Gloria Hsu is an American wife and mom who grew up as a missionary kid in Taiwan, where she met her husband Clive at the school they attended. As young married adults the Hsus came back to the states, where Gloria became a nurse practitioner, but a few years ago, Gloria and her husband, who had 2 boys at the time, felt God calling them back to Taiwan, so in 2010, they went back to serve. Since then, Gloria has opened up a crisis pregnancy center there, which is almost unheard of. The abortion rate in Taiwan is very high there, as being unmarried with a child is still very socially unacceptable. Gloria says that many young Taiwanese women don’t even know what adoption IS, much less that it’s an option, so they work they do to support young women in a crisis pregnancy is extremely important.
Since arriving in Taiwan, the Hsus have had two more sons, including their youngest, Russell, who has Down syndrome. Recently, Gloria’s worlds as a special needs mom and as the pro-life leader of a pregnancy support center collided in a jarring way—and she posted about it on Facebook. When I read her post, it BROKE my heart. It’s easy to see why when you read her post below.
There are 65 kids at the special needs preschool Russell has started attending here in Taiwan. You know how many other children have Down Syndrome? NONE. Russell is the single only child with Down Syndrome at a special needs school. When I asked the teachers why, I knew in my heart what the answer was already from working at our crisis pregnancy center. But still…my heart when I hear the answer. “Because now that everyone can get tested while they are pregnant, all the babies with Down Syndrome are aborted.”
This is still the reality of our world, friends. While you and I and everyone that knows Russell or knows another child with Down Syndrome know that they are precious lives, just as all of our children are, the world still does not believe this in the depths of their hearts.
I am so thankful that we are in a country where Russell and his brothers are a light and a testimony to God’s view of His creation. I am so thankful that I get phone calls now from pregnant women who have just received a diagnosis of Down Syndrome that are terrified and are planning to abort, but are still brave and unsure enough to make the call. I am so thankful that we have met people who have changed their minds and bravely chosen life for their child with Down Syndrome in a culture that still largely sees it as a stigma and a burden.
There are no words that can adequately express what seeing a child with Down Syndrome does to my heart. Our hearts need to continue to be pried open to so many more people in the world. Not out of pity, or ministry, or reaching out, but because they are a beautiful gift to this world along with every single beautiful life created. It is to our detriment when we are raised in an environment where special needs is seen as different than or other. There is so much beauty to be found in the friendships of people who are completely different from one another. How can we truly do that when most of our friends are so much like us?
So thankful that my eyes have started to open to so much more of the world. I still have so far to go and look forward with anticipation to my heart expanding more along with others’.
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Just this week CBS News published an article about how Iceland is eliminating Down syndrome in their country with a 100% abortion rate for those diagnosed prenatally. (I wrote an article about this also, in February of this year.) Their tweet about the article, which said: “Iceland is on pace to virtually eliminate Down syndrome through abortion. #CBSNOA learns more, tonight at 10pm ET/PT” was harshly criticized for its wording by actress Patricia Heaton, who tweeted back “Iceland isn’t actually eliminating Down Syndrome. They’re just killing everybody that has it. Big difference.”
Heaton is NOT wrong, and those who think a life lived with Down syndrome isn’t worth living are—and tragically so. The people I know and love with Down syndrome are happy, healthy contributors to society. They are the joy of their family’s lives and they are a perfect example of the truth that life doesn’t have to be without struggle to be full and happy. Most importantly, they are made in the image of God and they are precious in HIS sight.
There are 65 kids in Russell’s special needs preschool, and he’s the ONLY one with Down syndrome, truthfully, because all of his peers have been aborted. Please share this post and spread the word that lives with Down syndrome are precious, worth living, and an essential part of our society! Down syndrome is not something to be CURED or ELIMINATED—people who are rocking that extra chromosome are to be CHERISHED.
