Top 10 Reasons for Hope - 2011

Rick Santorum at The Gift of Life Premiere

Christmas Blessings, 2011

Discrimination begins in the womb

My friend Gerry Nadal is confounded.

The man isn't confused often; he's a PhD in Microbiology, and is one of those rare people who makes full use of both hemispheres of his brain, he's as eloquent and insightful about historical perspective as he is brilliant about microbiology. So when Gerry is perplexed, its for a darn good reason. He, like me is absolutely flummoxed that the NAACP is opposed to the Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2011, Why would the NAACP among other so-called civil rights organizations, oppose a bill which would make it illegal to discriminate against unborn babies on the basis of sex or race?


He elaborates here;



"The Bill in question will make it illegal to target babies for abortion based on gender or race, and admittedly raises a problem for Planned Parenthood. Under the Bill, abortionists can be imprisoned for not determining if the race or gender of the baby was a determinative factor in aborting.

In practical terms, it’s doubtful that at the individual level this would affect many African American abortions, as the mothers aren’t aborting because of their child’s race. It does, however, have implications at the macro-level when an organization such as Planned Parenthood operates 78% of their centers in inner-city neighborhoods.

That said, why would any civil rights organization (and there are 45 others opposed to this Bill, including the National Council of Jewish Women) object to the Bill’s language or intent? Supposedly, the opposition is to the names of the two great leaders on the Bill, and therein resides a hornets nest of gender and racial politics, of political correctness. So, let’s lance the boil."

So, its the name is it? Those organizations can't state their true objective, undying allegiance to abortion as a way of life, so they have to find some detail to focus upon. But wait, what about this bill is incongruous to the legacy of tolerance and justice for which we honor Susan B Anthony(click here to see her pro-life views) and Frederick Douglass?



“The truth of the matter is that Douglas and Anthony belong to all of us, including those of us who fight in the modern abolitionist movement.”

As the mother of a child from another group targeted for abortion; those with Down syndrome, I rejoiced when I heard of this legislation. I thought, ‘if we can protect unborn babies from racial and sexual discrimination, maybe, just maybe we can protect them from genetic discrimination.’

I love all the races and both genders which God created. I love the genetic diversity displayed in the almond eyes of my daughter, no less a gift from His Hand than any other child.

We need to see that a love for diversity cannot be artificially begun at birth, it must begins when life begins, at fertilization!

Read Dr Nadal's riveting post on his blog Coming Home.

Think twice about dropping your donation into that Salvation Army kettle!

As a social worker in the eighties, I worked extensively with the Salvation Army, so I had a positive image of their good works, and regularly donated to their kettle campaign each Christmas. This all changed this week when Anita Crane, a reporter for World Net Daily sent me the Salvation Army's policy on abortion. It has loopholes which are unacceptable, too many babies fall through.

"The Salvation Army believes in the sanctity of human life. Humankind was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). All people – without exception – are of value to him, holding a special place in his creation (Psalm 8:5), irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, health or social status, or their potential for achievement."
But it also states, "A serious commitment to the protection and care of the unborn calls us to a commitment to the prevention of unwanted pregnancy through means such as access to reliable birth control, safety in relationships, and societal respect of women."
Specifically, it says the Salvation Army "believes that termination [abortion] can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

My reaction is contained within the article, but here is the long version:




As a peer minister to women facing a pre-natal diagnosis of Down syndrome, I have heard the horror stories of what the doctors tell women in order to convince them to abort their child. They are told their child will do nothing to help himself, will only live to 10 years of age, will be miserable, will make their siblings miserable, will never be able to tie her shoes, read, graduate high school, and ruin her parents' marriage. This information is patently false.

The truth is marriages last longer when a couple has a child with Down syndrome,according to this Vanderbuilt University Study, and more are graduating high school and college every day, thanks to inclusive education. No one can say how long a child will live based on information gathered pre-natally or what their IQ will be, and Dr Brian Skotko has just published the results of a survey in the American Journal of Medical Genetics saying how happy families who have a member with Down syndrome are.

I shared this in my article for the National Catholic Register;
“We mailed surveys to families around the country, and 3,150 mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and people with Down syndrome responded. Here is just a sample of what we found:
• 99% of people with Down syndrome said they were happy with their lives;
• 97% of people with Down syndrome liked who they are;
• 99% of parents said they love their child with Down syndrome;
• 5% of parents felt embarrassed by their child;
• 97% of brothers/sisters, ages 9-11, said they love their sibling.”
Now, some would interpret Down syndrome in the definition given by the Salvation Army policy statement as "a foetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period."

Some babies with Down syndrome do not live long. Some live for decades, outliving their parents.

Take another 'abnormality' trisomy 18. Most babies with t18 don't live to birth, that is true, but there are exceptions. Tell that to Rick Santorum whose three year old Bella Maria is still with us, and Mary Kellett of Pre-natal Partners for Life whose son Peter was a blessing to his family and the world till his recent death at 6 and 1/2 years.

