Mail Call: Home At Long Last

Antioch, Calif.

Clearly, George Will and his wife made the right "choice" in not aborting their Down syndrome child, Jon. However, Will can provide for his son financially and is not your ordinary American. Thousands of women facing the birth of a Down syndrome child--many of whom would have significantly greater disability than Jon--are emotionally, economically and otherwise incapable of even remotely providing the support Will has been able to give to his son. While I applaud George Will's "choice," the story of Jon and, conversely, those parents less capable and less fortunate than Will prove that "choice" is imperative.

David Miller

Houston, Texas

Regardless of what one thinks of the new ACOG guidelines regarding prenatal screening, George Will illustrates that people with Down syndrome can live happy, productive and fulfilling lives. When my wife and I were told prenatally of our son's diagnosis, we were horrified by the doctor's laundry list of possible problems. Thankfully, there are organizations such as the National Down Syndrome Society and the National Down Syndrome Congress for balanced information. We learned that many individuals with Down syndrome successfully attend school, obtain meaningful employment and live independent, fulfilling lives. Like his big sister Dana, Robert is a tremendous source of pride and joy for our family. It would have been nice for our doctor to include that in his list of possibilities.

Marc Steinberg