re: using the word retarded

[Guest guest]

> " OK. . . . born brainless. . . . totally without a brain. . . . no

> one is really born that way, right? OK, this trumpet player was totally

> brainless!!!!! "

Well, actually no! People are born without a brain. Hydranencephaly is when

a baby is born with cerebrospinal fluid replacing the brain matter.

Sometimes it is an entire brain that is missing and sometimes it is just a

half or a section. In the case of Karin 's son, Drew, he is missing

his entire brain and some of his brain stem. He will celebrate his 2nd

birthday soon and is full of smiles! He is really a pleasure! Although kids

with Hyndranencephaly are not expected to live longer than age 1 (and some

medical books say they do not live past birth), there are children alive

today who are 14 years old with this disorder! Karin's new baby, Lawson,

(which I placed with her through our agency and had the pleasure of

fostering for a few days) was also born with Hydranencephaly. I have

attached a picture of him, just to put a BEAUTIFUL face to a disorder's

name. He is just two months old.

I personally think that kids with Hydranencephaly are living proof that

there is a soul! There is NO medical reasons why Drew is doing the things

he does (he will push a button when asked... laugh at funny things, etc.).

We, as far as our science has brought us, believe that this is impossible!

No one can do these brain functions without a brain. Indeed, impossible

things are happening every day!

I don't mean to get to picky here. I would be in Heaven at the day that

people stop using biological differences in a negative sense altogether...

this, in my own opinion, will never happen. I just thought I'd mention that

this does indeed happen, just as another example of " ya never know! "

Cheers!

Sara

[Guest guest]

Wow.. Sara.. He is beautiful!!!!

I have wonder how Karin is doing. Howp all is well

with her family. Now a new additon. He is a beautiful

boy.

Thanks for the info.

Be sure to tell her Hello from us in the south GA.

=====

CYNTHIA,mom to 7yrs(DS) and Dayton 2yr(DS)

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

How many words to we have to scratch out of the vocabulary. We need

terms to use to describe things and if every time a word is used in an

unseemly manner, we try to get excluded from the vocabulary, we will end

up chasing language rather than using it.

No I do not approve of name calling and using many words in name calling

and often in 'humor' offends me. Still, we have to have understandable

words. Retarded is much more acceptable to me than idiot, imbicle,

moron, mongoloid although I tend to use developmentally delayed more of

the time. All of these terms (and more) were once acceptable clinical

terms for describing something. All of them including DD have been

mis-used as well. Down syndrome and trisomy are newer replacements

which will end up in name calling and humor as well.

Retarded is a word that my daughter understands. It is not something

she wants to be, but it (or at least what it represents) is something

she has to live with. She learns more slowly. She makes more judgement

errors. All of this is compared to some mythical norm.

Still Jan wants and needs to know about herself and about others. She

takes delight and pride in trying to do things that others with down

syndrome aren't expected to do. She is a wonderful person, but retarded

is an acceptable word (though not much used) in our family.

Now don't get me going on retard.

Rick .... proud dad to 29 year old Jan