So, if Salvation Army says abortion is OK for babies with abnormalities, most women facing such a diagnosis will be told by their health care professional that that includes them.

It is beneath the dignity of a Christian organization to allow innocent unborn children to be killed. It is beneath the God-given dignity of the babies to be told their lives can be cut short because their mother was raped (the other exception) or they are not perfect enough. If God only gives them life while in their mother's womb, who are we to cut it even shorter?

It is the position of KIDS Keep Infants with Down Syndrome that possessing an abnormal prenatal diagnosis does NOT lower the God-given dignity of a baby. We believe that all human life is sacred from conception till natural death, and if, in the tragic circumstance that a baby is destined to live only the briefest of times, only within a mother's womb or a few brief moments or days afterward, that we must give that child the full span of life and not end her life by abortion.

There is always the possibility of an incorrect diagnosis, so we must always decide on the side of life, and trust God with the life of our beloved child.

The Salvation Army should re-consider their position on this critical issue, as it is not consistent with a pro-life stance.
Let them live, Salvation Army. Let the babies live.

Support their moms if they feel that they can't do it alone, and give them hope for their child's future, if not here on earth, forever in eternity.
That is what we celebrate with the birth of the Christ Child, the birth of the giver of Eternal Life.

Send Salvation Army a message that you will not be donating until they revoke the loopholes in their abortion policy using this contact information:

Commissioner M. Christine MacMillan
The Salvation Army
International Social Justice Commission221 East 52nd Street
New York, NY 10022, USA
Phone: (212) 758-0763Email: IHQ-ISJC@salvationarmy.org


Read the entire article here.

Bishop Tobin lights a CHRISTMAS TREE in Providence

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.)-Father James Ruggeri, Pastor of St. Patrick’s Parish, 244 Smith Street, today announced that the parish -in conjunction with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence- will host a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Prayer Service on Tuesday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m.

The event was scheduled to provide those Rhode Islanders who wish to maintain the celebration of Christmas rather than secularize the season with the ‘holiday’ label.

St. Patrick’s Church sponsors ‘MaryHouse,’ a parish ministry that operates a soup kitchen and food pantry that is open year-round responding to those in the greatest of need throughout the community. The parish also sponsors a unique Catholic high school that serves those who would not otherwise have the opportunity of a Catholic secondary education due to affordability. Through the school and ‘MaryHouse,’ the parish and volunteers of St. Patrick make a real difference for struggling Rhode Islanders each and every day.

A choir will provide music then following a brief prayer service led by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin and Father Ruggeri, two children of the parish will light the Christmas tree.

“Echoing Bishop Tobin, the decision to avoid the word Christmas at the State House is sad and unfortunate in a state that is overwhelmingly Christian,” said Father James Ruggeri. “St. Patrick’s Parish is pleased to extend an invitation to anyone who is seeking a deeper understanding of the Advent and Christmas season to join us for the Christmas tree lighting.”

“Governor Chafee’s decision to avoid the word Christmas at the State House ceremony is most disheartening and divisive,” said Bishop Tobin last night in a statement. “It is sad that such a secular spirit has swept over our state. The Governor’s decision ignores long held American traditions and is an affront to the faith of many citizens. For the sake of peace and harmony in our state at this special time of the year, I respectfully encourage the Governor to reconsider his decision to use the word Christmas in the state observance.”

All Rhode Islanders are welcome to attend this community event.

from the Rhode Island Catholic


This Connecticut person just may bring her family to this event to support this valiant bishop!

Obama considering forcing Catholic institutions to pay for abortions

I'll be speaking at the Museum of Motherhood in Manhattan on Monday Dec 5

My talk is "Towards a New Paradigm of Perfection" at 10:30 and I will be challenging my audience to consider how our paradigms of perfection often exclude people and reject their gifts. I did when my in-laws, country fold from El Salvador came to share my home and I was soon to find, by their bonding with my genetically diverse daughter Christina, that we often miss the contributions of others but rejecting them.


