When I was pregnant with my third child at 36, my obstetrician asked if I wanted an ammiocentesis. I firmly said no. But as soon as she said, “If your baby is Down, would you keep it?” I hesitated and stammered a “yes”. Why wasn’t my reply a spontaneous “no”? Could it be that I wasn’t really 100 per cent sure I would keep my baby? Or was I reacting to her referral of my baby as “it”?

I drove home after my visit in deep thought. I knew deep down, I would keep and raise my baby (and no, baby was not an “it”) regardless. Despite that conviction, I still had a wee fear and some anxiety about a possibility. Later that day, I shared my anxiety with my husband. Not only did he assure me of his commitment to his role as a parent, he reminded me to stay positive. I am fortunate to have partner like him. Perhaps the woman who gave birth to blind girl some years ago in South Korea wasn’t as lucky. Maybe her predicament was beyond her competence. She gave up. She gave her baby up at birth. Five years on, today, that little girl is the pride and joy of another woman. A courageous woman whose love is truly unconditional. To raise one own offspring who has special needs requires tenacity (and a host of other attributes) but to adopt and accept a child who has a disability, to me, is a notch up the parenthood scale (ha, as if there is one in existence - but I am sure you know what I mean). Dare I even suggest, it is another possible path that leads to sainthood?

I would like to share with you this beautiful story of a five-year old Korean girl and her mother. I have watched this video many times and each time, it always tug at my heart strings and get those tear ducts working without fail!