Special Needs in the National Spotlight!

A small portion of Sarah Palin's speech last night at the Republican national Convention.


And in April, my husband, Todd, and I welcomed our littlest one into the world, a perfectly beautiful baby boy named Trig. From the inside, no family ever seems typical.
That's how it is with us.

Our family has the same ups and downs as any other -- the same challenges and the same joys.

Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.

And children with special needs inspire a special love.

To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.

I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.


Folks, this is going to spark a national conversation that is long overdue:




Sarah Palin, Down syndrome & the brave new world

By Valerie Karr

Thursday, September 4th 2008, 4:00 AM

Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin has put children with disabilities in a national spotlight. Her recent decision to have a child with Down syndrome places her in a tiny minority of American women. A staggering statistic: 92% of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome are now aborted in the United States. I don't normally get overly exercised about the issue of abortion, but this number is striking - and a searing indictment of social values. Somehow, we are saying the lives of children with Down syndrome mean less than those of so-called normal children.


Now my words.
Last night, as I put Lizzy to bed I told her there was a woman running for VP now. I also told her she had a son with down syndrome, like Alex. This led to a discussion about Alex. Lizzy said, other kids with down syndrome all look the same, but Alex doesn't look like them. I said, that is because you know Alex, so he just looks like Alex to you. I explained that some day she might have to defend Alex if other kids tease him since they don't understand down syndrome and she does since she is alex's big cousin. She asked me an interesting question, if it was on Alex's birth certificate that he had down syndrome. I said no, because that is not who he is. I really can't put into words how cool it is when the VP nominee holds up her baby proudly for all the world to see, a perfectly beautiful baby boy.