www.MOMmuseum.org
Museum Of Motherhood
Celebrating The Multicultural Family

WHAT: Day Conference & Luncheon. Multicultural Mothers: The Many Hats We Wear

WHEN: Monday, December 5, 2011, 9AM-4:30 PM

WHERE: 401 East 84th St. (@1st Ave), lower level, New York, New York

INFO: Available Online: www.MOMmuseum.org

WHO: The Museum Of Motherhood (M.O.M.) is a living, breathing, community-centered arts, media and social change museum focused on amplifying the voices and experiences of mothers, and connecting 'the cultural family' while pioneering new areas of academe in†mother studies.†We are the first and only facility of this kind
FEATURING: Global Organizations, Experts and Multicultural Voices: Tanya Fields, Executive Director, The Blk Projek, Rachel Ishofsky, Jewish Heart For Africa, Presentation Panel on Aid for Aids International, Keynote with Dr. Phyllis Chesler, signing anniversary edition of her book, Mothers On Trial, two short films on global motherhood with Elizabeth Mangum, Birth Focus on Nomadic Motherhood and The White Ribbon Alliance on Maternal Health Care, Saving Mothers.org, as well as museum tours, Cynthia Odell, Afya & Leticia Velasquez on adopting new paradigms.
WHY: When we say mothers wear many hats it is more than just a turn of the phrase or a fashion statement. Within a given family, multiple cultures often exist simultaneously, making the family structure a melting pot for ideas, traditions, folklore and more. As we acknowledge a multicultural world with global perspectives, so too our twenty first century homes and communities have become microcosms of this phenomenon, making creative, tolerant perspectives an imperative when it comes to keeping old traditions alive and cultural information available to the next generation.  Now, more than ever, institutions and communities must work to preserve folk knowledge and family cultural traditions paving the way to a collective archive, such as the one emerging within the Museum Of Motherhood, for the sake of collecting, organizing, preserving and sharing matriarchal values, sister traditions, patriarchy as it relates to family structure, birth practices and so much more, so that we may examine these links from the past, to understand ourselves and best transform our future.
TICKETS:  Suggested donation $55 in Advance by ordering online, and $74 at the door.

SPONSORS: Food Emporium, Realityworks" infant simulators & pregnancy vests, Mustela™, YWCA, Gymboree, Working Mother Magazine, Mamapalooza, Motherhood Foundation Inc., Minnesota State U. PRESS: The New York Post, NY Times, Our Town, San Francisco Chronicle, Brightside Global Trade Journal (BMSI USA Publication).

The face of pro-life

Nicole Taylor Peck of "Silent No More" addresses a pro-life rally 

I got a kick out of the image the mainstream media has of the average March for Life attendee. They think that we are all Nellie Gray's age, senior citizens who are tottering up Capitol Hill on our last legs. They actually think the March route was shortened because we couldn't make the longer route which stretched down Constitution Ave.
But a brave Washington Post reporter ventured outside the office to actually view the March one year, being the sole representative of the Main Stream Media to do so, and was stunned. What he saw was wave after wave of vibrant, enthusiastic young people. Hundreds of thousands, in an endless sea of youthful dynamism. And the stereotype was shattered.
This article proves that the Washington Post knows that the Times they are a changin'. It describes the sweet Southern belle Marjorie Dannenelser of the Susan B Anthony List, the lovely Charmaine Yoest of Americans United for Life, and that human dynamo Kristen Hawkins of Students for Life.
I have experienced the youthful moms who are the movers and shakers of the pro-life movement in the Beltway. I spent an exhausting twenty four hours following Kristen, mother to a special needs son, and expecting her second child, in stiletto heels, and business suit, navigating the halls of Congress while calling familiar names to see where we could be most effectively placed to have the biggest impact. We attended a pro-life meeting in the Capitol Building, where Marjorie Dannelfelser advised members of Congress about upcoming pro-life initiatives in her gentle drawl, and I have been to Blogs for Life where Charmaine Yoest, surrounded by her teenagers addressed the movers and shakers of the pro-life movement. These high powered career ladies are proud mothers who are running the pro-life movement and changing the old stereotypes. And they have experienced unprecedented success.

Recent news stories about the new vitality of the antiabortion movement and its legislative achievements — more than a dozen states enacting record numbers of abortion restrictions this year — have glossed over one crucial fact. The most visible, entrepreneurial and passionate advocates for the rights of the unborn (as they would put it) are women. More to the point: They are youngish Christian working mothers with children at home.

So, the pro-lifers are no  longer stuffy old white men, and prudish older women. They are hip, young and effective. And they know how to use the media, like the doe-eyed college kid, Lila Rose who single-handedly put Planned Parenthood on notice that the era of the government gravy train to fund America's largest abortion business is about to end.
The ladies are soft spoken, but they mean business. And the other side is scared.
They should be. They are going to have to fight tooth and nail to keep abortion on demand legal, regardless of who is president.

My book is available at the WestBow Press bookstore

                                         You can go here to order it directly from WestBow Press.

Michael Coren - The Arena - Mark Steyn & Ann Coulter

Listen to his brilliant analysis of society and his outstanding guests, and bemoan with me the fact that Michael Coren is not on US television. He's on in Canada, and next Friday he'll be interviewing me for his show about "A Special Mother is Born". If I can get a video of the show, I'll be posting it.

National Down Syndrome Society asks that we write to Sequenom about MaterniT21

A request from the National Down Syndrome Society, who asks that we write an email to Sequnom the makers of MaterniT21 the new prenatal screening test which we fear may decimate the Down syndrome population of 400,000 in the US.

Read about it in my article.

