October (Oriana's birth month, and Down Syndrome awareness month) is coming to a close for 2020.
However, I didn't want to let Halloween pass by without sharing a real horror story with you... straight from the UK. I have shared this information before on my Instagram account (I have a story highlight titled 'Screening' you can look through if you are an IG user) and I have included a lot of screenshots from that in this quick video.
I have been prompted to share this information on UK abortion laws & Down Syndrome due to the recent work of Heidi and Maire; Heidi is a woman who happens to have DS (and managed to squeeze in her wedding earlier this year!) and Maire is the mum of little Aidan who also has an extra chromosome. Raising awareness of this law has been a huge part of their campaign, and the case is on its way to the High Court following a recent judge's ruling. Heidi is the first person with Down Syndrome to take the UK government to court - this is a landmark case and is significant for those with differences in terms of feeling accepted and having the same basic rights as others, right from conception.
This is what Heidi has said with regards to the court case:
"I am the first person with Down’s syndrome to take the UK government to court. My solicitor agrees with me that the law is discrimination. When my solicitor contacted the department of health they replied denying the claim and said that abortion is a matter of choice for the mother and that there is nothing wrong with the law! I do think there is something wrong with it, I think people should see the person behind the extra chromosome!"
Please watch this quick video to find out how those with disabilities are being discriminated against before they have even made it through pregnancy, the pressure put on expectant parents, and what you can do to change this. Please share this video (there is also a video on the Positive About Down Syndrome FB & IG pages with thousands of views, which Oriana features in and can be shared) to raise awareness, and hopefully financial support too. Scroll to the bottom of this post to get the crowdfunding link.
You know this is serious... I've got my newsreader glasses on.
As always, thank you for the support and helping us raise awareness that a life with differences is still a life full of value.
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