The Joy of Raising a Child with Down Syndrome

The Joy of Raising a Child with Down Syndrome!

I read the article "What it Really Takes to Raise a Child with Down Syndrome" and something did not sit well with me about it. It is because I have a sweet little brother with Down syndrome and I have first-hand experience on what it takes to raise a child with Down syndrome. I do not know whether the author of this article does or not, but she did not give a very good picture of an individual with Down syndrome. This article did point out that there are a lot of therapies that are now available for those with Down syndrome, which is good.

There are a few things that I wish to point out:

~ "Then they are faced with the decision of whether or not they would be able to care for all of the needs of the baby by themselves. . . . Of course this article is in no way suggesting that you should not raise your own child, but instead it will highlight exactly what would be required on the part of the parent. It is up to the parent in order to decide if they can handle the situation or if they will need help, or if they just can not deal with the situation."

This article surely is giving a perspective about Down syndrome that is not completely accurate. God is the one who creates every person, even those who have Down syndrome. Most any parent is capable of raising a child with a handicap. God is the one who has given that family the child with a handicap, whether it is Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, etc. It is extremely unfortunate though, that in our world, about 90% of babies with Down syndrome are murdered (aborted). I wish this weren't so! But, part of the problem arises when doctors do not give the parents accurate and true information regarding Down syndrome. The information they give paints a sad, often inaccurate, picture. This is part of the problem with this article, as is shown below.

~ "First of all you will need to realize that someone will have to be with your baby all of the time. Even as they grow older they will need constant supervision and attention . . . One thing that parents need to keep in mind is that children with Down syndrome do not grow or learn at the same rate as other children their age."