homeForget for a moment the Down syndrome-free part; but perfect? Please. There is no such thing as a perfect society. There just isn't. And even if there are no people with Down syndrome in a particular country, it still won't make it 'perfect.' What about criminals? What about those with any other kind of disability? Why is Down syndrome always singled out as being expendable?
Back to the original point. This headline hurt. Like a punch in the gut. I know there is all this research to 'improve' prenatal testing for an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of Down syndrome (presumably so more abortions could happen), but for a country to come right out and basically admit they want, or are trying to have, a society free of individuals with Down syndrome? Wow. Just wow. Like a slap in the face.
The article doesn't say exactly how they plan on achieving this, just that they have "put their foot on the ground to promote increase abortions of fetuses suspected of having Down syndrome." Suspected of having Ds? Are they even going to confirm through an amnio or CVS?
The article goes on to say that if "progress continues at this rate, the last case to be born with this illness will be the year 2030." Huh? How can you predict something like that? You can't prevent Down syndrome from happening since it happens at conception. And surely there are some Danish women who will either decline prenatal testing, or decline an abortion. I would hope they couldn't actually make women have an abortion because their baby was prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome.
Apparently Denmark started to "control the number of children with Down syndrome born in Denmark" since 2004 (how in the world did they do this? Just highly encourage and persuade women to get abortions?). Whatever they are doing has worked though because the number of cases of Down syndrome births has fallen by 13% annually.
I even took Kayla to Denmark a few months before her 2nd birthday. I have cousins over there (who happen to adore her; and I know you can't judge a whole country's citizens on what the government/medical establishment is doing. I know not every single Dane feels this way.) Joe and I had been talking about going to Denmark next year. He's never been and again, I have cousins over there we would like to visit. But reading this article sure did make me pause and reconsider if I really want to take my daughter to a country where they are actively trying to eliminate people like her. Although, maybe a whole bunch of families should take their loved one with Down syndrome over to Denmark and flaunt them around ... show them it isn't such a terrible thing. Show them they fit in just fine with their society. Show them they are living and loving life, thankyouverymuch.
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