The Trouble With Playing God

This story has caused outrage all over the Down syndrome community. I clearly couldn't ignore the opportunity to shed light on what is happening...all over our children. God gave me Chelsea, with an extra chromosome and all, because she was meant to be my daughter. It is not up to us to choose whether our children live or die because of our own personal fear. A fear that a child with a disability may inconvenience our families or may be too much trouble. It is only after the child is born that we can see so clearly their purpose here on Earth. I feel Chelsea has grounded me. She has made me slow down and enjoy each and everyday. She is a blessing and she will forever be my angel. I thank God everyday for blessing me with my baby Chelsea, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Now read this article and pass the link on to your friends. What can we learn from this?

"Defective" thinking.
Italian Hospital Aborts Healthy Twin and Leaves Handicapped Sibling
Mother returns and has Down syndrome child aborted
LifeSiteNews.com
By Elizabeth O'Brien

MILAN, Italy, August 27, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A fierce abortion debate has erupted in Italy after a mother pregnant with twins reported doctors to the authorities for aborting her healthy unborn baby while leaving the handicapped one alive.

Italian news agencies recently discovered that a hospital killed the "wrong" child in a pair of unborn twins in June. According to media reports, after the 38-year old woman discovered the so-called "mistake", she returned and had the second one, who was suffering from Down syndrome, aborted. She then reported medical staff, who are currently under investigation by the police.

The hospital termed the child's death a "misfortune," saying that the twins had switched places in between a previous ultrasound and the actual abortion. The woman was eighteen weeks pregnant when the children were aborted.

Calling on the Italian Health Minister to investigate the affair, leading Christian Democrat Luca Volonte decried the abortion as "infanticide arising from a contempt for human life," the Guardian Unlimited reports.

Senator Paolo Binetti, who is close to the Vatican says Inquirer.net, wrote in Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper, "The time has come to re-examine the abortion law." He said, "What happened in this hospital was not a medical abortion but an abortion done for the purposes of eugenics."

"They wanted to kill the sick fetus and save the healthy one and what didn't work properly in this business was the selection," wrote Binetti.

Ever since 1978 abortion has been legal on demand in Italy up to the third month of pregnancy. Pro-lifers are using this present case to fiercely argue against Italy's abortion laws, pointing out the contradictions and dangers within the present policy.

In March doctors in Florence's Careggi teaching hospital attempted to abort a perfectly healthy baby after two pre-natal diagnosis tests indicated that the child had a defective esophagus. The doctors botched the abortion, performed on the 22-week child, and subsequently discovered that the still-living baby was perfectly healthy. They managed to resuscitate the child temporarily.

Doctors from the Careggi teaching hospital in Florence told the baby’s mother that two ultrasound scans had yielded a high risk of a defective esophagus. After they had aborted the child, doctors discovered that not only was the baby’s heart still beating, but that he had been perfectly healthy before the abortion and so rushed to resuscitate him.

However, the baby aborted 22 weeks into the pregnancy and weighing a half kilogram, suffers from a brain hemorrhage incurred during the abortion and doctors doubt that he will survive.

Another abuse occurred this February when an Italian judge ordered that a thirteen-year old girl abort her unborn baby, despite her desperate pleas to save its life. Under Italian law, the parents or guardians of a minor can force her to abort her child, as happened in this case.

Here is a poem I copied from another blog, unfortuneately I do not know the author.

No Greater Love Than to Lay Down Your Life



The Lord commanded
"No greater love.."
2 sisters, one mother
and God above

One baby "defective"
the other less so
decreed the mother
"the defective one goes."

One baby was stronger
but she was a twin
she knew it was coming
and turned to Him

"I'm scared, Lord,"
she whispered
"What is happening here?
If mommy won't spare her
my choice must be clear."

"I'm her sister, her keeper
she has done no wrong.
Dear God, please help us,
let me be strong."

Tenderly, gently,
she squeezed into the space
protecting her sister
by taking her place.

"I love you," she said
to her sister so dear
"Tell Mommy I loved her
when she sees I'm not here."

"Be safe, and be strong,
live your life with pride
I'll be watching from Heaven",
the stronger twin cried.

Then selflessly giving
her life for her twin,
she cowered in fear
as the Doctor moved in.

She was in God's arms
when she felt a tear
when she looked at Him
it all became clear.

"Greater love," said He
"No one has shown.
Your sacrifice spared her
but not for long."

"The Doctor's think they erred
and now they are going back in
dear girl, today
they will kill your twin."

So they sat in silence,
looking down on the world,so small.
Lost in insanity,
disbelieving it all.

God lifted her up,
said "For her we will wait.
But after she comes,
we are locking the Gate."