if you knew your unborn child had cf would you abort it

[JazzysMom]

I was a bit confused by Hermits story also, but thought it was me and figured it meant something to someone else.

<b>I dont mean to harp on things, but please keep the civil flow of this thread going. I was just bragging to Jeanne & she commended us on how such a hot topic is being handled so well.</b>

 

[rb1973]

I would not want my girlfriend to abort the pregnancy. My single mother had a choice to make thirty-four years ago and decided to not to abort me; instead she decided to put me up for adoption. No one knows how exactly cf will affect a life until that life begins and progresses. The cf may be devastating or it may be mild. I would feel just as guilty if the baby was born with a severe case of cf as I would not knowing, due to aborting the pregnancy, if the child would have had a mild case and would have been able to live a semi-normal life as I have. I do not regret having cf; I don't know life without it. If anything, it helps me keep life in perspective. I do not know who my biological mother is and I wish I could thank her for her decision to let me live.

Ron 33 w/cf

 

[rb1973]

I would not want my girlfriend to abort the pregnancy. My single mother had a choice to make thirty-four years ago and decided to not to abort me; instead she decided to put me up for adoption. No one knows how exactly cf will affect a life until that life begins and progresses. The cf may be devastating or it may be mild. I would feel just as guilty if the baby was born with a severe case of cf as I would not knowing, due to aborting the pregnancy, if the child would have had a mild case and would have been able to live a semi-normal life as I have. I do not regret having cf; I don't know life without it. If anything, it helps me keep life in perspective. I do not know who my biological mother is and I wish I could thank her for her decision to let me live.

Ron 33 w/cf

 

[rb1973]

I would not want my girlfriend to abort the pregnancy. My single mother had a choice to make thirty-four years ago and decided to not to abort me; instead she decided to put me up for adoption. No one knows how exactly cf will affect a life until that life begins and progresses. The cf may be devastating or it may be mild. I would feel just as guilty if the baby was born with a severe case of cf as I would not knowing, due to aborting the pregnancy, if the child would have had a mild case and would have been able to live a semi-normal life as I have. I do not regret having cf; I don't know life without it. If anything, it helps me keep life in perspective. I do not know who my biological mother is and I wish I could thank her for her decision to let me live.

Ron 33 w/cf

 

[Lilith]

I would abort, no question about it. Despite the fact that CF is different for everyone, I would not make the gamble that my child would be one of the lucky ones. I would not endanger the health of my baby based on the hope that things will be fine. I've spent too many nights throwing up/coughing/busting blood vessels/not being able to take a breath to ever think that I could put a child through that kind of hell. I don't care what you compare it to. CF is in its own playing field as far as diseases, and it is terminal. Not to mention the mental anguish involved. I couldn't condemn a child of my own to that. Not to mention cross contamination issues, and the fact that I would most likely not survive childbirth.

Besides, as littledebbie said, its foolish in my mind to bank on the fact that CFers born today have a better chance. They've been saying for years that they're on the brink of a cure, or at least EFFECTIVE new treatments. Neither one is here yet.

I take every precaution to keep myself from getting pregnant. But if it ever happens, I will abort the child. Rick is in full agreement, as is the rest of my family.

 

[Lilith]

I would abort, no question about it. Despite the fact that CF is different for everyone, I would not make the gamble that my child would be one of the lucky ones. I would not endanger the health of my baby based on the hope that things will be fine. I've spent too many nights throwing up/coughing/busting blood vessels/not being able to take a breath to ever think that I could put a child through that kind of hell. I don't care what you compare it to. CF is in its own playing field as far as diseases, and it is terminal. Not to mention the mental anguish involved. I couldn't condemn a child of my own to that. Not to mention cross contamination issues, and the fact that I would most likely not survive childbirth.

Besides, as littledebbie said, its foolish in my mind to bank on the fact that CFers born today have a better chance. They've been saying for years that they're on the brink of a cure, or at least EFFECTIVE new treatments. Neither one is here yet.

I take every precaution to keep myself from getting pregnant. But if it ever happens, I will abort the child. Rick is in full agreement, as is the rest of my family.

 

[Lilith]

I would abort, no question about it. Despite the fact that CF is different for everyone, I would not make the gamble that my child would be one of the lucky ones. I would not endanger the health of my baby based on the hope that things will be fine. I've spent too many nights throwing up/coughing/busting blood vessels/not being able to take a breath to ever think that I could put a child through that kind of hell. I don't care what you compare it to. CF is in its own playing field as far as diseases, and it is terminal. Not to mention the mental anguish involved. I couldn't condemn a child of my own to that. Not to mention cross contamination issues, and the fact that I would most likely not survive childbirth.

Besides, as littledebbie said, its foolish in my mind to bank on the fact that CFers born today have a better chance. They've been saying for years that they're on the brink of a cure, or at least EFFECTIVE new treatments. Neither one is here yet.

