Disabled Children

* Re “ ‘I Love the Imperfect,’ ” Voices, Oct. 7: Does Jamie Green realize that the amniocentesis is not to screen out the personality and mild health problems he describes but the debilitating and severe conditions he obviously could not handle with the glib attitude he professes?

Green should not visit an institution that cares for disabled children but talk to some of the parents of these children. I have two children with moderate disabilities and I can tell you that neither I nor the other parents I know had any idea how one of these children would change our lives. The divorce, burnout, anger, guilt, hopelessness and sheer weight of the day-to-day “medical crisis to emotional crisis” lifestyle is not to love. It’s easy to love your children, the hard work is to raise them.

I wish Green a happy, healthy, full-term baby.

LAUREN BADAMI

Los Angeles