My son is not a genetic 'fault' -- the downside of prenatal genetic testing - Fox News

This is the reality of prenatal testing. While some may argue that it gives parents more time to prepare medical interventions and to prepare for caring for a disabled child, many will tell you that it only allows medical professionals more time to convince parents that abortion is the more caring option. Please be sure to read the full article below.

My son is not a genetic 'fault' -- the downside of prenatal genetic testing

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/08/my-son-is-not-genetic-fault-downside-prenatal-genetic-testing/#ixzz1xIv5lGhp

From the article:

"Look no farther than the statistics -- 90% of unborn children who test positive for Down syndrome or cystic fibrosis are aborted."
"With this new genetic test giving parents and society the ability to map the genetic code of their unborn baby, it is no doubt that abortions will rise. Scared mothers and fathers will be told that aborting their baby is the compassionate choice and that you can always try again if you didn't want a girl with red hair, freckles, and a higher than normal chance of developing breast cancer."

Finding The Words To Talk About Disability

Read More Here
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-julia-becker/finding-the-words-to-talk_b_1449819.html

William came home from school a few weeks back and he said, "Mom." He said it as a sentence, the way he does when he has something important to tell me. And then again, "Mom. My friend Ashley is not good at listening. And she screams."

William is three. He attends a local public preschool, and he's in an "integrated" classroom, which is to say, a classroom where typically developing children learn and play alongside children with special needs. Three years ago, William's older sister Penny was in the same classroom, but she entered it with an "I.E.P.," an Individualized Education Plan. Penny has Trisomy 21, also known as Down syndrome, and that third chromosome impacts nearly every aspect of her development. She wears braces to support her flat feet and weak ankles. When she was in preschool, she relied on sign language in addition to spoken words to communicate. She received Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Physical Therapy as a part of her classroom experience.

Why are anti-abortion legislators cutting essential funds for special-needs children?

Why are anti-abortion legislators cutting essential funds for special-needs children? 

Read More The Pro-Life Parad

On April 12, Governor Jan Brewer signed a bill making Arizona the eighth state in the union to ban abortions beyond 20 weeks. Like most other laws of its kind, House Bill 2036 had been camouflaged as a measure against suffering, predicated on the notion that a fetus at 20 weeks can feel pain. Every woman who’s ever been pregnant, however, knows what the law really means: Twenty weeks marks a crucial point in a pregnancy, when fetal abnormalities can be detected, often for the first time. Many women confronted with a grim prenatal diagnosis choose to have an abortion. Now, in Arizona, they can’t.
It would be logical to expect, then, that these new restrictions on abortion would be accompanied by increased public services for women and children—especially for children with developmental disabilities. The laws should also lead to stronger support for physically, intellectually, and developmentally disabled teenagers and adults—which is, after all, what the healthier and luckier of these babies grow up to be. You might expect the people passing these laws to rally behind the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which bars insurance companies from turning anyone away based on a pre-existing condition; after all, no condition is more pre-existing than one you’re born with. 

New changes in LWT13

We are expanding!!

Living With Trisomy 13 is now AN OUTREACH FOR TRISOMY AND OTHER RARE DIAGNOSES.

We are expanding to encompass a larger group of families. There are many families out there with a diagnosis similar to Trisomy 13. These families to have now where to turn and need hope, courage and inspiration. Come visit our site www.livingwithtri13.org and see our albums. If you are a parent or family member facing a difficult rare diagnosis, have an encouraging story of hope, or a treasure memory story to share please contact me Vanessa@livingwithtri13.org.

I would also like to give a very warm welcome to our newest board member Robin Martin. Robin will be joining our organization as the Director of Administrative Services. 

Take care and God bless

Vanessa Hernandez

Executive Director

Living With Trisomy 13

An outreach for trisomy and other rare diagnoses

About Chromosomal Abnormalities

About Chromosomal Abnormalites

May 9, 2012 - 9:08am

By Elizabeth Stannard Gromisch

http://www.empowher.com/pregnancy/content/about-chromosomal-abnormalities

An example of a trisomy is Down syndrome, which is also called Trisomy 21, as the individual has three chromosomes in pair 21.

Symptoms of Down syndrome include small hands and feet, poor muscle tone, and a flat face. Several health conditions can occur with Down syndrome, including thyroid problems, hearing problems anddementia, according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.