Gov. Sarah Palin discusses son Trig's Down syndrome diagnosis

Celebrity Baby Blog ^ | May 3rd, 2008

[ncfool]

You need to come to the office so we can talk about it." With those words, Alaska governor Sarah Palin knew that her fifth child would be somehow different from her previous four. Steeling herself, the 44-year-old asked to be told over the phone that day in December, when she was four months along. The diagnosis? Down syndrome.

I've never had problems with my other pregnancies, so I was shocked. It took a while to open up the book that the doctor gave me about children with Down syndrome, and a while to log on to the website and start reading facts about the situation.

[My husband Todd said,] we shouldn't be asking 'Why us?' We should be saying 'Well, why not us?' We've both been very vocal about being pro life. We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential. I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection. Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?

Sarah and Todd Palin welcomed son Trig Paxson Van on April 18th. He is now two weeks old and joins siblings Track, 18, Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7

[ncfool]

Why trolling over at DU http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6812229 to see what the Commies were thinking about McCain's VP pick, I came accross this thread regarding Sarah Palin and he down's syndrome baby. I think that the DU folks and the Abortion folks will have a meltdown on McCain's pick.

[ncfool]

DU Link.... (not that you want to troll there!)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6812229

[DemonDeac]

Is it a good thing to have a mother of a child who needs so much attention occupying a job as time consuming and stressful as VP, or heaven forbid something happen to McCain, president? Doesn’t seem to be the best thing for the child. But I guess thats me as a traditional family type.

[estrogen]

Would you say the same thing about a man candidate that had a Down’s Syndrome child? I think she’s doing just fine !!

[tessalu]

My sister in law was pregnant with a Downs syndrome child, and she refused to abort it, and after it was born, the doctor asked if she wanted to refuse to give it medication.
She chose to medicate the child, and the years have now passed and that child is a grown man. My sister in law became completely blind. Guess who was with her when she went into the city and needed help avoiding traffic? Her Down’s syndrome child guided her everywhere.

[Kevmo]

Palin’s child adds gravitas to the Beauty & the Beast ticket.

[Sacajaweau]

I love the name of her kids.

Hubby is an eskimo.

Mother and baby...It's all about the love. Daddy will have to help out a little bit more and there are siblings. They'll do fine. She believes in ALL the things she does.

My cousin has a child (girl) with downs....Man, her other kids (3 boys)...they love her to death...I'd almost say she's spoiled. They don't think or care if their sister has a problem. They just plain "love her".

[itsthejourney]

Imagine the criticism from the alphabets when they snaps pics of him crawling around under her desk... oops, the last time that happened the world lapped it up.

[TxAg1981]

To all feminists:
Sarah Palin does it all! Mother, hockey mom, state executive. For all the women who feel that they can "have it all", this woman should be an inspiration.
Instead, at the DU, they are "concerned" about the care that she can give to her Downs baby. They are so hollow.
Thanks John. You made an outstanding pick.

[heartwood]

Daddy Todd Palin is going to have to be primary caretaker even more now. My cousin and her husband have five children, one with DS, and he is a stay at home father.

[JFC]

I think she is awesome and the thought of DU or other lib groups giving her a hard time for keeping her baby just shows how nuts they are. Sarah you are pulling at the heartstrings of many millions of us moms. Bless you and your family.

[Clemenza]

Its just a damn shame she named her son after a horse. The kid has enough problems already!

[ncfool]

Here is a post from another site regarding keeping the baby...

There's one thing you can say for her... She walked the pro-life line. I read 96% of babies diagnosed prenatally to have Down's are aborted.It's nice to see someone from the other 4%. We have 11 kids and I have never had an amnio(I was 40 when I had my baby last year)I have always declined the test, with the risk of miscarriage, and I would never terminate even so.Whatever God chooses to give us, we keep! :)God bless the Palin family.

[FrdmLvr]

What a beautiful story.

[Luke21]

McCain has trumped them. They want only the right kind of woman, a feminist nag with large teeth, wearing a crusty pantsuit.

Just like they never like any of our black guys either. They are going to have big trouble with this particular woman, and the press is going to have to hide her or try to turn her into Dan Quayle.

[proudofthesouth]

God bless your SIL and your nephew!

[Defiant]

The contrast with Obama the infanticide supporter and Biden the gun grabber will make the choices stark this November.

[ZULU]

“..the doctor asked if she wanted to refuse to give it medication.”

That’s pretty chilling. I can see the future:

“Mrs. Jones, you have a daughter, I know you expected a son. Should we withhold medication?”

This whole abortion thing gets creepier and creepier the longer you look at it.

The abortion issue is like Slavery. Either you are for it or against it.

[Carlucci]

Inspiring! Thanks for sharing that.

[HighlyOpinionated]

Give it a break and go take a time-out. Good grief. The woman went back to work three days after her Down child was born. Where were you THEN to complain???

It's obvious that she CAN handle all this, she has five children. How many do you have and are you the Mama or the Papa? She speaks VOLUMES to Pro-Life, Women, Educated Women, Families with children, Families with a child in Iraq, Hunters, Fishers, Snowmobilers, Ice Hockey Fans, Marathoners, Moose and other wild game eaters, and people who just like to see someone pretty running for Federal Office.

So, all you whiners, go stand in the corner and think about why you're so emotional about Palin as McCain's choice for Vice Prez.

Happy Birthday John McCain and Happy Anniversary, Sarah (and Todd) Palin!!!