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A comment on The Last Children of Down Syndrome. Parent comment

Re:The Last Children of Down Syndrome by andrepd on Wednesday November 18, 2020 @12:49PM (#25139861)
It's a valid perspective, so I think the downvotes aren't in order. However I strongly disagree. Having Down syndrome isn't just being "outside the conventional parameters of of normality", it's a serious disease with life-altering implications. You will never surpass the cognitive capacity of a young child, you will have impaired vision and hearing, if you ever manage to speak at all, you will probably lose that ability at around 30 years of age. You will have a myriad other chronic and painful health problems, and then you will finally die at around age 40 (maybe more with enough high-quality support). This is not a life worth living, if I ever were in such a situation I would pray to be euthanised.
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Re:The Last Children of Down Syndrome by GordonS on Wednesday November 18, 2020 @01:01PM (#25140036)
I'm afraid a lot of what you've said here is simply not true - it's either wofully outdated, or pure disinformation. Attitudes to Down's have changed a lot in recent decades, and children now get access to education and assistance, instead of being stuck in an institution to rot. As such, life outcomes are vastly different to what they used to be.

I have a daughter with Down's, so I probably know more about it that most.

> You will never surpass the cognitive capacity of a young child

This is just completely untrue.

> you will have impaired vision and hearing

There is certainly a higher incidence of vision and hearing problems in people with Down's, but it's far from guaranteed. Further more, glasses and hearing aids are a thing.

> if you ever manage to speak at all

I'm struggling to take you seriously now - this is utterly absurd.

> You will have a myriad other chronic and painful health problems

There is a higher incidence of some physical and mental illnesses in people with Down's, but again, it's far from guaranteed, and again need not have a large impact. For example, a lot of those born with Down's have a small hole in their heart, but nowadays it's fairly easily rectified. Not sure what "painful" health problems you could be referring to.

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Re:The Last Children of Down Syndrome by highland586 on Wednesday November 18, 2020 @01:11PM (#25140165)
While it is a serious condition, most of your statements are simply not true. Life expectancy for Down syndrome is around 55 - 60 years old. I have a family member with Down's who is around 60 years old at the moment and despite his health issues, he is one of the happiest individuals I know. Not saying this goes for all afflicted people, but a blanket statement like 'not a life worth living' is just plain BS.
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Re:The Last Children of Down Syndrome by lazyasciiart on Wednesday November 18, 2020 @12:59PM (#25140000)
That sounds like a pretty severe expression of it, I don't know the distribution but I know people who don't have these limits.
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