Special

One thing I can't unhear is the story a woman told me at the first ever dance marathon the girls and I attended.

As a patient at Riley Hospital for Children, Olivia is often invited to fund raisers, usually dance marathons, which raises money for Riley. And since Olivia is invited, I sort of get to tag along.

My kids are treated like royalty at these things. They love them. Especially the bounce houses. There are ALWAYS boune houses.

I am invited to tell Olivia's story. I go up on stage with both girls and I talk.

And at the first dance marathon, after I told O's story, a woman sought me out.

She wanted to tell me about a friend of a friend. A young woman she knew who'd received a 5p- diagnosis prenatally.

This woman was given such a dire prognosis that she ended her pregnancy. The woman who told me this said she wasn't sure she wanted to tell her friend about me and my child. She was sure knowing about Olivia and how amazing she is might devestate her friend even more.

See, the doctors told this woman her child would be blind and deaf. They said her child would never walk, never eat normally, never talk.

And who knows what they saw on the ultrasound and in the genetic testing they did. Maybe they were right.

Then again...maybe they were wrong.

And this is what I can't forget. I can't forget that a single fetus was terminated just because he/she had what my daughter has. That because the doctors saw 5p- on the results of one test, they advise their patient to terminate her pregnancy.

I do not find fault in the woman who terminated. I can't judge her. That's not my place.

But I can tell Olivia's story. I can show people who amazing she is. I can show that her existence isn't a burden, not to me, not to my husband, not to our older daughter, not to society. Not to anyone. She's a treasure, she's a gift.

I realize that not everyone is cut out to raise a special needs child. I get that and people have to make the choices that work for them and their families.

But damn it, there are people who WOULD make awesome parents of special needs children (Lauren!!!!) who aren't able to parent their children. And this is a tragedy.

And perhaps if this young woman had heard of a family like us, a family with a child with 5p- who is thriving, who is walking, talking, eating (like a freaking horse!) and who laughs and dances and runs after her sister, maybe this woman's decision would have been even more informed.

Perhaps she'd have made the same choice. But then again, maybe not. Maybe if doctors educated themselves instead of relying on data that is over thirty years old, more children would amaze and delight their parents every single day.

And now I'll step off my soap box.

Tomorrow, we will return to our regularly scheduled programming.