No one wants a child with a disability

No one wants a child with a disability. I certainly didn't.

What I have discovered as a parent is that as much as we would like to, we don't always get to choose.

I never had the choice of getting Phoenix without DS. The choice was always to have her with DS or not have her at all. So I chose her. Even if I didn't choose Down syndrome, I still chose her. 

"No one wants a child with a disability." A very well meaning person said this to me recently.

But it's an incorrect assumption. Just because you or I wouldn't choose a child with a disability, doesn't make that the case for everyone. There are many people who do choose to have a child with a disability. In fact there are many people who go out of their way to adopt children with disabilities, especially children with DS. 

 The National Down Syndrome Adoption Newtork is an organization in the US whose sole purpose is to match babies and children with DS to adoptive families. At any given time, over 200 families are in the waiting list to adopt. 200!

Many of these families already have a child with DS and have felt in their hearts the wanting for another child with DS. 

I can't say for certain their motivation for adopting, but certainly the love and value attached to their child with DS must be a huge factor in wanting another child with this syndrome. 

I would not choose to adopt a child with DS (or any other child for that matter). I feel that my family is perfect the way it is. But I am so, so grateful that there are families who listen to their hearts and choose to expand their family through adoption and provide loving homes for children who need them.