Imagine a world...

 

 

Imagine a world where no special needs children exist? I'm sure many could advocate for why they think that is a good thing, but let me tell you what we would lose. We would lose the joy and laughter a child with an extra chromosome can bring. We would miss out on the lessons taught around acceptance, inclusivity and empathy. Yet isn't that the goal of prenatal genetic testing? To terminate children with extra chromosomes? Before they even get the chance to change the world for the better? I don't know about you but that's not actually a world I  want to be apart of.  Yet already in countries like Iceland there is a 100% abortion rate for children with Down Syndrome. I think it goes without saying that means 100% abortion rate for children like my sweet Evangeline with an extra 18th Chromosome too.

I grew up in a time before prenatal genetic testing (I think it's been around about 10 years in NZ), that means that I went to school with several special needs children. In fact my primary school even had a special needs unit, with children of differing degrees of disabilities. From slightly developmentally delayed, through to non-verbal and in a wheelchair. As a timid Pakeha kid in a predominately Maori school I was a bit of a target for bullying. Because of this I use to volunteer to help out and hang out with the children in the special needs unit. It became a safe space for me. In that class I was fully loved and accepted, I was never bullied there. I learnt empathy, I learnt to love and value all people. It helped develop my character. I believe it may even have contributed to me becoming a teacher. One day when I was about 10 years old my friend and I were invited to the birthday party of a down syndrome girl from this class, we went along excited for birthday cake. When we got there the girls mum started to cry. She thanked us for coming to her daughters birthday party and said that no other children had ever been to her birthday parties. I am pretty sure she was about 10 then!

That wasn't the only time that I was positively impacted by someone with special needs, When I was 13 we moved towns from Rotorua to Carterton. I was the new kid in a small town, it was a fresh start and I desperately wanted to fit in, and ended up compromising some of my Christian values in order to fit in. I was ashamed to say I was a Christian but still knew in my heart of hearts that God was real and that I wasn't living the life I was called to. At the age of 15 or 16 I went to an Easter camp. While

there, I watched a special needs boy worship God completely unashamed, with full abandon, loudly and out of tune. I knew I hid my faith under a rock when this boy who had far less reason to worship God than I did, did not care who knew how much he loved God. That was one of the moments that brought me to repentance and helped me to turn my life around and start living it for God. I still don't think I have reached his level of total abandonment but that moment will stick with me for life.

Then most recently my heart and world was changed by the tiniest little warrior with an extra chromosome that I know. My sweet daughter Evangeline who impacted the hearts of every person she met and continues to through her story. She did that in just a day. I can't speak of what it is like to raise a child with special needs but I do know if you speak to any parent of one of these kiddos they wouldn't change them for the world. They will tell you of the positive impact their child has had on everyone around them, of the joy they bring their family and the love they give and receive.

History is full of decimation based on skin color and ethnicity. Hitler's goal was his idea of the "perfect race". People were enslaved because





they were viewed as less than human. Isn't it sad how history repeats? Do we really want to live in a world where we discriminate and try to eliminate babies because of a diagnosis? I know I don't. 

  "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40




Read about Iceland




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How much is a little girl worth? Evangeline's birth story.

Image
Who knew we could experience such joy and such sorrow in just 24 hours. We arrived at Tauranga hospital on Tuesday 2 nd   of January, ready to be induced via a balloon method. The doctor arrived and decided that that was the moment to tell me that being induced with the balloon method probably wouldn’t work on me, given that it was my first pregnancy. They would then need to use a stronger method which would bring on strong fast contractions and most likely put Evangeline’s heart into distress. I’d then have to decide to continue with labor unmonitored or be open to an emergency C-section (which is higher risk). Or alternatively just elect for a planned caesarean  We ended up choosing a planned caesarean which was booked for the following day. I had spent weeks prior wrestling with the idea of a caesarean. As someone who fears having a blood test done because of my strong aversions to needles, you can only imagine how terrified I was of a caesarean and giant epidural needle. F...
Read more

Wrestling with God

Image
    We often hear the argument  “how can I believe in a God that allows so much suffering in this world.” Then they may go on to list all the heinous crimes that sinful human nature commits. I have heard and even shared many arguments that attempt to answer this valid question, such as; A loving God gives freewill. The devil is the cause of all suffering. This was not God's original plan or intent, he gave his own son to pay for all these heinous crimes, he will redeem this world and there will be a day with no more suffering. Or simply that suffering is a consequence of sin. Losing Evangeline made all these questions about why God allows suffering become our reality and the shallow answers I'd happily parrot off to others no longer sufficed.  When I was 18, I fully committed my life to God and since then I had not really waivered in my faith. I am entirely convinced that there is a God and I have always had a lot of faith that He hears my prayers. I mad...
Read more

Evangelines Memorial service speech

Image
Evangeline’s Memorial was on Saturday the 3 rd  of February, 1 month after she was born. We had a small private ceremony to honor her short but impactful life. What follows is the speech I shared with friends and family. It hit me as I sat down to write about our beautiful daughter Evangeline that this isn’t the usual funeral speech, or even one I ever thought I’d have to write. I don’t have years of memories to choose from. We don’t know what kind of person she would have been, what her personality would have been like, what she would have liked and disliked. I can’t stand here and talk about her quirks or tell funny stories about the things she did. To be honest the lack of memories is one of the saddest parts of all. When I saw those two pink lines on the pregnancy test, I began to imagine our future as parents, the sleepless nights, the new learning, our lives forever changed. I imagined what our baby would be like, and wondered if our first baby would be a girl or a boy. I...
Read more