Abortions and Children

[PiKA2001]

Originally posted by kstar
I would abort, no questions asked.

Enjoy Hell kstar

[kstar]

Originally posted by PiKA2001
Enjoy Hell kstar

Don't believe in hell, but thanks.

Did you even read the whole post?

[NOWorNEVER]

I guess I'm in the unpopular minority who would choose to abort.

My mother has worked with special needs adults for over 25 years. My father has worked with mentally ill adults for that same amount of time. My mother's brother, my uncle, is 48 years old but has the mental capacity of an 8 year old. He whispers when he speaks. He has countless doctors because he's got several health problems including a sleeping disorder, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. His routine psychologicals have revealed that he has a touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder and autism. He lives with us now since my grandmother passed away a year ago. My mother wanted to see him with family and not in some group home. All that said, I love my uncle and respect my parents for the type of work that they do. But I see the daily struggles my parents and my uncle faces. And quite honestly, I don't have the patience for it.
When most people are expecting children, they look forward to the different stages of their child growing up and going on to the next level. I'm 8 months pregnant now and can't wait to hold my baby. But I also can't wait for my child to start walking and then for my kid to learn the alphabets and experience summer camp. I can't wait for her to learn to drive. I can't wait for her to go to high school and then off to college and for her to get married. There's a certain quality of life I want my child to have. I don't think I could handle raising an 8 year old for the rest of my life.
And this is something my mother didn't see coming until a couple of years ago when my grandma got sick. No one thought, oh what about so-and-so who needs constant special attention? No one had made provisions for taking in a grown handicapped man who was an 8 year old on the inside.

[Jill1228]

What she said!

I hope I am never in the situation where I have to make this decision...'cause I don't have the strength for it either

Originally posted by kstar

I admire people who have the dedication to raise such children, but it breaks my heart to see some people with great minds imprisoned and frustrated by their bodies, or people who will never even know their name. I just don't have the emotional strength for it.

[USCTKE]

I admire people who have the dedication to raise such children, but it breaks my heart to see some people with great minds imprisoned and frustrated by their bodies, or people who will never even know their name. I just don't have the emotional strength for it.

growing up my grandmother who lived right beside me had adopted the three daughters of one of her neices, one of them was mentally handicapped and pretty much dependent on my grandmother and the rest of us (even me when my grandparents health started to get bad) to get by, one was borderline mentally handicapped (she could function on her own in most capacities of every day life), and then one who was at the top of her high school class (before she dropped out of school, which still amazes me to this day). Yes raising children with disabilities is a big time commitment and sometimes it does feel like you are "imprisoned" but after a while you get used to it.

[AXO Alum]

I am glad that there are people that can post differing opinions - going to hell has nothing to do with it

I have worked with people with different abilities for most of my life. My mother is a gracious volunteer for several organizations & taught us early that helping others is the best job in the world.

I have been the guardian of a woman with Down's Syndrome for several years. She lives in a facility with 5 other women with similar different-abilities, and they all work, do chores, etc. Her biological family has not seen or done anything for her since she was a small child & first put into an institution (back in the 60's). Thankfully volunteers saw that she was an independent woman, and worked to get her into a more mainstream facility where she has enjoyed life to the fullest. I met her when I began working at the home in the mid-90's and my life wouldn't be complete without her. I consider her to be part of my family - she and the other ladies were all bridesmaids at my wedding.

All that to say that I don't think any part of her life is less meaningful or inspiring because she is differently abled. She looks at things in a way I only wish "normal" people could - every snowflake is a brand-new wonder (not a horrible mess that leads to slow traffic), puppies & kittens are like having Christmas every day (not another responsibility to feed and care for), and nothing in the world can compare to a big ice cream cone (even in the dead of winter, and the amount of calories & fat in the ice cream)!

Doctors can be wrong - and often are - like Jocelyn, I know many people who were told that their children would suffer through a short life, only to be born perfectly happy & healthy.

Today there are SO many more advances in medicine for people born with different abilities. Better care for them, better services to help provide support for the families - it is amazing what opportunities there are that weren't there before.

ETA: I know that people post that they wouldn't have the strength for things - and I totally respect that! I am just saying that being a mom & helping with elderly grandparents, etc. you learn that strength is there sometimes when you don't even know it

[LightBulb]

No, I wouldn't. I would just give extra care and love to the baby.

[AKA_Monet]

I had a friend that had an abortion at 6 months because she found out her child cand an incomplete chromosomal translocations that would have caused the child becoming severely mentally retarded if it survived outside the womb, and most of its internal organs undeveloped.

For me, because I am older, I would probably have to undergo all kinds of testing and pray to God that my child had no know gross deformities or uncurable birth defects. I would do everything I could do to take the utmost care for myself prior to pregnancy, then after conception, birth and post-natal care. That means attempting to have a very healthy lifestyle, eating properly and possibly having numerous vitamins and medications. And there is no guarentee for a healthy baby.


The Futureshock with Dr. Strangelove...

As far as women pursuing fertility--aside from the gross treatment options--I think that most of the research is leading toward that movie "GATTACA"--doing conception by in vitro fertilization. It is just a matter of 5-10 years that everything will be known as to how to handle human embryonic stem cells, eventually leading to handling human oocyte and spermatagonia cultures. And we are headed to a "Brave New World" in that respect--regardless of the moral, religious and ethical questions raised. Folks are just money hungry...

And we will have all kinds of new technology in creating the best environment for fertility with a huge price tag on it. Just the way it is. Moreover, we will be able to do all of the science fictional stuff thought 10-20+ years ago and it will be easy as hooking up your iPOD...

In the future, abortion will basically become an archaic method of surgery from a medical standpoint and moot discussion on its legality and morality.

Women will not have to have children. Children could be "grown" and "harvested"... Not like in the "Matrix"--different--but the concept will be the same...

And most genetic diseases, including mentally ill diseases, will be essentially pulled out of the gene pool... Folks that don't need to be having children, like crack whores and pimps, will be an underclass that we might never have to see in this Brave New World.

Pregnancy would be a "spiritual pursuit" like doing a "spiritual quest" by arranged parties...

Ladies and gentlemen, we have now entered into the Eugenics Wars...

[AOX81]

Since I've never been in the position to have to make that kind of decision I'm not sure. I know a lot of people think one way and then when they are in a particular situation they change their minds. I'm pro-choice but that doesn't mean I would be running off having an abortion. If it was a severe case I would probably choose to abort...which would not be a decision that I would enter into lightly.