Young woman with Down syndrome embodies pro-life message

[Guest guest]

Young

woman with Down syndrome embodies pro-life message

By Storer

10/14/2007

Catholic Explorer (www.catholicexplorer.com)

DARIEN, Ill. (Catholic Explorer) - With tears welling up in

her eyes, Bridget Brown uttered, “It’s wrong to kill.” The

young woman with Down syndrome was talking with the Catholic Explorer about

parents terminating pregnancies after undergoing prenatal screenings and

learning their unborn babies have abnormalities.

Many medical workers, parents, relatives and others

“aren’t respecting” the Sixth Commandment, which states

“you shall not kill,” said the 21-year-old member of Our Lady of

Mt. Carmel Parish in Darien.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has designated

October as Respect Life Month and Brown feels very strongly about the subject,

she told the Explorer Sept. 30 at her home in Darien.

Brown composed a letter on the topic of prenatal testing and

dispatched it to media agencies across the nation; it was published recently in

the Washington Post. She is hopeful the letter will be published in other

newspapers too.

In the text, Brown compares the atrocities associated with the

Holocaust to aborting unborn babies identified as having disabilities.

“The world needs to know that I do not ‘suffer’ from Down

syndrome,” she wrote in the letter. “I believe in the sacred

dignity of all people. And most people I know with disabilities have full and

productive lives,” she added in the text.

Learning from history

In high school history classes Brown said she studied the

horrific injustices inflicted upon the Jewish people during World War II and

the issue of segregation along with the resulting civil rights movement of the

1960s. It didn’t take her long to start drawing her own comparisons

between racially motivated bigotry and prejudices against people with

disabilities.

Being fully included with other students in elementary and high

school classes has given Brown a more rounded outlook on the world around her,

she said. “I love to learn. I wanted to be included.”

The blonde-haired woman is small in physical stature but, as the

middle child between her two siblings, she has found it necessary to assert

herself. Brown credits that with giving her the impetus to pursue her mission

aimed at securing fair treatment for everyone, following a lengthy list of

goals toward that end.

Among other personal quests, Brown works as a public speaker as a

means to encourage and help people with disabilities advocate on behalf of

themselves, especially in educational circles. “I didn’t want

people speaking for me. I wanted to speak for myself,” she said, talking

about her personal experiences in securing a spot in the traditional classroom.

The key to her success in helping others with disabilities is

empathy. “I can see what’s happening inside them,” she said.

Her mission has become to help people with disabilities “dwell in the

possibilities,” she said. Brown relies on her own experiences to shed

light on the idea that people with special needs can make contributions to

society, she explained.

Brown works in tandem with her mother, , a trained social

worker, to prepare and present various programs at schools and other public venues,

she said.

A Special Olympics medalist in gymnastics, basketball and track,

Brown said her ultimate victory will come when all persons with disabilities

are able to learn alongside their peers. She said, “That’s my

goal.” In the future, she plans to pursue college studies. And, she said

her dream is to someday become a preschool teacher. “I love

children,” she said.

’He made me a miracle’

In the meantime, the campaigner is now looking to broaden her

public speaking topics among many other plans for the future. Brown is

considering adding her views on prenatal testing to the mix of concerns brought

to the forefront by pro-lifers, she said. “The world benefits from our

gifts … We’re important to the world,” she emphasized.

said prenatal screenings for abnormalities were not as

common as they are today. The procedure wasn’t offered to her, she said.

A handful of acquaintances over the years have told that

prenatal tests indicate their babies have Down syndrome or other genetic

disorders. These mothers have shared with her they opted to keep their babies

because of their interactions with her daughter.

As her mother continued to speak, the young woman began to cry as

she was reminded of how her life has worked to save others.

The young Catholic said her reliance on the Lord has been the

force behind her actions to help others. “My faith is really

strong,” said Brown. She said for as long as she can remember, she has

felt the presence of God in her life.

Even though she was too young to remember it, Brown talked about

having surgery at 9 months old to repair a hole in her heart. Grateful for the

gift of her life, she vowed to continue her efforts as a way to thank the Lord

for his blessings. “Jesus reached to me,” she said. “He wanted

me to live … he made a miracle,” she said.

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This story was made available to Catholic Online by permission of the

Catholic Explorer(www.catholicexplorer.com),

official newspaper of the Diocese of Joliet, Ill.