Reaction to Down’s Fetus Horrifies Mother

I dove into your article on Feb. 7 about the anxiety felt when waiting for prenatal test results (“Shadow of a Doubt” by Allan Parachini). I felt I would readily identify with the women interviewed as I am a mother of three children (including) a 6-year-old son who was an uncomplicated delivery, a 3-year-old son, Dylan, who was delivered six weeks prematurely with Down’s syndrome when I was 29 years old, and a 16-month-old daughter who was screened at 10 weeks gestation with a chorionic villus sample.

I was horrified to read that your article was centered around a woman who had aborted a Down’s syndrome child after an amniocentesis.

What are the obstetricians and geneticists telling the 5% of families who do turn out to have a problem? I was put in touch with PROUD (Parents Regional Outreach for Understanding Down’s) the Orange County support group for parents of children of Down’s syndrome, by my obstetrician and the social worker at my hospital. I was at a PROUD meeting less than three weeks after Dylan’s birth, seeing babies, preschoolers and a few adults with Down’s syndrome and their parents. I was given a packet of information and an up-to-date book about Down’s syndrome as soon as I got home from the hospital. I was still very unhappy that this had happened to me, but I was also much more hopeful, less anxious about the future.

Since then I have found that Dylan has been the joy of my life. I was like many working mothers when Dylan was born, into my fancy job title and status, making as much money as my husband and enjoying all that it could buy us. Dylan’s birth forced me to change my life style and in the process he has given back to me much more than any job could. I am much more patient, less prejudiced, more understanding and much happier than I’ve ever been.

SHARON SCOTT

Irvine