The Preciousness of Life
The Sunday Times article, "More aborting abnormal foetuses", by Theresa Tan published on 17 June 2012 reported that 2.3% of all pregnancies, or 275 of them in numerical terms, were terminated in 2011 because of foetal abnormalities. This figure was 1.3% or 155 in 2007. This difference might only be 1%. But, it is the steady increases over the years that I find disturbing.
With medical and DNA technology making rapid progress, more information about an unborn child can be determined. Already scientists are making claims that by analysing the mother's blood sample and the father's saliva swab, the entire genome of a foetus can be constructed. This genome can then be screened for 3,500 genetic disorders. Imagine the implications should such a testing be commercially available to gynaecologists here in Singapore. What would parents do if they find out that their unborn child, according to science, is destined to suffer from a heart attack in the future? Once upon a time, there was no way for parents to know the gender of their unborn babies. This is now possible. I have heard that there are parents who would not hesitate to terminate a pregnancy should they discover that the gender of their baby is well, "unwanted".
At the top left hand corner of this note is a 'picture' of Leanne, which I doubt anyone of you has seen. It was taken on 1 October 2006 at the detailed scan. This would make her age then in womb terms approximately 19 to 20 weeks. If you have ever traced the development of a foetus, you'd witness how fast it evolves into something unmistakeably human. The truth be told, the ultra scan image here doesn't do justice to what we ourselves witnessed each time our gynae performed the ultrasound scan for our girls- weightless motion, the movements of their tiny limbs, the rapid pounding of their heart. In fact, we heard the sound of their heart beating within the first trimester i.e. some time before they were 12-weeks-old in the womb. (It is said that the baby's heart starts beating from Week 5 to 6 onwards). And what we heard was not of the barely audible quality that required us to strain our ears. Amplified by technology, the deep throbbing sound was loud enough to drown conversations. At that stage, they were only a few centimetres in length. So small you could easily wrap your hand around them.
Strangely, our Singapore laws, conservative on many fronts, are extraordinarily liberal with regard to abortion. There is no reason required, no minimum age-limit for the mother, not even parental consent required for girls deemed minors by law. In essence, pretty much any female can request to terminate a pregnancy of less than 24 weeks in gestation. Even a foreigner with proof that she has been residing in Singapore for at least four months is eligible. All she has to do is to consider the pregnancy "unwanted". You can project how a 24-week-old foetus would appear based on the above ultrascan image of Leanne. I suspect that the figure of 24 weeks is set because it is only from the 20th week of gestation that a detailed analysis of the foetus, including the confirmation of its gender, can be obtained. I suppose this allows time for parents to decide on their next course of action.
I question this law: You see, we would consider our lives to end when our hearts STOP beating. So why is it that we do not consider a person's life to begin when his or her heart STARTS beating? And just as doctors desperately tried to save the life Fabrice Muamba, should they not do their equal best to fan the flame of life in a foetus?
Please don't box me into Pro-life or Pro-choice. I like to think that I am intelligent enough to NOT ignore the greys in life...even if they be the palest shades of grey.
The article mentions a parent who chose to terminate an 11-week pregnancy when she discovered that her baby had been diagnosed with Anencephaly. Such babies, supposedly 1 out of every 1000, not only have a large part of their brain missing, but they also do not have a skull. When I googled the following keywords: "anencephaly chances of survival", I found the following phrase "incompatible with life" among the search results. Anencephaly is a condition that is incompatible with life. Babies born with this condition are either stillborn or die shortly after birth. I guess in such a case, it would be near impossible to not terminate a pregnancy, wouldn't it? It would take a very noble person to carry such a pregnancy to full-term just so that her baby's organs can be donated to needy living babies as has been the proposition.
However, the article goes on to cite the following other milder reasons that parents have given to abort pregnancies:
- Unmarried parents
- Having enough children
- Children with cleft palates
- Children with Down syndrome
Reason (1), Reason (2) and Reason (3) seem to be easy ways out. And the issues of whether the foetus can be considered a legitimate entity of life, and when it can be considered one are way too debatable for the law to allow such easy ways out.
Perhaps more contentiously, I would also think that parents considering an abortion for Reason (4) should give it a lot more thought. I mean a lot a lot more thought. According to Dr Brian Skotko of the Children's Hospital Boston, 92% of all pregnancies with a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome are terminated, globally. Yet, a survey he administered to 3,150 fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and persons affected by Down syndrome revealed that 99% of people with Down syndrome said they were happy with their lives, 97% of people with Down syndrome liked who they are, 99% of parents said they love their child with Down syndrome, only 5% of parents felt embarrassed by their child, and 97% of brothers/sisters, ages 9-11, said they love their sibling (*). All extremely positive results. Admittedly, there will be developmental challenges (+) and even so, these vary from individual to individual. But, with advancements in technology, educational facilities and healthcare, affected persons are currently able to lead lives closer to that of those unaffected.
