Living With Down Syndrome

By now, everyone has probably heard about the "wrongful birth" lawsuit.  I won't get into that- there's been enough written on it already and frankly I'm sick of hearing about it. But I do want to share something good that came out of it.  A local radio show, "Think Out Loud", did a segment on genetic testing in response to the lawsuit.  The show generated such a heated response from people who felt that the real story of what it's like to live with Down syndrome wasn't being told, that the show's producers decided the topic deserved more time and devoted a whole hour (on World Down Syndrome Day!) to the topic "Living With Down Syndrome."  Guests on the show included the executive director of the Northwest Down Syndrome Association, and Karen Gaffney, a Portland-area woman who has Down syndrome. Here's a link to the podcast:

http://stream2.opb.org:9000/tol/episodes/2012/0321.mp3

Also be sure to go to the Think Out Loud website and read the comments on the show- they are so positive- so different from most of the "debate" that goes on when this topic is brought up. 

So thank you to Oregon Public Broadcasting for getting it right.  They really listened, and made an effort to get the real story behind the headlines.  If you agree, take a minute to let them know you appreciate it, and maybe we can get some of other media outlets (cough, cough, The Oregonian...) to take notice and do the same.