My sincere appreciation to George Will *68 for sharing the wonderful story of his son Jon, who happens to have Down syndrome (Perspective, July 11). As a pediatrician, I am well aware of the joyful and fulfilling lives that those with this condition can lead, as well as of the challenges that their upbringing may present to their families. I hope that all parents who receive a prenatal diagnosis of Down’s will be made aware of the lessons from Jon’s story, and that it may serve as a source of inspiration and hope for those raising children in similar circumstances.
It is unfortunate, however, that Dr. Will did not resist the temptation to use his family’s shining example to verbally bludgeon those who choose to abort their pregnancy when they learn of this diagnosis. There is rarely anything “casual” about the decision to end a pregnancy, and the use of the standard anti-choice vocabulary of “pre-born babies” and “killing children ... before birth” does nothing to advance the abortion discussion.
The story of Jon and his family is heartwarming and uplifting; its essentials should be part of the thinking of anyone considering their choices when they have received a prenatal Down’s diagnosis. But it is in no way an argument against a woman’s right to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy — any pregnancy.