Just Pondering....

As many of you know, this October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month. While Madison is closing in on two years, I never gave much thought to how the world in general views these wonderful children that are born with this affliction. Madison is just so much like any other child, its hard to imagine that someone else could look at her (or any of those on the SB kids blog) and say "I wouldn't want a child like that." It is ultimately heartbreaking.

I never thought about the upwards of 50% of these children that are aborted after their parents find out about their SB. It saddens me beyond measure that families would discard a person simply because of some challenges. Most wouldn't consider it if their baby was born premature, they would fight for that baby like nothing else. Prematurity can cause as many or more long term issues as SB. If their newborn baby were diagnosed with cancer, would they just let them die? If their 10 year old were in a car accident and ended up in a wheelchair, would they wish they hadn't had them? Some would say these are extreme comparisons, but not in my mind. I have a child that was diagnosed when she was 17 weeks old. Not before she was a child. Just before she was born.

I don't regret for a moment having her, and I know she has blessed our family in more ways than I can even notice on a daily basis. She also blesses everyone we meet. She is beautiful and funny and smart. She lights up the room with her smile and her laughter. She is also very loud! You cannot ignore her. :)

I have seven children, and Madison is the youngest. I have grown up with a fear of having a special needs child. I always worried that God knew I had a weakness there, and would give me a baby like Madison. I can't say how thankful I am that He did.