Jon Coleman the Director of NDSS says,

Please urge Sequenom to meet all NDSS criteria for prenatal test companies. To see the NDSS Criteria to Evaluate Companies with Non-Invasive Prenatal Diagnostic Tests for Down Syndrome click here.

     

Click here to download the customizable letter and email it to info@scmmlab.com. 

Bishop Lori defends religious liberty in front of Congress

Yesterday, Bridgeport Bishop William C. Lori testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the subject of religious freedom. He is the Chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) new "Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty."

Catholic League president Bill Donohue issued the following remarks today:

USCCB president Archbishop Timothy Dolan made an excellent choice when he selected Bishop Lori for this post. The Bridgeport bishop did not disappoint us yesterday. Indeed, he laid out, in exacting detail, the threats to religious liberty that exist today.

What is most disturbing about the nature of today's threats is that most stem from government, with the Obama administration leading the way. This is a condition that cannot be tolerated at any level of government, but it is particularly alarming when the federal government amasses its resources against the First Amendment. Because of its wide network of social agencies, the Catholic Church is feeling the pressure more than other religions, making this a critical issue for Catholics across the nation.

To read Bishop Lori's statement, click here

A Special Mother is Born discussed on Special Chronicles Podcast

Special Chronicles Podcast Episode 27:"A Special Mother is Born," featuring an interview with author +Leticia Velasquez is now available to listen at http://www.specialch ronicles.com/

Special Chronicles | Podcasting a message of respect.

This is the website for the Special Chronicles Podcast.

Celebrate the Feast of Blessed Pope John Paul II with a new film series.

Review of John Paul II; The Man, The Pope, and His Message

By Alberto Michelini

Leticia Velasquez

Catholic Media Review.

Volume 8 I Am Your Voice: The Pope on Human Rights

Catholics have long enjoyed the work of papal videographer, Alberto Michelini. Now under a special arrangement with the Vatican, what was formerly available on video has been converted to a four DVD set containing five hours of dramatic documentary footage, organized by topic into ten 30 minute films. Each film focuses on a different aspect of the pontificate of Blessed John Paul; including youth, children, the poor, the family, Marian devotion, historic events, a day in the papal apartments, and the working world. The series is available in English, French, and Spanish.  The companion website wwwjohpaulseries.com for this DVD set has free downloads of companion discussion guides for leaders and participants for each volume with tools for group discussion. This makes this series an ideal tool for teachers to use in Catholic school, CCD, and parish adult ed programs. Study groups could use these films in private homes. Homeschooling mothers from the JPII Generation will find this ideal for teaching their children about the legacy of Blessed John Paul.

Volume 8 “I Am Your Voice” is the powerful film on human rights; Pope John Paul is seen interacting with and addressing poor, sick and persecuted people from every corner of the globe.  A heartbreaking cry of misery is documented in this film; from the slums of Latin America and Calcutta, the prairies of Canada, the plazas of South Korea, the Australian Outback, the savannahs of Africa, and the shipyards of Gdansk. The desperation of the members of the human family who are callously denied basic human dignity are heard by the man who himself suffered under two oppressive regimes.  South Americans who are living forsaken in squalid slums while neighbors enjoy luxury, occupying land was stolen from them. African lepers whom the government has forgotten, living in filth, workers who are deprived of just wages and political freedom, aboriginal tribes whose numbers are decimated yet remain proud of their culture. The Pope listens to their pleas with love and tells them “The Church hears your voice”

He responds to such pain with tears of compassion, embracing the disconsolate and dying, and railing with righteous indignation at the perpetrators of injustice at the rich who ignore the hunger of the poor, and the violence between protesters and police in Chile while he shouts to the multitude, “Love is stronger, Love is stronger!” John Paul speaks unflinchingly in defense of human rights at the United Nations in 1979, attempting to awaken the powerful of the world from the somnolence of egotism. He prays with profound sorrow at the grave of murdered Polish priest and Solidarity activist Fr Jerzy Popieluszko. Not taking sides for political purposes, as he is often accused of doing, the Pope is consistently on the side of the downtrodden, pointing out that the Church cannot be silent when human dignity is at stake.

During this moving footage, the narrator adds context to the scenes, and quotes from John Paul’s numerous encyclicals dealing with social justice; allowing viewers to grow in understanding of the Church’s position on human rights issues, as a preferential option for the poor,  while avoiding the errors of Liberation Theology. He says that Christ came that we might have life abundantly, yet does not favor one political solution over another, rather, he attempts to stir the consciences of those in charge of the world’s economic systems, both left and right. For this he receives criticism for “dabbling in politics”.

