Recently Rosie O’Donnell has canceled her plans to adopt another child. For those who are unfamiliar with the name, she is an actress, television personality, and a lesbian rights activist. In the past few years, she is probably most known for being a co-host on The View and her stormy exit from the show. Why is her decision significant? Her decisions casts light on a dark truth that is pervading society.
Jami Weaver is the biological mother of Rosie O’Donnell’s daughter Dakota. Ms. Weaver had agreed to carry another child for Rosie O’Donnell. After Ms. Weaver became pregnant, it was discovered the baby had gastroschisis, which is a birth defect of the abdominal wall, where the baby’s intestines through a hole near the belly button are outside the baby’s body. There are surgeries to help remedy this birth defect; nevertheless, the adoption was called off. According to Ms. Weaver, “Rosie told me she could not handle having a special needs child.”
She is not the only person to decide against having a child with special needs; there are many who abort babies because they are found to have medical conditions or some type of disability. The number of abortions of unborn babies with medical problems has increased in recent years and may continue to increase thanks to a new test. In 2011 a blood test became available that can detect genetic conditions such as Down Syndrome. Jane Fisher, the Director of Antenatal Results and Choices explains the connection between these tests and abortion.
“Non-invasive prenatal testing has undoubtedly made a difference to the abortion figures. Women tell us every day they are accessing the new blood tests privately, and this is likely to have led to a higher detection of chromosomal abnormalities and contributed to the rise in the number of terminations for these indications. The reason we also know it’s made a difference is by looking at the statistics for invasive testing which have come down dramatically. It’s important to remember that these blood tests are screening, not diagnostic tests – so women found to be high-risk should have an amniocentesis to confirm any potential genetic abnormality.”
The test’s popularity is derived from its non-invasiveness, which protects the child from harm. (Which is ironic considering that if the baby turns out to have a disability of some kind, a good number of those babies will be killed. Ending someone’s life is one of the most harmful things you can do to a person.) These tests may not be objectively wrong, but they do call into question ethical concerns. One is it encourages one to reduce a person to their DNA. If you have ever held a baby or talked to a stranger, you know that a person is so much more than their DNA. DNA does not tell you how much joy a person will bring into your life or how much they will love you. Another concern is that the connection between babies with special needs and abortions will further be cemented.
LifeNews reported “In Spain, a biotechnology company called Genoma placed a building sized banner advertisement for a new prenatal test called “Tranquility”, which screens for Down syndrome. Unfortunately, in the predominantly Catholic country, 95% of babies who are diagnosed with the condition prenatally are aborted.”
Unborn babies with special needs are being targeted. This speaks to the dark truth I mentioned at the beginning. Steadily, society’s view of children with disabilities has been heading in the direction of making them seem like burdens and undesirables that can be disposed of easily. In fact, to some disposing of them is the best solution, which is ludicrous! People do not have the right to make another human being disposable. Rosie O’Donnell may not be aborting that baby, but her decision is an example of those who do not see the dignity and beauty of the person. Today, there is an increasing normalcy of the rejection of the unborn deemed undesirable.
If you understand and recognize the dignity of the person and the beauty of each human being, then share that truth with others. Sharing this truth can help change this rejection of the unborn; the more the truth is shared; the more chance there is for people to hear the truth and have a change of heart.
“God gives us things to share, God doesn’t give us things to hold…”
~ Mother Teresa
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