Would you adopt a child with Down Syndrome?

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

I absolutely would not, nor would I have a child with DS if determined through prenatal testing. BUT I 100% respect other people having different feelings and I honestly admire you and your family for wanting to do this. You sound like an amazing person. I'm just a fan of "know yourself, know your limits" so although this would be a no for me, it could be a great choice for you. Good luck, OP!

[Anonymous]

Can't tell you how to respond, but my friend has a DS daughter who is a beautiful blessing. It might help to read about other families' experiences, so here is her blog if you're interested: www.eyeslikesapphires.com

[Anonymous]

any update OP?

And to answer your question, I honestly dont know. At this point, probably not because we have two kids with different special needs and are tapped out. But if I were in your shoes? well, I dont know enough about children with Down Syndrome, or the lives of their families, to know whether it would be right for us. I would want to do some serious thinking and exploration before deciding either way. I don't think you can ever really know what it is going to be like to parent any child, of course, but I know that I probably have a lot of misinformation and/or assumptions so it would be important to me to just spend some time with children with DS and their families.

[Anonymous]

I personally would not, but you need to do a TON of thinking and researching--including spending time around people with Down Syndrome--before making your decision.

You need to know the range of likely issues this child will be dealing with. For example, people with Down Syndrome are virtually guaranteed to develop Alzheimer's. Are you prepared to deal with that?

[Anonymous]

I can't say 100% no, because I am not in that spot, but my friend has a son with DS. He has had multiple heart surgeries and was recently diagnosed with a cancer that is common in individual with DS. Before her I didn't realize the depth of medical issues that can be associated with the diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Due to years of unresolved secondary infertility we have decided to adopt our second child. We completed a home study and have been waiting for 2 years already. A newborn child has become available who has Down Syndrome. We do not know much about this child yet other than he/she has been meeting his/her developmental milestones on time so far (he/she is 3 months old).

I have a biological son, age 5. I work part-time and we have excellent health insurance and my husband's job is long-term and guaranteed.

What would you do?

OP - no. This child will need life long care for 50+ years. I'm in this situation now and it destroyed my mother's side of the family. None of her siblings has any interest or ability in taking on care of her brother with DS. They all resent how he absorbed everything as they grew up and the expectation/burden that they would someday become his caregivers. His mother has died and its up to the grandkids to figure out what to do. It has not been enjoyable taking in a 50+ year old man who is developmentally capable at a 10 year old level which is high functioning but still requires care as if he was an early elementary school child. I am constantly pursuing social security, medicare, state programs and any angle to provide for his medical care which becomes complicated as people with DS age. Its draining but the alternative is that he lives in a group home which is also not pleasant. Please don't put your son in this position because you want to be heroic.