Edwards syndrome
By fannitia
@fannitia (2167)
Bulgaria
February 7, 2011 5:50pm CST
I can't stop thinking about a documentary I saw on TV. A young couple wanted to have a child and they waited more than a year before the woman got pregnant. Unfortunately their hapiness was short. It turned out that the baby had an Edwards syndrome. This is a genetic disorder with a hopeless prognosis.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwards_syndrome
The baby had various malformations and the cleft lip was the least of the problems. Usually babies with this syndrome can survive just a few days and the doctors advise to make an abortion. But the parents decided to keep the baby, they had a girl and she didn't die. I'ts very hard to take care of such a baby but they were happy to do it.
I wonder if this child may be still alive. I can't understand how you could decide to bring to this world a human being who is so sick! Is it an act of courage or a pure egoism?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
8 Feb 11
I couldn't do it, and I certainly wouldn't judge anybody else who decided to abort a baby with this condition. I applaud those parents who were willing and able to take care of such a child, but I do wonder about the child's quality of life.
@fannitia (2167)
• Bulgaria
8 Feb 11
That's what I've been thinking about. If you know in advance that your child will have so much health problems that he could never have a normal life, why would you decide to give birth? Nobody is able to say if he wants to live or not. So the parents bear the responsibility when they bring their child in this world.
1 person likes this
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
9 Feb 11
I think it would have to be out of pure love in wanting so desperately a baby. As I would imagine they understand all the hard work and dedication it takes to raise such a baby.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
25 Feb 11
If it was me that was in that kind of a situation, there would be no way that I would be able to have an abortion. In fact, when I was pregnant with both of my children I opted to not have all of the prenatal diagnostic testing done because I knew that I would carry on my pregnancy no matter what. For me it is because of my beliefs that I would never be able to have an abortion. I don't think that a decision like this is ever made out of egoism.
@cowboyofhell (3063)
• Philippines
9 Feb 11
I have a cousin who is nearly ten year old yet fail to go to school because of her condition. She's bedridden her whole life and couldn't feed by her own. She had hydrocephalus as a baby. All she could say were syllables, screams but she can laugh. I even doubt she have eyesight. Her eyes move but it doesn't mean she can see because when something is shown to her the eyes do not follow. The girl is doing fine laughing every day cry when her hair combed. She's the one where jokes begin because she likes it. Yes she's sick but enjoys being alive.
