This news report is far better than most I have seen in providing balance in the information shared about the new non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for Down syndrome (and it's the first I ever remember seeing where an amniocentesis is actually filmed as it is performed). That said, what words or phrases or the way the information is presented jump out at you as having room for improvement in being less biased against Down syndrome? I have suggested to the leadership of the Canadian Continue Reading
Archives for 2013
January 14, 2013
Paradise, interrupted
Bonnie Rochman, a columnist for TIME magazine, has a new post about her trip to paradise being interrupted. It informs how a diagnosis for Down syndrome is delivered and processed by expectant parents. Rochman writes about her son entering a T-shirt shop selling shirts that made fun of individuals with intellectual disabilities. By coincidence, a family with a child with Down syndrome entered the store soon after Rochman saw the T-shirts. She writes: I felt panicky. As a mother, I wanted to Continue Reading
January 14, 2013
Guess who was at the 2013 Golden Globes?
Last year, it was a photo with George Clooney. This year, a photo with Dame Helen Mirren. I doubt Lauren's parents (or anyone for that matter) would have expected at the time the diagnosis of Down syndrome was delivered that Lauren would go on to have a recurring role in a smash TV show and attend premier Hollywood awards parties. Adding to the list of examples that demonstrate the wisdom I wrote about in this post. Continue Reading
January 9, 2013
An Open Letter to NDSS, NDSC, and GDSF: Answers Still Needed
It has been over 40 days since the open letter to NDSS, NDSC, and GDSF was posted seeking answers to a few questions. Tweets to the organizations and an e-mail to the leadership of each organization with a copy of the open letter provided also were sent. The holidays, understandably, may have interfered with a response being provided. With the start of the new year, just as 2012 began, questions remain as to what the national plan is, and, specifically, the questions asked in the open letter Continue Reading
January 8, 2013
Does it matter if nature has a moral authority?
Spring cleaning suggests that is the season when cleaning gets done. But, as an attorney, the holidays often provide a lull where we can bring some order to the stacks of papers that have accumulated throughout the year. In doing so, I found a study that I read quite some time ago, but is one that I think you will find of note. The article's title is "Women's views on the moral status of nature in the context of prenatal screening decisions," and its authors are Elisa Garcia, Danielle Continue Reading
January 7, 2013
We Know Not What We May Be
During the winter break, I tried spending as much time as possible with my family. I treasure how, at the start of December, the day after we put the Christmas tree up, my daughter came downstairs, threw down both her hands, and, exasperated, said, "Daddy--where are all the presents?!" A recent post by Amy Juila Becker got me thinking about an ancient lesson revealed in this the holiday season. Amy Julia is an author, a blogger, and a mother of three. Her oldest, Penny, happens to have Down Continue Reading
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