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NRL News
Embracing God’s Blessings Editor’s note: Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Washington state Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers are solidly pro-life, two of the many women who espouse the pro-life perspective. Following are highlights of the stories of their two amazing families who made life-affirming decisions in difficult circumstances.
“Trig is beautiful and already
adored by us. We knew through early testing he would face special
challenges, and we feel privileged that God would entrust us with
this gift and allow us unspeakable joy as he entered our lives. We
have faith that every baby is created for good purpose and has
potential to make this world a better place. We are truly blessed.” Four months into her pregnancy, Sarah Palin’s doctor called with the results of her prenatal test. “You need to come tothe office so we can talk about it,” he said, according to the Associated Press’s Steve Quinn. Palin, known for her no-nonsense attitude, said, “No, go ahead and tell me over the phone.” When the doctor announced a diagnosis of Down syndrome, Palin, who had experienced no difficulties with her previous four pregnancies, was stunned. But after a bit the governor went to the Internet and “started reading facts about the situation,” Quinn writes. She waited until her husband, who was out of town, returned to tell him about the diagnosis. His response? “We shouldn’t be asking, ‘why us?’” Todd Palin told Quinn. “We should be saying. ‘Well, why not us?’” “We’ve both been very vocal about being pro-life,” Sarah Palin added. “We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential.” The Palins’ other children, Track, 18, Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7, have embraced their precious new brother. Track, who is serving in the Army at Fort Wainwright, upon learning about Trig’s birth, texted his mom to say, “This is just so cool—I finally got my brother.” In an e-mail sent out to family and close friends, Sarah Palin wrote, “Children are the most precious and promise ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome.” When she became pregnant with her first child in 2006, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers found that her baby had a blockage in his small intestine. About 30% of the children with duodenal atresia also have Down syndrome. When surgery was performed to remove the blockage, doctors took a blood test which tested for Trisomy 21. “Hearing the test results was the most difficult,” McMorris Rogers told Northwest Woman Magazine. “Every parent has hopes and dreams for their child. Down syndrome is not on the list.” But, as the magazine noted, McMorris Rodgers is the descendent of pioneers who traveled the Oregon Trail to the Pacific Northwest and is made of sterner stuff. “It is not what we expected, yet we have embraced Cole as the special gift from God that he is,” she told the magazine. “We are developing new dreams for our son and look forward to seeing him reach his potential.” She was asked what she would “offer a mother faced with the possibility of having a child with a birth defect.” “I would strongly remind mothers faced with a similar experience that it is not a prison sentence and they are not alone. I believe life begins at conception and is a gift from God. All life deserves to be celebrated. I would encourage her that her child will lead a positive, unique, and important life.” The help of others was something McMorris Rodgers made sure to emphasize. “I have received incredible support from my family and people in the developmentally disabled community,” she continued. “There are tremendous resources, support, and early intervention available to families. There are medical advances and breakthroughs in the realm of education and early learning. ... I find myself extremely grateful to those who have walked this path before me. Cole, today, has more opportunities than others in previous generations due to the hard work of those who have gone down this road before us. McMorris Rodgers cited Expecting Adam, a book by a mother “who details the unexpected wonders of having a son with Down syndrome.” Another book, My Child, My Gift, by Madeline P. Nugent, provides practical advice and solutions through the insights and experiences of parents who, despite the predicted outcome, made loving, life-affirming decisions for their babies. (See page 9 for Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon’s review.) Governor Palin summed it up perfectly: “I’m looking at him right now, and I see perfection. Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?” |