The VALUE of One Extra Chromosome

Trisomy Awareness Month is coming to an end. There are a lot of thoughts I wanted to share, but I don't get as much time to blog as I used to - which is a good thing! It means I am not in a hospital room somewhere, but living life with my family!


This video from a Trisomy 18 Angel Mom, Katie Weaver, says it all!  It is full of children with trisomy 18, 13, 9, and other similar variations. (Rebekah has a little video blurb at 4:18!)  Katie is also the one who created all of the awesome t-shirt designs on my Trisomy Awareness Month - Online Support post.

How I wish all of the doctors would watch this video! Too many of them consider these children incompatible with life because of an extra chromosome. They assume that these beautiful children will never be of value to society, and therefore can be tossed aside, refused medical care, or terminated before even given a chance.  Bearing them is considered a misfortune, and supporting their life is a burden to society.


The definition of value is relative worth, merit, or importance; or the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange. In today's society, we place value on a person based on how they look, how smart they are, how much money they make, how 'successful' they are, social status, popularity...   


But God has a different definition of value. Genesis 1:7 tells us that God created man in his own image. And Psalm 139 beautifully explains how God sees and knows us, how he created our inmost being, knitting us together in our mother's womb. Your see, God desires for ALL of us to create value in this world. He wants us to make the world just a little bit better than it was when we got here - and the "little bit better" that we create is our true value to the world. God places infinite value upon all people, no matter their race, gender, social status, economic situation, or (dare I say it?) genetic and health disorders!  Our length of time on earth also does not determine our value.  Jesus' ministry only lasted approximately 3.5 years - yet his life changed the course of history, affecting world religions, our calendar, and the lives of those who come to personally know him.


The children in this video (and those like them) add more value to the world than some of the world's most 'successful' people. They teach us unconditional love, they teach us an appreciation for all of the things we take for granted, they teach us about miracles and that scientists and doctors don't know everything and can't explain everything, they draw us closer to God and show us the real 'value' of life!  And the bottom line is, they are also created in the image of God.  If we love our God as we are commanded to do, we will also love those that He loves!

So I choose to see the value in every life, 

and to love those that He loves.