The Good Stories About Down Syndrome

Last updated on: February 8, 2013 at 1:25 pm by Amy Julia Becker

The Good Stories About Down Syndrome 2013-02-08T13:25:05-05:00 Amy Julia Becker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

There is so much I want to write in response to yesterday’s post (I Tested and I Terminated and I Do Not Regret) and the comments here, on Facebook, and in my email inbox. Thank you to everyone who has participated in the conversation so far, and please continue to do so. I want to write about my decision to give space on this blog to a story about termination (some commended me for it, others saw it as a betrayal and/or fruitless exercise). I want to write about why women choose termination when presented with a prenatal diagnosis, as most women do. I want to write about the collective consequences of individual decisions (i.e. fewer children with Down syndrome as a result of many individuals choosing to terminate) and the individual decisions informed by collective action (a culture that disdains/discriminates against individuals with disabilities contributes to women making those individual decisions). I want to revisit a question I wrote for Motherlode a few years back–Is It Harder to Have a Child with Down Syndrome? But a snowstorm is here and my kids don’t have school and it might be good to wait a bit on all those thoughts and responses anyway. And one of my hopes for this blog, in addition to being a place for gracious and respectful debate, is that it will be a place where people can imagine a good life that includes both physical and intellectual disability.

So instead I will share two good stories about people with disabilities (along with some pictures of our family, just because…). The first story is an article I wrote for The Christian Century: Roommates and Friends: A Seminary Does Disability Ministry. I loved working on this story because it demonstrates the way a community can engage in mutual giving and receiving, mutual blessing, when those with disabilities are incorporated into the fabric of life. In the story I write about how Matt Floding, former Dean of Western Seminary, came to build a house for seminarians to live side-by-side with local adults with disabilities:

At the time, Western Seminary needed more housing for its students. Floding came up with an idea: if students from Western and adults with cognitive disabilities could live side by side, it would benefit the individuals involved, the seminary community and the larger Holland community. His assumption was that both groups had needs and both had assets and that their living together would offer mutual blessings.

Read the story to get a taste of what can happen when communities open their eyes, their arms, their wallets, and their hearts to one another. (And great news, Friendship House Durham is now on its way as well…)

I have also been invited to contribute a monthly blog post to a new website, not-alone.org. It’s a faith-based website designed to connect and support parents of children with special needs. My post over there (How Much Does God Love You?) will be familiar to some of you as it’s a reprint of something I’ve already written here, but I hope you’ll check it out in order to get connected to the community and other writers.

All the photos thanks to Anna Kjellson.

Previous Post

February 7, 2013

I Tested and I Terminated and I Do Not Regret by Anonymous

Next Post

February 12, 2013 Why Parent-to-Parent Support Matters with a Prenatal Diagnosis by Amy Geoffroy

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Articles Books Disability Down Syndrome Faith family Perfectly Human Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz