Brad Sez: Part four of a conversation about "A Father's Search for a Drug for Down Syndrome"

We're continuing our multi-part conversation about our responses to the recent NY Times piece called "A Father's Search for a Drug for Down Syndrome."  All the guest-posters are parents of kids with Down syndrome. 

Today's guest author is Brad, a father and activist who does a great deal of letter-writing, and also writes a fair number of comments on mainstream media posts about Down syndrome.  You'll remember that I posted about some of his activism over at Girl w/Pen.  In a recent email to me, Brad shared, "Never thought I would want to / have to change the world.....but now I can't imagine allowing the world complacency.  Change is a lot of work, yet easier than I ever imagined ...strange?!"


When I first learned about +15 (DSRTF) and then again when I read about changing minds I was initially repelled. I want people to accept my child for who she is, not change her to fit our rigid and normative culture.

But then I thought about it, and if there were a treatment I could take that would make my life easier and my ability to participate more freely, I would want to try it (assuming no major side effects). Nothing could stop you from stopping treatment and reverting (it's not surgery). I don't think a more intelligent Brianna has to mean her personality is 180 degrees different. I am sure it won't be 100% the same, as mine changed when I went to college, when I was exposed to different people, when Bri was born....why should I expect hers to be rigidly the same? But I am sure she would be a more happy individual if she were able to contribute more to society, were able to have greater independence and do the things us adults love to do (buy homes, drive cars, have our choice of employment, even potentially have a family of her own....who knows?!)

This article framed up a race I see in my head....first will come a push for extermination through testing, but that will be followed by many children with DS being born to parents who refuse to abort. Those children could soon have 90 or 110 IQ's. Then society will be forced to deal with the real issue...they are afraid of people with DS because they look different. The heart issue is solvable, the IQ and independence questions are non-issues. So you are left with few issues to cloak the real concern. And I think that is when some real breakthroughs will come for DS and other disabilities as a result!

What do you think?



Part one
Part two
Part three 
Part four 
Part five