Negatives And Positives

By Wyn Evans

Last month’s column considered events at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp during World War Two. Less familiar is the history of the T4 programme (1)

, a targeted ‘euthanasia’ campaign that sought to purge Germany of the infirm or disabled. These people ranged from newborns to the elderly and were deemed to have a ‘life unworthy of life’. They were murdered by the tens of thousands. The T4 Program proved the efficacy of gas chambers as implements of mass murder. Foremost among those murdered were those with Down Syndrome. The Girl, my thirteen year old daughter has Down Syndrome.

T4 was influenced by ‘eugenics’, a term coined by Sir Francis Galton in 1883, meaning ‘well born’. He theorized that humanity could be improved by encouraging the genetically fittest members of society to have more children. There was a simplistic logic to eugenics but, “despite its popularity, the eugenics movement was doomed from the start because most of the traits studied by eugenicists had little genetic basis. Among those characteristics targeted for elimination from the human population were such complex and subjectively defined traits as ‘criminality’, epilepsy, bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and ‘feeblemindedness’, a catchall term used to describe varying degrees of mental [illness] and learning disabilities. The possibility that environmental factors (such as poor housing, poor nutrition, and inadequate education) might influence the development of these traits was dismissed” (2) .

Neither these inherent problems at the heart of eugenics nor the horrors visited upon people with disabilities by T4 have completely undercut the eugenics movement. As influential a scientist as Sir Richard Dawkins, responding to a woman who said she would be faced with "a real ethical dilemma" if she became pregnant with a baby with Down Syndrome, tweeted: "abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice" (3) .

Which brings me to three stories reported in the broadcast and print media recently, which I do not wish to pass over without comment. The Guardian newspaper/website recounted a Royal Commission hearing being informed that when a mother in Australia was told in 2,000, “it’s highly likely your son has Down’s syndrome,” the doctor finally turned around and added, “so here’s your appointment for a termination”... “[He] gave me a piece of paper and walked out. Everybody else walked out ... And that was our introduction to it. And it set the whole tone for [her son] Joshy’s life. Because in that moment they completely disallowed his life. They said he wasn’t worth living.” The same Commission was told that 38% of deaths of those with a cognitive disability were from potentially avoidable causes, twice as likely as in the general population (4) . For those interested in similar horror stories, examples of carelessness, thoughtlessness, and unconscious bias, the Guardian link is well worth reading in full. Another mother concluded her evidence by citing an Australian ophthalmologist, John Colvin, who once said, “that more is missed in medicine by not seeing than not knowing.”

The second article I’d like to highlight is from The Times (5)

. Two mothers are behind a legal challenge over laws they believe discriminate against those with Down Syndrome, because they could be aborted at any time up to their births, while foetuses with no ‘serious disabilities’ are protected after 24 weeks. Lawyers acting for both families, backed by the campaign group Don’t Screen Us Out and the actress Sally Phillips, have written to Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, seeking a change in the 1967 Abortion Act to prevent terminations after 24 weeks for all non-fatal disabilities, including Down Syndrome. In 2018, nearly one in five abortions due to congenital anomalies (19%) were for suspected Down Syndrome. As a first step before seeking a judicial review of the 1967 law, the families have asked Hancock to amend the Act. They want abortions for non-fatal disabilities to be outlawed in the third trimester, which starts in week 28 of pregnancy.

There are about 200,000 abortions a year in England and Wales. In 2018, nine in ten were performed before thirteen weeks. They can be carried out after 24 weeks in certain circumstances, including if the mother’s life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability. These are relatively rare: there were 289 in 2018. One of the mums felt pressured to have an abortion just days before she gave birth to her son, Hector. “The nurse reminded me I could have a termination right up to 40 weeks if the baby had Down’s. I just said to her, ‘I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,’ but it did make me feel very anxious.” In the UK, about 750 babies a year are born with Down Syndrome. They have an extra copy of chromosome 21, leading to developmental difficulties ranging from mild to severe. Some are prone to complex health conditions.

Testing takes place after twelve weeks, at which point women are told how likely they are to have a child with Down Syndrome. They can also have a more accurate, but invasive, amniocentesis test, which carries a one-inone-hundred chance of miscarriage. Nine in ten families told a child has Down Syndrome end the pregnancy. In 2018, 3,269 abortions were to prevent a child from

termination and if this proposed policy became law it could mirror the situation in Iceland, where one hundred per cent of babies found pre-natally to have Down Syndrome are aborted.

