Shattering the Myth…

The Gift of Joy

Thirty years ago, Gaffney’s parents, both Catholic, received the gift of new life with open arms.  The secret to their joy was their faith and trust in God. They also saw in Karen’s special needs a way to express their thankfulness for the gift of a new human life. And Karen brought them great joy too. In fact, joy is a very good way to describe Karen. She brings joy to all around her by her warm and loving personality.

Achievements

Karen did many of the same things all children do.  She went to school – Gaffney received her High School diploma from St. Mary’s Academy, a private Catholic high school in Portland, Oregon in 1997.  She surpassed many other students in her class, graduating with a 3.0 GPA.  And like other high school graduates, she then went off to college.  She received an Associates Degree and a certificate to be a Teacher’s Aide from Portland Community College in 2001.  Unlike most people however, Karen also developed her unique talent as a swimmer, breaking many records along the way.

Most people are not aware that Karen’s positive experience is true of many of those living with Down Syndrome.

A Step Towards a Better Future

On February 28, 2008, a bill entitled The Pre-natally and Post-natally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act made a positive step towards approval when it was passed unanimously by the Senate HELP Committee.  This bill was developed by the bipartisan workings of Senators Sam Brownback (R) and Edward Kennedy (D). It will help to provide better education and a more positive understanding of the realities of Down Syndrome for expectant and new parents who are facing this difficult diagnosis.

The bill seeks to develop, on the national level, a way for parents of children with disabilities to assist parents who have just received a similar diagnosis for their own child.  Sharing the positive experiences of living with a Down Syndrome child will help families make more balanced decisions – decisions based in truth, not in fear.  Today the sad reality is that 90% of children diagnosed with Downs Syndrome are aborted.

Consistent with Faith

As a convert to the Catholic faith, Senator Sam Brownback from Kansas has been consistent in his support for laws that seek to respect human life at every stage.  By being outspoken about the value and dignity of every human life, the Senator allows his faith to inform the decisions he makes working for the common good.

Senator Brownback believes that sharing positive information, such as stories like Karen’s, will allow families to see that having a Down Syndrome baby can be a life-changing gift from God.

In his book From Power to Purpose: A Remarkable Journey of Faith and Compassion, Brownback writes, “Many Down syndrome children are the centerpieces of their families. They have amazing gifts and are full of affection…This bill ensures that each family would get sound and balanced information, connection to support services and information about the possibility of adoption so families would not be misled and children could be saved.”

Right from the Beginning

All people, for no reason except that they are human, should have the right to life. The  Declaration of Independence affirms that right:  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Wisdom

Years ago Down Syndrome was considered a debilitating condition. With great wisdom and with the light of faith, Sen. Brownback recognizes that disability is a natural part of the human experience. We all have disabilities to one degree or another. Helping each other work with our disabilities, we become more humane and compassionate.

With advances in technology and medicine, people living with Down Syndrome today can work, live independently and pursue many hobbies and activities.  This is the truth about Down Syndrome that needs to be shared.

Support from a Surprising Source

Desperate Housewives star, Eva Longoria shares the joy of having a sister with Down Syndrome.  In an article for the British newspaper, The Mirror, she says, “When people walk into a room Elizabeth’s face lights up because she’s just so delighted with life.  She gives off this warm glow that everybody responds to. Elizabeth is such a positive person who completely believes in herself and everyone else.”

Growing up with her oldest sister having Down Syndrome, Longoria learned first hand about what it means to be a selfless person:  “It is a hard lesson to take when you are little but as you grow older you just appreciate how important it is to think of someone else first.”

A Hero and a Friend

Brad Hennefer – a 5 foot 10, senior at Cherry Hill East in New Jersey – is the first varsity basketball player with Down Syndrome in the nation.  Highlighted in a February article on SI.com, Hennefer has been on the team since his freshman year.  Scoring in 8 of 21 regular season games, Hennefer has 23 points for the year, including a 3 point shot made with 26 seconds to go.  A well-rounded athlete, Brad is also the New Jersey Special Olympics golf champion.  He prefers basketball to golf however, because he likes to be part of the team.  “I played golf growing up, but I like basketball because I get to be with my teammates. Drew is like a brother to me. Coach lets me in the fourth quarter and I shoot. But I think I’ll remember my senior year here and making the best friends ever. I’ll miss the guys when they go off to college. I’ll remember these guys for the rest of my life.”

Learning to Focus on the Positive

A physical therapist at the Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, Helen Milligan had just delivered her third child when the child was quickly taken into surgery for a heart defect.  The Milligans were prepared for the surgery – advanced technology identified the problem even before their son, Aidan, was born.  They were not prepared however, to learn that Aidan also had Down Syndrome.

After much reflection, Aidan’s dad, Mark, explains the negative myth around Down Syndrome in this way: “What bothered me was that if Aidan didn’t have Down syndrome no one would be making predictions about his future abilities or disabilities. When our two other children were born, our doctor didn’t come in and say: ‘There’s a 50% chance that Ryan is going to get divorced after he gets married’ or ‘statistics show that Meagan will probably take drugs as a teenager.’ The doctors didn’t look down the road at what the negative possibilities might be for our other kids.”

Hope Happening

March 21st is dedicated to World Down Syndrome Day and it will be perfect timing if the Brownback-Kennedy bill is passed through Congress.  Passage of this bill will give hope to those families facing a difficult diagnosis.  The number of those with Down Syndrome in the world is quickly diminishing. As we stated earlier, sadly, statistics also  show that since January 2007 nearly 90% of babies pre-natally diagnosed with Down Syndrome are aborted.

Welcoming the Gift of Joy

How does Helen Milligan feel about that? “The way it’s made to seem like this huge burden and not like a child who is full of love and joy, it makes you want to run away from it all or try to change it.  With abortion being an option and so quickly offered, that’s why it’s taken. By refusing to accept these children who are full of pure love we’re making the world a colder place. I think if couples were given the chance to spend time with people who have Down syndrome and their families they would feel very differently.”

Advancing the Culture of Life

As citizens we benefit from the processes of our democratic government.  We can call or write our own Senators or Representatives to share with them our own individual convictions.  In fact, it is part of our duty as citizens and Catholics to be involved in the political process and to affirm the right to life from conception to natural death.

The fact that Senator Brownback, a Republican, has reached across party affiliations to work with one of the leaders of the Democratic Party, Sen. Kennedy, is a powerful example of how our Catholic belief in affirming the dignity of life has no boundaries.   Even if we don’t agree with others on some life issues, we are called to work with them where we can find common ground.

The right to life is the most basic of all rights. With our love and compassion as Christians we will also convince the world that every new human life is a beautiful gift.