"No, thanks." That was the firm answer we gave to our gynaecologist each of the three times she asked the apparently mandatory question of whether we wanted the Down syndrome tests done for our girls. It wouldn't have made a difference. Regardless of the outcome, we were going to continue with the pregnancies. Why even have such a test in the first place? I wondered. Perhaps sensing my question, she once said that some parents would like to start planning for intervention strategies early if they knew their children were going to be with this chromosomal disorder. That made sense. I have read of how Glenn Doman's flashcard system promises to multiply a child's intelligence and according to studies, has had some success with children affected by Down syndrome. But, we decided that we would cross the bridge should we come to it.
So, what is it that stops parents from proceeding with the birth of their Down syndrome babies?
"It's cruel to bring them into this world". How cruel is "cruel"? What is our yardstick for comparison? Who ever promised a cruelty-free world? Anyone who has lived long enough would have his or her share on tales of cruelty. And isn't partly this cruelty that grows us - parent and child alike.
"They will develop slower and hence lag behind their peers". Does every child develop at exactly the same pace? Does it make a huge difference if one child walks at 16 months and another at 9 months? Ultimately both will walk. Sometimes I really wonder why we hurry our children to grow up and then complain: "They are really growing up so fast". I probably lagged behind many of my peers, and especially those labelled gifted. Yet, am I unhappy with life today?
"It's expensive". How expensive is "expensive"? The truth be told, every parent will claim it is expensive to bring up a child. Any child. Just recently I have had to examine my own expectations. These two months, I chalked up hefty medical bills trying to fix my girls' flu, which passed from one to the other and back to the first. We have had to forgo the convenience of popping down to our usual family doctor and travel to the neighbourhood polyclinic. Longer wait times, further distance, no Hello Kitty/Minnie Mouse stickers for the girls ;-) and different doctors each time. But much lower cost. No choice. For those with financial constraints, there is support. The National Council of Social Service does offer financial assistance schemes for families with Down syndrome children. But once again, how much financial assistance do we expect?
What I say may not carry much weight since it can be argued that I am not a parent of a child with Down syndrome. And I confess that there are many things I am really not aware of. But can I point you to someone who is such a parent? Norliza Rolan. Norliza is a parent to three-year-old Aniq, who has Down syndrome. 16 weeks into her pregnancy, she and her husband decided to have Aniq despite knowing that he had Down syndrome. What she told the Sunday Times touched my heart: "We believe that God will not give us this child if we cannot handle him. It is not for us to take a life. Besides, nobody is born perfect. Even I have so many flaws." Her humility, compassion, spirituality and courage inspire me, and make me proud to be associated with her as a fellow educator.
What Norliza has said is not foreign to us. Nobody is perfect. In fact, if you think about it some more....It's sometimes the ones furthest from perfection as defined by the world, that have gone on to impact the world in extraordinary ways. Andrea Bochelli, already born with very poor eyesight became blind from the age of 12 after being hit in the face with a football. In my opinion, he has one of the most beautiful singing voices I have ever heard. And at certain points in the writing of this note, I hear his voice in my head, singing his part of "The Prayer". Nick Vujicic was born without limbs. He is today one of the most inspirational motivational speakers. I remember showing a video clip featuring him to a class of 17-year-olds. I confess I wasn't too surprised to see the girls sobbing but when I thought I saw one or two of the cooler boys tearing, Woah! And apparently, it had been their second or third time watching the video. Nick's zest for life, positive attitude, confidence and humour have motivated thousands and thousands of young people worldwide. Stephen Hawking is incredibly brilliant in my opinion. Even as his body deteriorates, he continues to unravel the mysteries of the universe.
Let's look at an everyday hero on our own backyard. Featured on the same issue of the Sunday Times is Kelvin Aik, a paraplegic from the waist down. He uses a wheelchair to get around. He may not be a hero to you and me. But surely, he is to his son, two-year-old, Jovan. From his wheelchair, he feeds Jovan, bathes him, reads to him, ferries him to school and is even teaching him how to ride a bike. As Kelvin puts it, "I do a lot of things a lot of fathers don't. I want him to be proud of me like I am of him." Trust me, Kelvin, you can be sure he is. Kelvin's resilience and the courage to overcome adversity and rejection (his mother-in-law has yet to accept him) will surely be a talking point in my classes some day. As long as you are alive and as long as you are a life, there is something in you that you can offer to the world.
When reading the Position Statement from the website of the Down syndrome Association of Singapore, the following sentences struck me: "Persons with Down syndrome are not afflicted or suffer from it. If there is any suffering, it is the imposition of negative attitudes of the community." The key challenge is us. We are the key challenge. It really is time for us to be a more inclusive society, and this calls for each one of us to do our part. And as with all actions, this begins with having the right belief. The Down syndrome association of Singapore articulates this belief best: "We believe that every person deserves the right of opportunity to develop him/herself to his or her fullest potential."
- (*) "Let's get real about Down syndrome!" Published on Friday, 23 September 2011 14:47 and retrieved from http://brianskotko.com/index.php/blog
- (+) "Position Statement on Down Syndrome" Retrieved from http://www.downsyndrome-singapore.org/ on 22 June 2012