Today there are protests of increasing intensity around the world, expressing frustration with injustices both political and economic. The Holy Father addressed this in his speech at the United Nations in 1979 when he said, “wars develop when inalienable rights are violated.” His warning was fulfilling the prophetic duty of the Church, to be the voice of the oppressed. He exclaims “the Church cannot be silent when human dignity is at stake”. One of the most emotionally charged moments of this documentary is when John Paul II upbraids his fellow Poles in 1991 in Kielce when he reminds them, shortly after the Solidarity Movement brought freedom to those behind the Iron Curtain and there  was a movement to tell the Church to get out of politics with regard to abortion. He reminded his countrymen that a child is a gift from God.

No human being is forgotten in John Paul’s passionate defense of the dignity of mankind from birth to natural death. These films are compellingly narrated using the best of John Paul II’s encyclicals to educate the public about why Pope John Paul is called the Great and why millions attended his funeral shouting “Santo Subito!”

Don’t miss this outstanding series which offers an unparalleled opportunity to relive this extraordinary pontificate, and grow in your appreciation of the historical legacy of soon to be St John Paul.

In the spirit of the Gospel as well as out selfless Pope, It is “better to give than to receive”, CCC of AMERICA is hosting a contest: JPII They Love You. People who go to the Pope Series website to complete a brief web form in order to enter someone of their choosing to win a DVD set (valued at $49.99). They will have only 50 words or less to say why they are entering that particular friend, relative, neighbor, CCD teacher, Priest, etc to win a copy of the series.

More information may be found at this website; wwwjohpaulseries.com

Read my article on The Fight to Eliminate Down Syndrome

Yesterday, I posted about the New York Times' fair to favorable coverage of life with a loved one with Down syndrome.
But there is no paper like the National Catholic Register who is an open advocate for the Culture of Life, in all aspects. Thanks to their commitment to the life issues, I have published no less than four articles about Down syndrome and abortion. Down not Out,     Down, Hero Dad and Palin,  and Remembering Jerome Lejeune,
Three of four of them mention the French pro-life hero and geneticist,  Dr Jerome Lejeune, who I believe will be canonized and serve as the patron saint of those with Down syndrome. He was declared Servant of God on June 28, 2007 (what a great birthday gift for me!)


Here is my latest article The Fight to Eliminate Down Syndrome; Eugenics at Work?
Go on over, and leave a comment!

Hartford high schoolers compelled to watch passionate gay kiss in play

The parents were deliberately kept in the dark as where the students as their principals plotted to shock them into accepting gay sexual relations.

The kiss occurred during Hartford Public High School’s production of “Zanna, Don’t!,” a play depicting a world in which homosexuality is normative and heterosexuals take up the role of “outcasts.”

The Hartford Courant reported that “screams and loud voices” and sounds of disgust came from the audience during the display of affection, while “dozens” of mostly male students left the auditorium. While some trickled back in, officials had to prevent many from leaving the school building.

Dr. Christina Kishimoto, Superintendent of Schools


It backfired, dozens of shocked students fled the play in disgust, and tried to leave the school. Officials are pleased they are getting in touch with their inner gayness. Below read my response to the Superintendent of Hartford Schools.


You can reach her at

superintendent@hartfordschools.org

Here is my letter:
I am a certified ESL teacher, with 20 years of experience.
I am also the mother to two teenage girls who have never attended public school. Thanks to this event, they never will.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/highschoolers-horrified-at-gay-male-kiss-in-school-play-while-officials-pra?utm_source=LifeSiteNews.com+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=45b98bd32f-LifeSiteNews_com_US_Headlines10_18_2011&utm_medium=email


I have the Constitutional right to raise my children according to my moral standards. It is not compulsory to accept homosexual activity (yet) in this state, despite the fiat of the Supreme Court which imposed same sex "marriage" on the citizens of Connecticut in 2008.

I will withdraw my nine year old daughter from public schools in CT before she can be exploited for political correctness and her innocence destroyed. My girls are taught in St Mary's Church to love and respect everyone, regardless of their orientation. They are also taught that homosexual actions as well as any sexual activity outside of marriage is a sin which leads to eternal damnation.
You will never change this teaching it comes from God Himself. You have no right to impose your immorality on innocent children.
You may teach respect, but not try to acclimate them to sin, this is intolerable, and you should be ashamed of this action. I am posting this on my blog.

Read the entire LifeSiteNews Story here.

Fair article on MaterniT21 at the New York Times

Ever since Amy Harmon's Pulitzer Prize winning The DNA Age Series article "Prenatal Testing Puts Down Syndrome in Hard Focus" I have had a growing respect for the Times' coverage of issues regarding Down syndrome. Dan Hurley's wonderful magazine article on Dr Alberto Costa was another proof that they are giving our side a fighting chance despite the acrid tone of most of the comments. I wrote him to thank him and he said he was overwhelmed with positive emails from his article. I hope that he told his superiors, that more such press would do the paper proud.

