Circumstances recently have had me thinking about severely disabled babies and how people make the decision on whether to dedicate their lives to raising them or have them looked after by a care system or adopted.
(Of course it's almost impossible to imagine how you might feel ... one can't know this sort of thing unless it happens .. . one could be horrified, or overwhealmed by feelings of love and protection).
Do you think that if you or your partner gave birth to an extremely disabled child (really severe ... I'm not taling about a limb missing or a sense missing ) that you would have the desire and strength to want to keep it and raise it yourself. Knowing full well that the rest of your life would be dedicated to it's basic care (in a much more full on way than it would be if the child were able bodies, or mildly disabled)?
When I was young I thought that if I had, for example, a Downs Syndrome baby that I would not have the desire or strength to want to raise it. (Not that I would today consider DS as severely disabled ... a DS person can have a wonderful, happy and productive life ... it is of couse a severe syndrome, but you know what I mean I hope)
As I've got older I've seen that DS children and adults can be incredibly loving and special and a way other children aren't. I can also imagine the rewards could be mighty. That said, it's still a difficult path to choose.
Please don't turn this thread into a soapbox ... I just want to hear your own feelings on whether YOU think you would choose to raise a very disabled child ... please don't give others a hard time for what they might feel ... if you don't feel you can do that I would ask you not to contribute to the thread.
I want to hear honest thoughts and experiences and they are less likely to be forthcoming if some posters are heavy-handed and over-bearing as in recent other threads.
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