Regular readers will understand that issues such as the above are very close to this family’s heart. We are proud to report on The Girl’s adventures and take great joy in her development as a person. I note though that she doesn’t get the social invitations that many of her typically-developing peers share and would ask anyone reading this to consider ways in which they – you, we all – can further integrate our community. One organisation trying to do just that is called Positive About Down Syndrome (PADS) and their link is attached (7)

. It is publishing a book that will “challenge perceptions, address outdated attitudes, bust myths and show the world the reality about having a child with Down Syndrome in modern Britain”. If anyone is affected by any of the issues I’ve written about in this article, please contact me via my Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/BeatingDownsBarriers/) or visit the Down Syndrome Association (8) .

To close, a typically sassy one-liner from The Girl: "I'm going to play on my computer and my mobile phone at the same time. It's a woman thing: multitasking!" And I shall sign-off with confirmation that our Girl has earned admission to the Welsh National Adaptive (disability) Judo squad. She is over the moon and I include a picture of her proudly holding her squad badge.

2 being born seriously disabled. Congenital malformations were reported as the reason in nearly half these cases. Down Syndrome was the most common chromosomal abnormality, accounting for 618 cases. Paul Conrathe, of Sinclairs Law, the firm acting for the families, said: “This case addresses a matter that is fundamentally discriminatory — that unborn babies with a disability, and in this case Down Syndrome, should be aborted up to birth. The current law attributes lesser value to people with disability.” Finally, it appears that New Zealand intends to change the law to allow abortions up to birth (6)

. Down Syndrome advocacy groups Don’t Screen Us Out and Saving Down Syndrome have spoken out against the Abortion Legislation Committee’s decision to lift the time limit on abortions for babies with disabilities from twenty weeks up to birth. The New Zealand government seems likely to ignore such concerns. The government’s proposed change to the law could also see New Zealand breach international disability rights obligations, as the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has consistently criticised countries that provide for abortion in a way which discriminates on the basis of disability. Already the majority of babies in New Zealand diagnosed with Down Syndrome are screened out by 1. https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-War-II-The-horrorof-war-in-pictures-2147312#ref1269520 2. https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/human-testingthe-eugenics-movement-and-irbs-724/ 3. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/aug/21/richarddawkins-apologises-downs-syndrome-tweet 4. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/21/ mum-i-want-to-go-home-parents-say-health-system-is-failingdisabled-children? CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&fbclid=IwAR1f3- N0vXvLv7N45bftUUp8e6- xvJ0ZtbWm65tAJ5lc8fJN9OebxUMFYGo 5. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/mothers-of-downschildren-fight-to-stop-late-terminations-td3s538jp? fbclid=IwAR3wIIb98zQgu8twOR1CS1tFJWmDImMd0lDX3qvc rKiifaNbVwMJPQMBxSE 6. https://dontscreenusout.org/press-release-nz-abortioncommittee-ignores-down-syndrome-community-concernsabout-lifting-time-limit-on-abortions-for-babies-with-disabilities -from-20-weeks-up-to-birth-and-breaking-jacinda-ardern/ 7. https://www.gofundme.com/f/pads-publication-for-new-amp -expectant-parents?pc=em_dn_postdonateshare_o&rcid=r01- 158048670145- 4785948aa5684f5d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=faceb ook&utm_campaign=p_email%2B5102-48hr-donorshare&fbclid=IwAR13j_e_GUS49-3dFs-Z-l0yps8HcHlU7imsQCuh8ljYp8du1RtXHJC3wM 8. https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/about/general/

celebrates 15th anniversary

• NEW area to celebrate The Great Outdoors and how we can make the most of nature • Bridgend-based Pheasant Acre Plants celebrated as 2020 Master Grower • NEW Giant Floral Marquee packed with show-stopping spring colour

The Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) Flower Show Cardiff will celebrate its 15 th

anniversary from 17-19 April 2020. Buzzing with a host of gardens, floral displays and interactive activities, the show will shine a spotlight on Visit Wales’ ‘Year of the Outdoors’ theme for 2020.

New for this year, The Great Outdoors area will be central to the show, designed in response to a growing public interest in reconnecting with nature. Championing the links between horticulture and wellbeing, the area will feature displays, workshops and advice to highlight how visitors can make the most of the great outdoors, from foraging and craft workshops, to mindfulness.

This year’s garden line-up includes, The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, who will walk visitors through what makes a garden wildlife-friendly with Step into a Wilder Future as theybuild on their successful Wilder Future campaign.

The Giving Nature a Home Partnership (RSPB; Cardiff County Council; Buglife) have teamed up with the Cardiff Rivers Group to create the Taff Bank Garden. By recreating a section of one of Cardiff’s major rivers the garden will serve as an interactive, educational resource linking to activities at the show aimed at helping people to understand how our actions influence the world around us.

For the first time at the show, instead of two Floral Marquees, over 40 of the UK’s finest nurseries will come together under one large structure. Among the newcomers will be Glendon Hall Nursery with a display of Epimediums and other spring shade plants, and family-run Todd’s Botanics. 2020 will also see Bridgend-based Pheasant Acre Plants chosen as

Master Grower, who will bring together a dazzling display of spring bulb plants including tulips, peonies, daffodils and erythroniums.

