This news story from Oregon is just absolutely nauseating...
In the months before their daughter was born in 2007, Deborah and Ariel Levy worried the baby might have Down syndrome.
They say a doctor at the Legacy Center for Maternal-Fetal Medicine assured them that a sample of tissue taken from the placenta early in the pregnancy ruled out the developmental disability, despite the results of later testing that showed the fetus might have it.
But within days of the birth of their daughter, the Southwest Portland couple learned the baby did have Down syndrome. Had they known, they say, they would have terminated the pregnancy. Now they're suing in Multnomah County Circuit Court, seeking more than $14 million to cover the costs of raising her and providing education, medical care, and speech and physical therapy for their daughter, who turned 2 this month. The suit also seeks money to cover her life-long living expenses.
The Levys declined to be interviewed. Their attorney, David K. Miller, said the toddler is as dear to them as their two older children but they fear being perceived as "heartless."
Gee, why would someone think that they were heartless? This child is dear to us but we wish she had never been born and want someone to give us money for our troubles? Well that hardly sounds heartless at all!
I certainly understand that raising children is difficult and exponentially so when the child is disabled. But to sue for damages because you feel wronged by having a child to care for is so inhuman, so callous as to be unimaginable.
1 comment:
Wow!
Once I had a woman confess to me how bad she felt on account of aborting a child she was told would be disabled.
She struck up this conversation with me as I was returning from rollerblading with my son. He was in a jogging stroller and I don't think it registered with her how large he (or the stroller) was until he got out of it and started wobbling toward her little girl. (Who was sitting in the car.)
She watched my son with a combination of puzzlement and wonder as he started showing her little girl all of his Thomas trains. I explained to the mother that he is Autistic and has seizures, and frankly I think she was shocked at how functional he was!
She asked me some quetions about him; (and his stroller - as it finally dawned on her that this jogging stroller was a heck of a lot bigger than hers) and before too much longer we left.
I drove away with this pit of anger in my stomach. I felt like the WWII vet storming Normandy beach while his crack pot neighbor was home (in relitive safety)complaining about his food being rationed! I still don't think that she ever "got" that I didn't feel sorry for her. I know sin is deeply engrained in the human condition - yet there is a part of me that's still shocked by her selfishness!
I don't know - Thank you ma'am - I think I'll take my disabled kid and go home now!
Aren't you glad your not me!
(pardon the scarcasim)
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