The Italian woman who called the cops after her doctor inadvertently aborted her genetically-standard baby instead of the one with Down Syndrome is speaking out:
The mother, who has a young son, said her life had been ruined by the abortion.
....
"Neither my husband nor I can sleep at night," she told the Corriere della Sera newspaper. She said the happiness she and her husband had about the pregnancy has become heartbreak.
They are "truly desperate over this terrible mistake," she said and added ....
1. What does she want the doctor charged with? Murder? If so, she's the one who ordered the hit. Wouldn't she be as legally responsible as the one who screwed up and killed the wrong person?
2. Note the total lack of remorse. The "horrible mistake" wasn't deciding to kill the child that had Down Syndrome. It was that the doctor killed the kid with the standard set of chromosomes. Again, she ordered the hit. Losing both fetuses is a known risk of selective abortions. The loss of the "normal" baby was a price she was willing to risk paying in order to achieve the death of the baby with Down Syndrome. She paid that price. Whose fault is that?
3. She had a surviving child. She could have chosen to accept and love the child that was spared to her. She chose to have that child put to death. Whose fault is it she has no joy? She had a child and threw it away. She chose to reject the possibility of salvaging any joy from her pregnancy, because it wasn't the kind of baby she preferred. That was her choice.
She'd have twins now if she'd been more tolerant, open-minded, accepting, and loving. The diagnosis of Down Syndrome was a disappointment. She chose to turn it into a tragedy. And then she chose to compound the tragedy.
Sorry, but I can't feel sorry for her. She chose a single serving of death for her children, then chose to go back for seconds. She has nobody to blame but herself.
I feel for this poor woman.. I couldn't imagine having a little one at home and being expected to not only care for 2 newborns and a toddler, but also deal with the responsibility of parenting a disabled child. It was be a heartbreaking choice, but I would have made the same one she did. Some women just aren't capable of the lifelong care a child with down syndrome would need. Even children with mild downs will never leave home (unless put into a "home") and require huge financial, mental, and physical care for as long as they live. Adoption is virtually out of question as there are very very few families willing to take in a disable child. I know I personally couldn't handle the burden.. and wouldn't want my child to suffer for it. Be slow to judge and quick to listen...
ReplyDeleteSo better two dead babies than a life "defective" one. What a paragon of compassion!
ReplyDeleteBrittany, there are people on a waiting list to adopt children with Down Syndrome.
ReplyDeleteBut let me ask you this -- what would happen if your three-year-old was a victim of some accident, and became like someone with Down Syndrome -- "would never leave home and require huge financial, mental, and physical care for as long as they live... disabled... a burden"? Would you kill him or her? Why or why not? Would you think it just a matter of the parents' choice, for them to kill their disabled toddler, like you think it is okay for them to kill their disabled fetus?