Disability - And The Right To Life

kuf'fdr*

In Britainabortionis legalup to birthwherethe baby has a disability.rrrA law likethatgoescompletely against our normalapproachto disability rights.lf societydecides to end the livesof disabledunbornchildren,it undermines all disabledpeople'srightto equalrespect.

A trulylife-affirming societyworkstowardsgivingall necessarysupportsto familiesof disabledchildren.

In Liverpool, one suchservice,run by the LifeHealth providingpalliative is Zoe's Place,an organisation Centre, careto babieswith multiplespecialneeds.lt provides supportto familiesin relievingsomeof the stresses a n ds t r a i n s .

Sometimesabortionis proposed,eventakenfor granted,as the 'solution'tothe mostdifficultsituations.

But the signof a genuinelyinclusivesocietyis one that welcomesall humanlife,bornand unborn. unconditionally

andlivedfor slightly more Oliverwasbornwithanencephaly ln 2001,Benedict haswrittenmovingly aboutthefamily's Theresa, experience. than24 hours.Hismother,

"l don'tthink I can possiblytell you how beautiful Benedictwas...or how much I wish those hourswere 'frozenin time. Benedicthad lotsof visitors.He met his brotherand sisterand both sets of grandparents.

You may be wonderingat me referringto my son as 'beautiful' and 'perfect'whenhe had anencephaly, but he was beautifuland perfectand everyothercute you couldthinkof... I miss him so baby description much,but I wouldn'ttrade his lifefor anything.And while this has been the most painfulexperienceI've ever had to endure,it has probablybeenthe most beautifulas well. Benedictspenthis whole life in the arms of people who lovedhim - who couldask for a betterlife?"

This leaflet has been co-sponsoredby the Second Look Project

ProLifeCampaign, StreetUpper,Dublin1.

34 Gardiner Fil: 01-8748094 Tel:01-8748090 prolile@indigo.ie Email:

"lf wewishto valuedifference wemustvaluealldifference andnotjustthatwhichmight closelyresemble ourown standards of lifeandliving."

Marie Claire Darke,writingon abortionand disabilityin SwinmingAgainstthe Tide:FeministDissenton fhelssueof Abortion(1997).

1.HumanFeftilisation Act(1990). andEmbryology