‘My Life Is Worth Living’: Man With Down Syndrome Sends Meaningful Message

Feb 20, 2019 by apost team

Frank Stephens, a Special Olympian with a successful acting career is known for his advocacy for the Down's Syndrome community. Just recently, he testified before the United States Congress. His message was clear and powerful. He told them, "I am a man with Down Syndrome, and my life is worth living." Many people may not realize why this statement would be at all necessary or controversial. Of course, in the enlightened day and age when people are supposed to believe in equal rights for all people, why would Stephens feel compelled to say those words? The answer lies in the alarming frequency with which fetuses diagnosed with Down's Syndrome are aborted.

Arguing passionately that he and others like him deserve the right to live, Stephens told Congressional leaders, "I have a great life!" In many ways, right now is a wonderful era for people with Down's Syndrome. They're legally protected when it comes to employment, they can take advantage of programs that help them live their lives as independently as possible, and they have plenty of educational and therapeutic opportunities that didn't exist just a few short decades ago. Even their life expectancy has gone up dramatically from just 25 years to more than 50 years. All of this is encouraging news for those with what used to be a very debilitating, limiting condition.

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The bad news is, many people with Down's Syndrome never even get the chance to live the full, happy life they deserve. Abortion rates for fetuses diagnosed with Down's Syndrome are extremely high. They are at an above ninety percent average across the globe! The US rate of termination for Down's Syndrom fetuses is nearly 70 percent. France's rate is closer to 80 percent. Denmark and Iceland have close to 100 percent abortion rates for Down's Syndrome diagnosed fetuses!

Down's Syndrome advocates such as Stephens are fed up with what they consider a wrong approach to confronting the challenges of the condition. Rather than pushing for elective abortion for those diagnosed with Downs Syndrome in Utero, he wants to see governments spend more money researching and coming up with even more effective treatments.

Stephen's words were powerful indeed. He even referred to the common practice of terminating Down's Syndrome diagnosed fetuses as a "final solution," hearkening back to the Nazi era. He said he considered that position to be prejudiced and based on outdated notions of what living with Down's Syndrome is actually like.

He explained how fulfilling his life has been and continues to be, highlighting his starring role in an Emmy-winning television program and his many speaking opportunities. He also pointed out how helpful the study of Down's Syndrome patients has been for research into other medical conditions, such as cancer, immune disorders, and Alzheimer's. Furthermore, he pointed to studies explaining how happy those with Down's Syndrome and their families are when compared to the general population. Lastly, he made a chilling case for Down's Syndrome men and women being like the proverbial "canary in the coal mine" when it comes to society going down the path of the unethical practice of eugenics.

What are your thoughts on Frank Stephen's powerful testimony? Do you know someone with Down's Syndrome? What has been their experience in life? We'd love to read your reaction in the comments. Pass this story along to anyone you know who cares about the well being of people living with Down's Syndrome.