If Only She’d Been “Perfect”

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Likely this past week you have heard about the Oregon couple who won a $2.9 million “wrongful birth” lawsuit against Legacy Health System who they claimed misdiagnosed their daughter because the prenatal tests they had run indicated there were no genetic disorders present with their child. After the girl was born she was ultimately diagnosed with Down syndrome but her parents claim that had they known the child would be special-needs they would have “terminated the pregnancy,” AKA they would have killed her before she was born.

Now naturally you would assume from this story that these people were cold, heartless, and bitter about having to put forth the extra effort to care for this little girl’s very special needs. However, according to their lawyer this would be an unfair assumption. In his words, “These are parents who love this little girl very, very much. Their mission since the beginning was to provide for her and that’s what this is all about.” To these people they intended to protect their daughter from an imperfect life by not even giving her an opportunity at life. How humane! How loving!

It pains me deeply and concerns me greatly to see a prevailing attitude displayed among so many in our society that we have the right to judge whether a life would be worth living and if not then have the right to terminate that life by force. Life is a blessing from God. In all of scripture life is never once devalued nor its sanctity denied. In fact it is exalted in all its glory as God’s own special creation (Genesis 1:26). And that is true with all life. Not just life we deem as being worthy. These parents did not deem it worthy because genetically she was not perfect. But if only she had been perfect:

  • Maybe her parents would have truly loved her for who she is and who she will become.
  • Maybe her siblings would not have to live knowing their parents viewed their sister as a lesser, defective person not worthy of life.
  • Maybe this little girl would not one day grow up and potentially (if she’s able) learn that her parents’ disappointment in her disorder was legitimate enough they would have killed her if only they’d known.
  • Maybe there would not now be a precedence set among other parents of like mind in believing that they can and should profit from their children’s “imperfections.”

If only she’d been perfect…but as a child innocent before God she is! No, her genetic makeup might not be perfect, but her soul is pure as the driven snow. And it is that innocence that should cause parents to love their children naturally and value them as a blessing from God.

“Lo, children are a heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate” (Psalm 127:3-5).

-Andy Brewer

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