with Down syndrome

If money talks and it does, that the National Institute of Health is telling us, "eliminating babies with Down syndrome is a priority to us". Listen to this: the NIH funds autism research to the tune of $181 milllion but has yet to fund ONE DOLLAR of research to treat Down syndrome. They didn't even have a research plan till a grassroots movement of parents and the newly formed Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus and forced their hand, and only recently they asked if IF they should fund research to help those with Down syndrome overcome some of the cognitive deficits.
Now I find out that the NIH has funded million in research for search-and-destroy pre-natal diagnosis.

Last week, Gene Security Network announced a 2 million dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a clinical trial for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD); however, the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Awareness Act that passed unanimously in 2008 to provide information about conditions, like Down syndrome, has gone unfunded for the past three years. One testing company has already announced more advanced prenatal blood tests for Down syndrome to be released this fall, meaning more accurate testing will be available without the accompanying information needed to support the patients.

Thanks be to God the National Down Syndrome Society has funded an informational booklet to help parents whose unborn or newborn child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. The CEO of Lettercase who produced the booklet describes it;

"Our booklets give patients the full scope of Down syndrome with information that has been vetted by both medical and disability experts. It is essential for both the federal government and testing companies who are putting funds toward testing to also invest in credible patient education. It is essential that we establish a model, not only in theory but in practice, for responsible testing as this technology continues to evolve for more and more genetic conditions."

So despite the failure to fund the Prenatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, this booklet will be doing what that bill has not been able to do, inform parents with the truth, not with outdated stereotypes.


Read the entire article here.