In a moving article, journalist Dominic Lawson has written of the happiness of his daughter who has Down’s Syndrome and the joy that she has brought.
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In the article, entitled “Why my daughter’s birthday shames those who think people with Down’s are not fit to live”, Mr Lawson warns against the negative effects of testing for Down’s Syndrome in the womb.
He points out that the current invasive method of testing for Down’s Syndrome, amniocentesis, has a risk of miscarriage of 1 per cent. And, according to the official register, for every 100 instances of Down’s Syndrome detected, about 400 “normal” pregnancies miscarry as a result of the procedure.
He also shows that the vast majority of people with Down’s Syndrome are happy with life. He quotes a US study in which researchers found 99 per cent of people with Down’s were happy with their lives and 96 per cent like how they look.
Mr Lawson’s article is an encouraging reminder of the intrinsic value of human life and that each person - regardless of disability - is made in the image of God. It is also a sober reminder of the harmful effects of testing for Down’s Syndrome.
Read the full article in the Daily Mail >