Andrew Pollack's piece today on the Prescriptions blog is further proof that advocates of those with Down syndrome have made inroads in public reporting of the issue.Our position is fairly articulated

But some advocates for those with Down syndrome fear the new tests, which can be conducted as early as the 10th week of pregnancy, will lead to more abortions and reduce the population of those with Down syndrome. And they lament what they say is the perception that lives with Down syndrome are not worth living.

 He quotes Dr Skotko's impressive survey on the happiness of those with Down syndrome and their families,

Dr. Brian G. Skotko, a specialist in the Down syndrome program at Children’s Hospital Boston, said that the number of babies born annually with Down syndrome in the United States declined 11 percent from 1989 to 2006. This was during a period when the number of such births would have been expected to increase by 42 percent because more women were putting off child-bearing until they were older, when the risk of an affected pregnancy increased.The reason is that most women who find they are carrying a fetus with Down syndrome, which causes mild to moderate mental retardation, terminate the pregnancy.

 and the angst felt by researcher Dr Alberto Costa who is afraid the money will not be there to cure the cognitive delays in Down syndrome if all the research dollars go to prenatal screening tests.

All in all, its an accurate portrayal of the other side of the ''good news" that other papers are insensitively touting as a "life saving breakthrough." Such language hits me in the stomach like a sucker punch. That's my daughter they're desperately trying to abort!
If only they knew her like we do!

Which is the reason I became a blogger five years ago this month.

Read the entire article here. And please take the time to leave a positive comment amid the sarcastic and condescending ones. So many hurting people used this article about our innocent children to spew their venom!

Sequenom releases Down syndrome test; will babies with Down syndrome become extinct?

The new test is aimed directly at unborn babies with Down syndrome as its name suggests MaterniT21. T21 is the nickname for trisomy 21, the true name of what we call Down syndrome because they have three copies or trisomy of the 21st chromosome.

Two years ago, Sequenom said it had this test ready but it seems some of their employees deliberately skewed the results, causing an investor crisis. Their stock plunged to $3 a share from $28. Apparently prenatal tests are big business, and the company plans to target 750,000 "at risk" women. At risk for having a baby like my nine year old Christina (see our portrait) If only they knew what they were missing!

But starting today, a woman can for a $235 co-pay, have her blood tested at 10 weeks gestation to know with 99% accuracy if her baby has trisomy 21. At the present time, early screenings like the Quad and Triple Screen blood tests are very unreliable, as is the sonogram called the nuchal thickening (which looks at the extra fold of skin on the neck characterizing trisomy 21). This is causing journalists to laud this new test as a life saving breakthrough. The New York Times says as much in its article

"New tests are coming to market that can detect Down syndrome in a fetus using a sample of the mother’s blood, potentially reducing the need for riskier invasive tests while also stirring ethical concerns."

But for the babies who test positive for Down syndrome, there is a 92% chance they will not live to be born.

Dr Brian Skotko warns; "“The number of American women who will have to grapple with this information prenatally will substantially increase,” said Dr. Brian G. Skotko of the Down syndrome program at Children’s Hospital Boston. His sister has Down syndrome, he said, and he pointed out that these tests could encourage more people to end their pregnancies, causing a decline in the numbers of people with the condition and leading to diminished support for them."

This is exactly the dilemma faced by researcher Dr Alberto Costa, whose daughter has Down syndrome. He is fighting for funds in a limited pool of research grants to test memantine, an Alzheimer's drug which when injected into mice with a form of trisomy 21 causes immediate increases in their ability to learn, equaling their typical counterparts. Now there is tremendous enthusiasm, in the research community that a treatment for the cognitive delays of Down syndrome will be found soon, within ten years. Clinical tests are being conducted in New Jersey for another drug developed by Dr William Mobley with similar spectacular results in trisomic mice.

“This was a disorder for which it was believed there was no hope, no treatment, and people thought, Why waste your time?” says Craig C. Garner, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and co-director of the Center for Research and Treatment of Down Syndrome at Stanford University. “The last 10 years have seen a revolution in neuroscience, so that we now realize that the brain is amazingly plastic, very flexible, and systems can be repaired.”

So, just as there is amazing progress to make life better than ever for people like my daughter, this test comes crashing down on us to destroy our hopes, by threatening to make children like Christina virtually extinct. Why? Because if the investors think there is more money to be made in preventing babies from being born, none will invest in these drugs to make learning and memory normal for people like Christina who has difficulty speaking but is learning to read and write.

"Costa, like others working on drug treatments, fears that the imminent approval of those tests might undercut support for treatment research, and even raises the possibility that children like Tyche will be among the last of a generation to be born with Down syndrome.


“It’s like we’re in a race against the people who are promoting those early screening methods,” Costa, who is 48, told me. “These tests are going to be quite accessible. At that point, one would expect a precipitous drop in the rate of birth of children with Down syndrome. If we’re not quick enough to offer alternatives, this field might collapse.” (NYTimes Magazine)

So we are faced with a choice, either use medical science to conduct high-tech eugenic search-and-destroy missions for those babies we deem 'life unworthy of life' or use it to enhance the lives of 400,000 Americans who have Down syndrome, and give hope to the 750,000 moms who might be carrying a baby with trisomy 21.
  The choice is ours. Our answer will tell a lot about the type of civilization we are.

