Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Remember this story? Parents suing over wrongful birth of daughter?

Read on with caution.  This is my opinion.  

I read this story with sadness and a pit in my stomach.  How could a parent sue over a wrongful birth?  I realize not every person is able to parent a child with Special Needs, but to sue of their child's birth?  These parents had options if they felt they could not take proper care of their child once she was born, including putting this child up for adoption.  I know there are many families standing in line to adopt a child with Down Syndrome.  How do you explain to your child when they are older why the parents sued someone about the birth of their daughter?  Oh my.  This just breaks my heart.



Parents Net Millions After Daughter Born With Down Syndrome

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A jury awarded nearly $3 million to an Oregon couple who sued after their daughter was born with Down syndrome.
Deborah and Ariel Levy sued Legacy Health System arguing that they would have aborted their baby had they known she would have Down syndrome.
Despite concerns during the pregnancy, the Levys said that doctors at the hospital repeatedly assured them that prenatal testing for Down syndrome was negative.
However, jurors determined late last week that the negligence of hospital workers led to incorrect results.
Now age 4, the Levys say their daughter needs a variety of therapies and experts indicate it’s unlikely she’ll be able to live independently as an adult. The couple say they sued in order to ensure that their daughter would be financially taken care of.
Hospital officials expressed disappointment over the verdict and said they may pursue further legal action in the case, reports The Oregonian. To read more click here.


Be gentle.

1 comment:

  1. This stuff really gets to me.
    I'm adamantly pro choice, and we had our (confirmed) prenatal diagnosis at 13 weeks. We chose our daughter, because we felt like we were totally equipped to have her and raise her. I can understand not everyone being like us, but I truly believe there are also many who choose to terminate because the information on what a life with a child with Ds really will be like is so antiquated and, well, just wrong.
    But to have cases of parents suing the doctors/ clinics/ testmakers because they "can't, after years of having the child, deal with it" just breaks my heart. And frankly, leaves me wondering whether these people just saw their chance at a fortune and decided to take it.
    My daughter's pretty awesome, and I'm not drowning yet (and I doubt very much that I'll ever be).

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