A brave woman decided to speak out to defend the lives of babies with Down syndrome, because in the United Kingdom a pregnant baby with this condition can be aborted at any stage of pregnancy, even on the day of delivery .
Heidi Crowter, 27, is a woman who was born with this condition, but she wonders why her life would be less valuable than anyone else’s. In addition, she comes to the conclusion that everything is due to the lack of information that exists on the subject.
In an interview for BBC News Mundo, Heidi said that her parents received the news that she had Down syndrome when she was born, recounting the difficult moment they went through when they found out about her condition.
My parents only found out that I had Down’s when I was born, and the first thing they felt was fear. They didn’t know what to expect, they thought that I would never be able to become independent, that I would never get married. My first year of life was very hard because I was born with a hole in my heart and they had to operate on me. I was in and out of hospitals. I still have the scar on my chest.
Heidi is aware that parents are terrified to receive news like this, especially when doctors tell them only about all the difficulties that await them.
I want to fight for the rights of the unborn with Down syndrome so that they have the same rights as everyone else. Many parents, like mine, fear what they don’t know. And the medical institution tells them pure negative things, which is why so many choose to abort.
What defines us as human beings is who we are, not what problems we have. We don’t want to be seen as a problem. There is no perfect baby. When I see my nephew, who is a baby, I wonder why my life is less valuable than his. Or my mom’s or my dad’s. You have to stop thinking about Down with the old look, from decades ago, and see it in a new, more positive light.
Currently, Heidi finished the second part of her biography, as her parents wrote her story to share with those who might require information. In addition, she works as a teacher’s assistant for children with Down syndrome and is happily married. Heidi acknowledges that raising a child with Down syndrome can be hard, but in the end the rewards are enormous.