All CT Representatives voted NO on HR358 Protect Life Act

FROM THE SUSAN B ANTHONY LIST
As expected, this week the House of Representatives passed the Protect Life Act (H.R. 358)—which stops taxpayer funding of abortion and strengthens conscience protections under Obamacare—by a vote of 251-172.

Passage of the Protect Life Act is a promise fulfilled to pro-life activists by House GOP leadership. As you may remember, SBA List activists led the charge in petitioning Speaker Boehner and Majority Leader Cantor to include the Protect Life Act in its “Pledge to America” shortly after last year’s elections that swept them into power.

Now, it’s up to the Senate to take up the Protect Life Act. We look forward to keeping you updated in the coming weeks on how you can help make it happen.

But for now, I need you to do two things.
See how your Representative voted on the Protect Life Act.
Use the SBA List Action Center to thank your Representative or express disappointment based on how they voted.

After you’ve taken those two important actions, I encourage you to watch clips from the heated debate on the Protect Life Act which was led by the courageous Rep.Virginia Foxx (R-NC) on the pro-life side.

Take a look at the SuzyB Blog to see if your Representative stood up to defend Life on the House floor and watch some of the compelling speeches from the debate on the bill.

As you watch the floor speeches, notice how our pro-life leaders in Congress overwhelmingly agree that Obamacare allows for taxpayer funding of abortion, which is exactly why the Protect Life Act is needed in the first place – and the exact message we worked to spread during the 2010 mid-term elections that have resulted in a federal defamation lawsuit.

Passing the Protect Life Act in the House of Representatives was a step in the right direction, but it’s going to be an uphill battle to have this must-pass legislation taken up in the Senate. We’re going to need your help to get it done!

Connecticut is one of the most Catholic states in the union. The Catholic Church is unequivocally pro-life, yet not one of our Congressmen voted yes. Don't expect any better from our Senators.
We need change in 2012!
Shame on Catholic Congressman Joe Courtney. I hope he doesn't present himself for Communion this Sunday.

Connecticut
No	CT-1	Larson, John [D]
No	CT-2	Courtney, Joe [D]
No	CT-3	DeLauro, Rosa [D]
No	CT-4	Himes, James [D]
No	CT-5	Murphy, Christopher [D]

Pre-orders for my book "A Special Mother is Born" are now being accepted!

Great news for those of you who have been wondering when the books will be available!
WestBow Press has informed me that my books are coming within three weeks!

I am taking  pre-orders here on my blog, as well as on my other blogs Cause of Our Joy, Causa Nostrae Laetitiae, Keep Infants with Down Syndrome, and Catholic Media Review.

Just click the paypal button in the margin on the right, and leave your shipping information and  your payment of $22.50 ($19.95 plus $2.55 shipping for a total of $22.50) by credit or debit card , and I will ship your book to your home in one month.

Our Lady of Victory saved a life today!

It was a brilliantly sunny fall morning, and Gabbi my 18 year old asked me over breakfast, "Do you want to fill in for a vacancy at 40 Days for Life at noon today?" I have been ill with pneumonia for two weeks, but little by little, am venturing outdoors again. I answered "yes", and continued praying the rosary with the children at the Worldwide Children's Holy Hour at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on EWTN.

At noon we were at 12 Case Street in Norwich, CT where Planned Parenthood has an abortion mill in the medical building with a rear entrance. We relieved an older woman, who was there since 11AM, but Joe, the tall young man who was with her,  got involved in conversation with us in front of the main entrance to the building. Gabbi was holding a sign which read, "women deserve better than abortion" and I had another sign which read "STOP all abortion". Soon a gentleman came running up and started a pleasant conversation about his involvement with pro-life activities. As we were all talking,  a metallic green SUV stopped abruptly in the road opposite us and the driver, a man in his forties, seemed very angry with us. I was afraid of a confrontation and avoided his eyes, but he seemed engrossed in conversation with the twenty something woman next to him in the front seat.
"Well, make up your f---ing mind," he growled, "are you going in or aren't you?" The woman, looking down, merely shook her head. The driver took off with a start, and turning around in the handicapped parking lot with exaggerated motions and angry glares in our direction, careened into the Obstetrician's office parking lot across the street. The SUV disappeared behind the building for twenty minutes.

We discussed the incident and started to pray the Hail Mary for the young woman who was obviously in conflict over entering the abortion mill.

Soon our doubts were answered as the SUV came driving violently out of the OB's parking lot, turned down the street, and passed the abortion mill's parking lot without going in. We tried not to cheer, as it was obvious that the young woman upon seeing our signs, had a change of heart which her companion was not happy about.
We give all the credit to Our Lady of Victory whose feast day, now called Our Lady of the Rosary is today.
NEVER underestimate the power of prayer!