I take every precaution to keep myself from getting pregnant. But if it ever happens, I will abort the child. Rick is in full agreement, as is the rest of my family.

 

[barbiedoll1963]

I just watched my 20 year old daughter take her last breath I would never think of putting another child through the pain she went through.

 

[barbiedoll1963]

I just watched my 20 year old daughter take her last breath I would never think of putting another child through the pain she went through.

 

[barbiedoll1963]

I just watched my 20 year old daughter take her last breath I would never think of putting another child through the pain she went through.

 

[batteredNfried]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>barbiedoll1963</b></i>

I just watched my 20 year old daughter take her last breath I would never think of putting another child through the pain she went through.</end quote></div>

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

 

[batteredNfried]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>barbiedoll1963</b></i>

I just watched my 20 year old daughter take her last breath I would never think of putting another child through the pain she went through.</end quote></div>

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

 

[batteredNfried]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>barbiedoll1963</b></i>

I just watched my 20 year old daughter take her last breath I would never think of putting another child through the pain she went through.</end quote></div>

I'm so very sorry for your loss. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.

 

[Bumblebee]

yes, absolutely. Even though i am relatively well, still, YES.
3 months ago a friend of mine died waiting for a transplant. She was 16. She'd struggled all her life. Can't take the chance you'd be like me and be healthy.
If i can, i'd adopt. (i wouldn't even want to pass on carrier status to the child, perpetuating this disease)
xxxx

 

[Bumblebee]

yes, absolutely. Even though i am relatively well, still, YES.
3 months ago a friend of mine died waiting for a transplant. She was 16. She'd struggled all her life. Can't take the chance you'd be like me and be healthy.
If i can, i'd adopt. (i wouldn't even want to pass on carrier status to the child, perpetuating this disease)
xxxx

 

[Bumblebee]

yes, absolutely. Even though i am relatively well, still, YES.
3 months ago a friend of mine died waiting for a transplant. She was 16. She'd struggled all her life. Can't take the chance you'd be like me and be healthy.
If i can, i'd adopt. (i wouldn't even want to pass on carrier status to the child, perpetuating this disease)
xxxx

 

[Ricky123]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>Allie</b></i>

I'm of the dissenters who would abort, for several reasons. I saw how Ry suffered in the last year of his life, and I would never put anyone through that. I saw how his parents suffered in knowing they had given him the disease that was killing him. And like Kevin, I think it makes a counterproductive statement, CF is bad enough that we need a cure now, and yet it's okay to have more kids with it because it's 'not so bad'? That last statement applies more to chancing more kids, rather than truly not knowing you were both carriers, but I believe it could apply here.</end quote></div>
well said i totally agree with you

 

[Ricky123]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>Allie</b></i>

I'm of the dissenters who would abort, for several reasons. I saw how Ry suffered in the last year of his life, and I would never put anyone through that. I saw how his parents suffered in knowing they had given him the disease that was killing him. And like Kevin, I think it makes a counterproductive statement, CF is bad enough that we need a cure now, and yet it's okay to have more kids with it because it's 'not so bad'? That last statement applies more to chancing more kids, rather than truly not knowing you were both carriers, but I believe it could apply here.</end quote></div>
well said i totally agree with you

 

[Ricky123]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>Allie</b></i>

I'm of the dissenters who would abort, for several reasons. I saw how Ry suffered in the last year of his life, and I would never put anyone through that. I saw how his parents suffered in knowing they had given him the disease that was killing him. And like Kevin, I think it makes a counterproductive statement, CF is bad enough that we need a cure now, and yet it's okay to have more kids with it because it's 'not so bad'? That last statement applies more to chancing more kids, rather than truly not knowing you were both carriers, but I believe it could apply here.</end quote></div>
well said i totally agree with you

 

[Nixe]

I see two separate questions here, one being the more general "should people bring kids with cf into the world?" and "as a person with CF would you have a kid with cf?" It's the second one that I find more complicated.

I don't regret being born, nor do I regret being born with cf. I don't think that a kid with cf would have such terrible quality of life that they'd be better off not being born. There are much worse fates.

But if I found someone with whom I wanted to have children, and then I found out that he was a carrier, would I take the risk? On one hand I always think, who better than a CFer to have a kid with it, at least we kind of know what they're going through. But on the other hand, I hestitate because a kid with CF needs parents who can be there for him/her, and I worry that when my health is failing I will not be able to give that child or young adult all the care they deserve. This is NOT to say that I think kids w/o cf are perfectly self-sufficient and that if their mom is off dying, no biggie, they can take care of themselves. That's certainly not the case; I just think that if I couldn't be there for a kid with cf it would be a bigger failure.

Anyway, there are no easy answers, and I respect the people in this thread who've had the guts to be honest.