"Every Human Life is Valuable"

By Kevin Somok

Our third child, Marjorie, was diagnosed with Down syndrome shortly after birth. While my wife Katherine and I were surprised (since we had declined prenatal testing), we had quickly come to trust that God would give us all of the graces we’d need to love and raise Marjorie and all of our children.

Like many people with Down syndrome, Marjorie experienced serious health issues during her first year of life. As I spent time with her in her ICU room two days after a major surgical procedure, I came across a headline for an article by a prominent Washington Post columnist: “I would’ve aborted a fetus with Down syndrome.” This was perhaps the clearest example of what the Holy Father terms as “throwaway culture” that I’ve ever seen in a mainstream publication. The columnist was not concerned with bills that might follow a child with Down syndrome or with who would look out for the child after she and her husband were gone. Rather, she simply did not want to have a child with a disability in part because that child would never be “successful”—at least as success is conceived by a significant portion of our nation’s ruling class. This columnist is not alone: tragically, the majority of prenatal diagnoses of Down syndrome in the US has led to abortion, and the number approaches 100 percent in some European countries.

As a society, we need to learn that every human life is valuable—and every person with a disability has something to teach us. Today, Marjorie is a healthy three-year-old. She has taught my wife and me that, as parents, we ultimately love our children for who they are rather than what they accomplish. We also trust that God made us Marjorie’s parents for a reason. While we don’t presume to know His reasons, we’ve been highly encouraged by a friend whose youngest sister also has Down syndrome. This friend once told me that her sister is the best thing that ever happened to their family. When questioned further, she elaborated that this sister helps to keep all of the other four grown siblings connected. Each day, we enjoy Marjorie’s infectious smile, her sense of humor, the way she relishes playtime with her siblings, etc.; she enriches our lives. Truly, every human being is a gift, and every human being has something to teach us.