Following its success last year, the Floristry Tent will return, bigger and better than before. A packed line-up of live demonstrations will accompany displays from local florists and flower arrangers, many inspired by The Great Outdoors.

The popular Wheelbarrow Competition will help mark the show’s 15 th

anniversary, challenging local schools to create designs with a ‘Celebration’ theme. Other highlights include the Talks Theatre featuring talks and discussions from experts such as Matt Biggs, The Skinny Jean Gardener and Radio 2 gardening Guru Terry Walton. Plus, visitors will find an array of interactive and educational exhibits in the Discovery Marquee from exhibitors including National Museum Wales, Welsh Water, Neath College, National Vegetable Society, and the Japanese Garden Society.

Show Manager Rebecca Welti says: “It’s set to be a fantastic year for RHS Cardiff! The show has grown so much from the pop-up that we introduced in 2005 and 2020 is lining up to be the best yet! There is so much to see with plenty of hands-on activities and workshops for the whole family to get involved in. We are so proud to be part of the Welsh community and are hugely grateful for all the support we receive from businesses and organisations who help make this show so special.”

For more information or to buy advance tickets for the RHS Flower Show Cardiff visit : www.rhs.org.uk/cardiff

Rumney Physiotherapy Clinic

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5 nutrient deficiencies linked to mood imbalances

Many individuals deal with mood imbalances and this can be caused by lots of different things. Interestingly, research has shown how various nutrient deficiencies have been linked to mood imbalance! [i]

Why not boost your intake of these 5 and see how it affects your mood!

Vitamin D Vitamin D is crucial for various important functions in your body, including the proper absorption of phosphorus into your bloodstream. This is essential for your mental health as it facilitates cell repair and tissue growth in your brain and body, promotes the healthy development of your brain cells, and helps to maintain your memory and cognitive abilities. Low vitamin D has been linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or sadness and depression during the darker months of the year. Vitamin D deficiency can also lead to depression and panic disorder. [ii]

“You may be more affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder because of a lack of vitamin D, as it is thought of as the ‘sunshine vitamin’. Vitamin D receptors are present in your central nervous

system and vitamin D can affect neurotransmitters like serotonin, which are linked to depression,” explains the UK’s Leading Nutritionist and author of The Natural Health Bible For Women, Dr. Marilyn Glenville.

“We need exposure to sunlight within a specific UVB spectrum for the production of vitamin D through our skin and we struggle in the UK between October to March. If you can, get a liquid vitamin D3 and drop it under your tongue. It will go into the blood vessels under your tongue so it is absorbed quickly, rather than having to be digested if you take a capsule. I recommend NHP’s Vitamin D3 Support, free of preservatives, sweeteners and is suitable for pregnant women, children and adults.”

Vitamin B B vitamins convert food into fuel, helping your body to stay energized and to repair cell damage. They play a role in many areas of your health, including your immune function, digestion, circulation, hormonal health, sleep, nerves, and mood. [iii]

B vitamins are absolutely crucial for your mental health, reducing stress and preventing memory loss.

Opt for a high quality supplement like Natures Plus Source of Life Garden B Complex Capsules, with Organic Gold Standard Nutrients. This is the first certified organic supplement to provide a full array of essential, energizing B-Complex vitamins in convenient organic capsules. The eight B vitamins provide the nutrients that play important roles in providing our bodies with needed energy. Experience the difference that Nature's Plus Source of Life Garden delivers in this high-quality B-Complex!

Magnesium Magnesium is a powerful mineral for relaxation in the body. Magnesium deficiency can lead to stress, depression and anxiety. Since our soils have been depleted of magnesium, magnesium deficiency is common even among those who are eating a healthy and balanced diet. It’s even more prevalent among those consuming too much processed food, refined sugar, salt, alcohol, and coffee. [iv]

Why not increase the magnesium in your diet? Magnesium is known as nature’s tranquiliser and is an important mineral for supporting bone health, muscle relaxation and lowering blood pressure. Magnesium can be found in wholegrains, pumpkin seeds and soya. However, if you’re not a fan of these ingredients, consider supplementing magnesium instead. A great choice is Natures Plus KalmAssure Magnesium Capsules - free from artificial preservatives and are suitable for vegans

Zinc supports healthy brain function. It activates your central and peripheral nervous system and also plays an important role in neurotransmitter, enzymatic, and hormonal processes. Zinc deficiency has been linked to depression and anxiety, [v]

Foods that are high in zinc include meat, shellfish, legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy and dark chocolate. You can top up your zinc levels with a supplement like Natures Plus Zinc which are yeast free and suitable for vegetarians.

