I will never forget a young man named Doug who was a short-term missionary at seven or eight of our Family Retreats – at each camp Doug had been assigned to help kids with Down syndrome. He had a wonderful way with these young people and every year Doug looked forward to signing up, coming to Family Retreat, and ministering to some new boy or girl with Down syndrome.
I can still remember after one retreat when he said to me, “When I get married, I hope that my wife and I have a child with Down syndrome.” I was a little startled by his comment, and I chalked it up to youthful optimism, but I have come to see that Doug really meant what he said. He saw in people with Down syndrome a kind of joy and sweet godliness that, well, absolutely enriched not only his life, but he could see it easily enriched the lives of all the moms and dads of those children.
I thought of Doug earlier this year when the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists began recommending a broader prenatal testing for Down syndrome among younger pregnant women. Before, the board of obstetricians and gynecologists had only recommended that older women who became pregnant be tested for the condition of Down syndrome. But now, any woman no matter what the age, are being routinely tested. The results? Over 90% of pregnant women who are given a Down syndrome diagnosis have chosen to have an abortion. And the abortion rate of unborn children with Down syndrome has absolutely skyrocketed! This has meant a drastic decrease in the numbers of infants born with Down syndrome. And of course that will translate into fewer of these people in the future – and I tell you, it’s going to be a lonely world for the children that we already see at our retreats. It’ll ultimately mean less support in community programs for them, as well as reduced funds for medical research. It’ll also mean a lonelier world for those people with Down syndrome who remain. It’s why I'm excited that there are growing groups of parents who are out there all across the country speaking to the advantages of having a Down syndrome child in the family… these parents believe that many young women who are considering abortion just don’t understand, they don’t see, they don’t realize the benefits of raising a Down syndrome baby. The only counsel these young women receive is, well, maybe a brochure. Friend, this is why I am deeply concerned about this trend. Because it’s not about preventing disability. It’s about accepting human diversity. Let me repeat that. It’s not about preventing Down syndrome, as much as it is people’s lack of acceptance of the joy and the love and the God-blessed benefits of raising a child – a life – that God has given. Jesus says, “Bless the little children, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” I think He must have had in mind children with Down syndrome.
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JONI AND FRIENDS
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