I love this boyI bring him up to bed at night and we sing together for a little while and then he goes through the list of people that he loves. He signs, “I love nana”, “I love mommy”, “I love pop-pop”, “I love the girl (Beth)”, and “I love daddy.” He melts my heart. He lies down and smiles up at me with his sleepy eyes. I rub his back and he quietly drifts off to sleep. But I don’t leave his room. I sit on the edge of his bed and stare at his face. I kiss each of his little fingers including that crooked little pinkie. All I can feel is love for my little guy. For almost 10 years I have lived with Mikey and in those 10 years I have learned to accept him as he is and not as I wish he was. He has Down syndrome and autism and you could make a long list of the things he can’t do and likely will never be able to do but I have no interest in that list. Of course I want him to learn and grow as a person but that is no different than what any parent wants for their child. What I want most for Mikey is to be loved and to be happy. And Mikey is loved and Mikey is happy.

It is standard practice to test pregnant women over 35 to determine if they are carrying a child with Down syndrome. It is also standard practice for babies with Down syndrome to be aborted when the diagnosis is determined. With the recent recommendation that all pregnant women be tested to see if they are carrying a child with Down syndrome we can expect that even more children with Down syndrome will be aborted. This is eugenics and it is wrong. A child should not be aborted because they aren’t “good enough” or because they can’t have the kind of life their parents were hoping for. Yes, having a disabled child will change your life but change can be a good thing. Having Mikey as my son has been one of the best things that ever happened to me.

 

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