Just saw this on Yahoo! It brings to mind what my friend ASingaporeanSon down south wrote about "Golden Jubilee Babies".
As ASingaporeanSon wrote: "What does a parent really want to give to his or her child? One of them should be hope. The assurances to our next generation that bringing them up in this country is not a mistake, that they will be included and accepted in society regardless or who and what they are in a sustainable manner."
As ASingaporeanSon wrote: "What does a parent really want to give to his or her child? One of them should be hope. The assurances to our next generation that bringing them up in this country is not a mistake, that they will be included and accepted in society regardless or who and what they are in a sustainable manner."
Eden Grace - Don't Give Up from Michelle Nagle on Vimeo.
Miracles, by virtue of their unexpected nature, do not always happen. What if a child with a rare genetic disorder does not overcome his/her limitations? How much hope and tangible support can and will the parents, society and government policies provide for the child to live sustainably and be accepted by society?
As I commented on ASingaporeanSon's blog, some folks asked me why Canada seems to have more children with rare illnesses/disorders (when compared to their countries of origin). My reply is, "If these children were born in your country, what would happen to them?" The answers they give would explain why there are fewer children with rare illnesses/disorders (that survive and/or are seen in public) in their countries of origin when compared to Canada.
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When I got married, a few of my Singapore-based close friends asked out of concern if I plan to have children and (given that I'm already in my mid-40's) the high risk of having a child with problems (e.g. Down's Syndrome) at my age. I told them honestly that we (as a couple) decided to go with the flow; if I get pregnant, we will do whatever standard tests available and then decide from there.
So far, no one in Canada (not even close friends) expressed concern to me about the risk of me having a child with problems at my age. If anything, I have one nursing-trained friend already waiting to be godmother to my yet-to-be-conceived child.
Is this difference between Canada and Singapore due to social attitudes or government policies or both? Which drives which?
p.s. I just have to write about this close-to-heart matter as I've personally seen the difference as a paediatric nurse in both countries.