Omega 3’s An imbalance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids can create mood imbalances and mental health problems. Did you know that the human brain is 60 percent fat? Since your body cannot make essential fatty acids, you need to eat healthy fats to fuel your brain. If your diet is low in good quality fats such as Omega-3s, then your body can only make low-quality nerve cell membranes. If your diet is high in good fats, your brain can create high-quality nerve cells that support your brain function and mental health. Since Omega-3s enhance B cell activation and select antibody production, they are essential for lowering inflammation in your body. As a result, they can enhance your brain function and positive mood. Low Omega-3 has been associated with depression. [vi][vii][viii][ix]

If you're not a big fish eater why not supplement with a high quality choice like that from NHP Omega 3 Support, which is Rich in Omega 3 fatty acids with high levels of EPA and DHA.

[i] Kaplan, B.J., Crawford, S.G., Field, C.J. and Simpson, J.S.A., 2007. Vitamins, minerals, and mood. Psychological bulletin, 133(5), p.747. [ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908269/ [iii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23738221 [iv] https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ jn.1987.57.3.869 [v] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3868572/ [vi] https://jlb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1189/ jlb.0812394 [vii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC2738337/ [viii] https://lipidworld.biomedcentral.com/ articles/10.1186/1476-511X-3-25 [ix] https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/abs/10.1176/ appi.ajp.159.3.477

Lisa Pryce-Jones is a Hypnotherapist, Energy Healer and Counsellor who helps people to resolve their issues, to lead a more fulfilling life and work towards achieving their goals and aspirations.

Lisa was delighted to be voted in both 2018 and 2019 as the Best Holistic Treatment Award by Voice readers. The award reflects her dedication and passion to help people to overcome their issues and achieve their potential using a range of complementary therapies. With multiple demands in today’s busy world, life can easily become overwhelming which then impacts negativity upon health, relationships, work performance, home life balance etc. Lisa helps people to let go of past events or things which they cannot control and builds their resilience enabling them to gain more balance in their life in order to move towards achieving their goals.

International Women’s Day, which recognises and celebrates women’s achievements, takes place on 8 th March. Lisa’s reflections over the last 12 months and plans moving forward helping clients are as follows:

What was the best thing over the last 12 months for you and your business? I love being able to help people with Hypnotherapy and Healing. It works alongside conventional medical treatment and helps people to make significant changes on a physical, emotional, mental and spiritual level at the same time. I have helped people with a wide range of health conditions and it is so rewarding seeing and hearing about how they have been able to make such positive changes in their life as a result.

In 2019 I travelled to Japan fulfilling my dream of completing the Reiki Masters degree in Kyoto which is the traditional part of Japan. This has increased my healing ability even further and I am now also qualified to teach Reiki. During this time I stayed in a traditional Japanese inn (which are called Ryokan) where the rooms are very minimalist – the beds were made of bamboo mats, a low level table and chairs along with an ornamental garden.

In addition to my studies I climbed Kurama Mountain (the birthplace of Reiki), visited palaces along with many zen gardens and shrines. I also learned to write Japanese Reiki symbols in a calligraphy class, meditated with monks and bathed in the natural hot water springs. One of the many highlights included taking the bullet train toTokyo, passing the majestic Mount Fuji (the highest volcano in Japan) along the way, before reaching Tokyo where I visited the memorial of Dr Usui – the founder of Reiki. Overall an inspirational and indeed life changing journey.

What are you most looking forward to in 2020? I am really looking forward to helping even more people in 2020. I will be teaching Reiki and Hypnotherapy as well as continuing to work with people on a one to one basis. Also, I will be attending mind, body and spirit events in the area and I will continue to be a volunteer healer with Newport Holism Centre.

Why should people continue to use you? As a complementary and holistic therapist I am able to help people on a conscious, sub-conscious and spiritual level at the same time which enables most clients to make significant progress in a much shorter space of time compared with individual therapies or traditional talking therapies. I am an accredited therapist with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) which is the register which medical practitioners use to refer patients when looking for help using complementary therapies. Whilst I help clients with a range of issues I specialise in treating anxiety/stress and associated conditions (e.g. phobias, OCD, IBS, IBD) and changing habits (e.g. eating healthily, drinking less alcohol, stopping smoking/ gambling etc.). I ensure that customers have plenty of time at each therapy session to discuss issues and to have healing followed by hypnotherapy. Testimonials often describe me as being very warm, easy to talk too and an excellent listener.

So why not call Lisa to find out how Hypnotherapy and Healing could help you. You will be assured of a warm welcome, have plenty of time to discuss your issues and have a therapy plan devised to meet your personal needs. Invest in yourself now and make 2020 your year because you deserve it!