Organizing for America | Tyler Folsom's Blog: Down's syndrome

Down's syndrome

By Tyler Folsom - Sep 13th, 2008 at 12:22 pm EDT

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I admire Palin's decision to raise a child with Down's Syndrome. I wonder if she knows what she is getting into. I have a sibling with the condition. Palin has said that she will be a friend of special needs children in the White House yet slashed funding as governor [http://www.pensitoreview.com/2008/09/05/palin-cut-funding-for-alaskas-special-needs-children-by-60-percent/
].

My sister Judy was born with Down's Syndrome. At the time, the name of the condition was "Mongoloid simple mindedness" and nobody knew the cause. Judy has never learned to read. She can print her name, use the toilet and feed herself. She cannot form complete sentences and speaks in phrases. Judy can be very loving and affectionate. At other times she is stubborn. She has hallucinations. She cannot prepare her own meals, do arithmetic or handle money. She is incapable of holding even the most menial job. She is physically normal, but short.

Judy was the first child. My parents tried to raise her, but when the third child was born it became clear that it would be impossible to raise us all together. Judy was put in an institution and my parents pretended that she had never existed. I don't blame them for that decision; Down's Syndrome has destroyed many marriages. My parents stayed happily married for 56 years, until my mother's death. Judy was not expected to live long, but after 63 years, she is still hanging in.

Part of the joy of motherhood is watching your child grow, develop, and assert her independence. It is heartbreaking when she is forever stuck in early childhood. With today's technology, it is easy to detect that a fetus has Down's Syndrome and terminate the pregnancy. Sarah Palin had the courage to stick to her beliefs and follow the course that was right for her. It is a highly painful and personal decision that many women would make differently. Ms. Palin has no right to make that decision for others.

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