Michael Cook, Editor of MercatorNet, tells this uplifting story.
Something wonderful happened in the United States this week: an unborn baby whose life was poised between abortion and adoption was saved by not one but hundreds of offers from people wanting to adopt the child. And it all happened in 24 hours, thanks to quick action by a parish priest and the use of social media.
A young couple were planning to abort their baby who had been diagnosed with Down syndrome at nearly 24 weeks, in a state that prohibits abortions beyond that point. However, they also asked an adoption agency to look for adoptive parents.
Father Vander Woude, of Gainesville, Virginia, heard about it and got someone from his parish to post an urgent appeal on Facebook on Monday morning. "... If a couple has not been found by today they plan to abort the baby. If you are interested in adopting this baby please contact Fr W IMMEDIATELY."
The result amazed everyone: all day long the parish office fielded phone calls and emails from all over the US and as far afield as England, Puerto Rico and the Netherlands. There were over 900 emails alone. A shortlist of three families has been presented to the baby's parents.
Some 80 to 90 percent of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down are aborted in countries like the US and UK, many after 20 weeks, but this story is solid evidence that such a brutal and heartbreaking response to this disability is not only wrong but completely unnecessary. President and founder of the International Down Syndrome Coalition, Diane Grover, told The Washington Times, "There's a lot of people waiting, and we are happy to always help" couples who don't think they can cope with a child who has Downs.
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