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In the debate about abortion, it is often noted that parents should have the ability to terminate a pregnancy if abnormalities are found in the fetus.
Ignoring the fact that some “seriously defective” fetuses emerge into the world as perfectly formed children, many parents of children with severe needs will admit the kids bring them a lot of joy in the midst of challenges.
The best man in my wedding and his wife raised a son very much like Kennady in the story below. Their testimony is very similar to that of Kennady’s parents.
From USA Today:
Before their daughter Kennady was born, Robin Steele and his wife, Erica, learned the girl had fluid on the brain. Eight weeks after her birth, that they discovered she also had Alobar Holoprosencephaly, a rare, fatal disease in which the brain’s two hemispheres fail to completely separate.
Doctors gave Kennady six months to 2 years to live.
17 years later, Kennady is still going strong. She doesn’t walk, talk or eat with her mouth or use her hands. She requires 24-hour care. But she smiles when she’s joyful or communicates her frustration with her facial expressions.
Over the years, Robin said, Kennady taught him to accept what is and that a person’s meaning comes not from they can do or accomplish but from simply being. “We’re human beings,” he said, “not human doings.”
The full story is available at www.usatoday.com.
