Every life is a gift, including those that come with an extra chromosome.
Every life is a gift, including those that come with an extra chromosome.
W hile in the womb, every baby develops the unique characteristics that make each one different from every other human. For some, this comes in the form of an extra chromosome in their DNA and a condition known as Down syndrome.
A Down syndrome diagnosis is misunderstood by many as a tragic disability, but those who know someone with the condition can attest to the joy and value these individuals bring to the world. And people living with Down syndrome themselves say life is one big celebration!
Research confirms that those with Down syndrome experience life to the fullest. Brian Skotko, a Harvard-trained physician, notes that people with Down syndrome report extraordinarily high levels of personal satisfaction: Virtually all report being happy with their lives (99 percent), like who they are (97 percent), and how they look (96 percent). They also bring a great deal of joy to those around them. Eighty-eight percent of older siblings of people with Down syndrome say they are generally better people because they have a family member with Down syndrome, while 94 percent of brothers and sisters report feeling great affection and pride for their sibling with Down syndrome.
When empowered by those around them, people with Down syndrome can also realize their dreams.
Noah Matthews for example, was the first actor with Down syndrome to land a major role in a Disney film, the live-action adaptation of Peter Pan that came out in 2023.
Sofia Jirau became one of the first models with Down syndrome, shattering beauty stereotypes.
Lucas Warren was the first Gerber Baby in 2018 to have Down syndrome. His smile and contagious joy captured the hearts of millions.
Noah’s, Sofia’s, and Lucas’s Downs diagnoses were not the end of their stories but the beginning. Their extra chromosomes do not limit them or their value in any way.
Sadly, so many believe that having a child with Down syndrome will bring a life of hardship that overshadows any potential joy and fulfillment. Many parents worry that their child’s life will be full of sorrow, pain, and suffering and that the life they envisioned for their baby will never materialize. And, heartbreakingly, many mothers are encouraged to abort their babies with Down syndrome by medical professionals who believe that ending these special lives will prevent suffering.
This has tragically led to an estimated 60 percent to 90 percent abortion rate for U.S. children diagnosed with Down syndrome. In fact, alongside a sharp increase in prenatal testing, there has been a proportional increase in selective abortion of those diagnosed with any form of genetic abnormality, including Down syndrome, reinforcing the false notion that that a life with disability means a life of less value.
Fortunately, the noise of negativity from doctors and society hasn’t deterred every family from accepting a child with an extra chromosome, and the overwhelming majority discover that this child is one of their family’s greatest blessings. Matt and Sarah Effhauser chose to adopt Rex, a beautiful boy with Down syndrome from Serbia, and welcomed him into their lives with open arms. “To say he stole our hearts would be a vast understatement. In fact, he mended them in ways we didn’t know possible,” Matt Effhauser said. The experience this family had in adopting Rex — “[Rex] has made our ‘perfect’ family more perfect than we could ever have imagined,” Matt said — confirms what the aforementioned studies found.
This World Down Syndrome Day, the Effhausers’ testimony reminds us that having a child with Down syndrome is an exciting adventure with ups, downs, and challenges, of course, but filled with happiness.
Every life is a gift, including those that come with an extra chromosome. From having great success, to bringing immense joy, we will never know what we have missed out on if we fail to welcome these precious souls simply for what makes them different.