To think that the world would not be a better place without Heidi *Content Warning - abortion/disability edited by MNHQ*

[bridgetreilly]

Heidi is 24 and has Downs syndrome. She is beautiful and brilliant and very articulate in explaining why the UK abortion law is discriminatory in allowing abortion up to full term where the child has Downs syndrome (and other non-fatal disabilities including cleft palate or club foot), when the standard limit is 24 weeks.

She's not the only one to think that. The United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities’ concluding observations on the initial report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland made a key recommendation that the UK change its abortion law on disability so that it does not single out babies with disabilities. However, the Government has decided to ignore this recommendation.

Heidi, along with the mother of a young boy with Downs syndrome, is planning to sue the government for discrimination. She is amazing and I hope she wins.

Two carers, not careers. Heidi seems lovely, but I don’t think airbrushing — to use a word that appears often on this thread — her impaired cognitive capacity does her position on this issue any favours.

I haven’t seen any interview with Heidi.
But presumably her mum had testing and knew she was expecting a ds child, she made that choice based on her life, her finances, her support network.
She made that choice based on her situation. It doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for all. One size doesn’t fit all, and that’s why it would be wrong to get rid of the law

eh why wouldn't she?

If she wants womens bodily autonomy and choice removed she should look them up.
If she cant or wont, she should keep her dangerous opinions to herself, as she has no ability to make a sound judgement on how it affects others.
The forced birth crowd found a poster child to use abuse and spit out when the bill fails

EvilPea in the video, her mum says that she didn't know that Heidi would have Ds as she declined testing with all of her pregnancies.

Her choice - exactly the same right as other women should have.

I have a relative with DS. She isn't as high functioning as Heidi, but she's certainly higher functioning than others, and without doubt she is happy and has a wonderful quality of life. She loves and is loved.

But the sacrifices her mum has had to make - my god. (Divorced parents, useless dad, etc etc.) Maybe it makes me a bad person, but I truly believe I could not cope with providing that level of care to an (adult) child for the whole of my or their life. This lady's mum should be relaxing in her retirement but she's just exhausted.

Why do people think its ok to hold up a person as an example in what choices I and everyone else can make?
Heidi or anyone else having a wonderful life has zero bearing on whether I personally can choose to continue a Downs pregnancy, and I find it insulting and offensive to suggest they do.

No it should stay as it is. I have a disabled adult child. With my next 2 pregnancies I had amnios and would have aborted if it turned out the baby had DS.