Helen's Testimony
Mother of Baby Niall
"Niall is our son, a brother, a grandson, an uncle to 2 nieces and a nephew, a friend to everyone he meets, a comforter to all who need a hug.
His older sisters Chloe and Colleen say they call for comfort hugs when they are having a tough week and a hug and a smile from Niall makes the world right again. I have to agree.
Niall loves ice cream, chocolate, cheeseburgers, sausages, pancakes. He hates the swimming pool, cold weather, not a fan of the snow or too much heat. He stomps his feet when he doesn’t get his own way, flashes a winning smile when he knows he has been bold and is getting told off.
Sounds normal enough so far doesn’t it. That’s because he is perfectly normal.
Niall is not a diagnosis ,he is a beautiful human being, a joy, part of his community. He loves a good party, good craic, good music.
He loves people.
Why do some people not love him ?
That is the question I expect to hear when Niall is of an age when he will have full knowledge of the laws in our land that allow for the murder of children with a disability. That is the message these laws feed into the minds and spirits of our son and others like him - a message of hate, belittling and put downs.
Can you - the MLAs who brought these laws forward - answer the question? Can you tell me why you belittle and humiliate the life of our son by suggesting he is not worth the same air you breath?
Is it so bad that he may need a little help or some more time to get to grips with things? Do we not all need help sometimes? I know I do !
How sad and disturbed the future generations will be when they look back at the barbaric and cruel treatment of our unborn children and the blatant and unashamed discrimination against the babies who had the misfortune to be diagnosed with a disability in the womb.
The womb should be a place of peace, a safe place! Now it is a dangerous place where intruders with weapons can strike at any time.
I remarked many times as I carried our son, how gentle this baby was - gentle kicks so peaceful. I didn’t know he had Down's Syndrome until he was born, and it didn’t make any difference to me. I was thrilled with Niall from the moment I saw that pink line on my pregnancy test and even more thrilled when I finally got to meet him in person.
We must never forget the atrocities of the past. They didn’t begin with gas chambers but with the dehumanising of certain groups in the eyes of others; the mentality that they were unworthy of life. Ireland is now travelling on a dangerous path unleashing a campaign of genocide on the disabled child in the womb, stereotyping these humans as unfit for purpose as if they were nothing more than a faulty piece of clothing in a factory line only worthy of being discarded.
Our son is worthy of life and love.
I love these words of St. Maximilian Kolbe - "Let us remember that love lives through sacrifice and is nourished by giving. Without sacrifice, there is no love ❤️"
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