USCCB forms religious liberty committee

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the decision by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to establish a Religious Liberty Committee:

 

The president of the USCCB, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, has announced the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty;Bridgeport Bishop William Lori will chair the committee. Dolan lists six reasons why the new group is being launched:

 

• The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking to force private healthcare providers to carry contraceptive and sterilization services 

• HHS wants to force the USCCB's Migration and Refugee Services to provide "the full range of reproductive services"

• The federal government is seeking to force international relief programs to offer reproductive health services 

• The Department of Justice is attacking the Defense of Marriage Act, arguing that support for marriage is a form of bigotry

• The Justice Department is attacking a religious liberty known as the ministerial exception; it insulates religious employers from state encroachment

• New York State recently legalized gay marriage, providing a very narrow religious exemption

 

With the exception of the last concern, all of the others reflect the policies of the Obama administration. To say that this administration disrespects religious liberty is too kind—it shows nothing but contempt for the "First Freedom."

 

Bishop Lori knows first-hand how contemptuous government can be of religious liberty—he fought a prospective state takeover of the administrative affairs of the Catholic Church in Connecticut. Archbishop Dolan is also no novice: he has fought anti-Catholic bigotry for years. The Catholic League has worked with both bishops before, and looks forward to assisting them again. 

from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. 

This is welcome news; our bishops are preparing for war. Obama and his pro-abortion administration has declared war on Catholics who are faithful to the Magisterium, and the Church Militant is preparing to fight back. Bishop Lori has already fought back discriminatory legislation in CT aimed specifically against the Catholic Church, and lost the battle against same sex marriage. Archbishop Dolan narrowly lost the battle against same sex marriage in New York. 

Let's get behind them and let he

Cardinal Di Nardo issues Bishops Respect Life Month Statement

STATEMENT FOR RESPECT LIFE MONTH

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo
Chairman, Committee on Pro-Life Activities
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

September 26, 2011

This October the Catholic Church throughout the United States will observe Respect Life Month, an annual tradition now in its fortieth year.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo Releases Statement for October 2011, Respect Life Month

Beginning on October 2, 2011—Respect Life Sunday—Catholics across the nation will join together to witness to the inherent equality and transcendent value of every human being.

In countless liturgies and events we will give thanks to God for the gift of human life, and pray for his guidance and blessings on our efforts to defend the most vulnerable members of the human family.

We will voice our opposition to the injustice and cruelty of abortion on behalf of those victims whose voices have been silenced. At the same time, we will remind the living victims of abortion—the mothers and fathers who grieve the loss of an irreplaceable child—that God’s mercy is greater than any human sin, and that healing and peace can be theirs through the sacrament of reconciliation and the Church’s Project Rachel Ministry.

The theme chosen for this year’s Respect Life Program is I came so that all might have life and have it to the full. In this brief explanation of his mission (cf. John 10:10), Jesus refers both to our hope of eternal life, to be restored through his death and resurrection, and to our life in this world.

By following Jesus’ new Commandment of unselfish love, our lives can be richly fulfilling, and marked by joy and peace. In contrast, treating others as either means or obstacles to one’s self-serving goals, while never learning to love generously, is an impoverished way to live.

Viewing life as a “zero sum” game, in which advancing one’s interests requires putting aside the needs of others, can lead to callous unconcern for anyone who is especially weak, defenseless, and in need of our help. The unborn child, the aging parent who some call a “burden” on our medical system, the allegedly “excess” embryo in the fertility clinic, the person with a disability, the cognitively impaired accident victim who needs assistance in receiving food and water to live—each today is at risk of being dismissed as a “life unworthy of life.”

Jesus’ promise of “life to the full” is especially poignant today, when our culture and sometimes our government promote values inimical to the happiness and true good of individuals and society. We face increasing attempts to expunge God and religious discourse from public life. This promotes the dangerous proposition that human beings enjoy no special status by virtue of their God-given humanity. Some now even seek to eliminate religiously motivated people and organizations from public programs, by forcing them to violate their moral and religious convictions or stop serving the needy.

The same forces, aided by advertising and entertainment media, promote a selfish and demeaning view of human sexuality, by extolling the alleged good of sexual activity without love or commitment. This view of sex as “free” of commitment or consequences has no place for openness to new life. Hence contraceptives are promoted even to young teens as though they were essential to women’s well-being, and abortion defended as the “necessary” back-up plan when contraceptives fail. And fail they do. Studies report that most women seeking abortions were using contraception in the month they became pregnant. Again and again, studies show that increasing access to contraception fails to reduce rates of unplanned pregnancies and abortions.

Both these trends—a distorted view of sexuality and a disdain for the role of religion—are exhibited by the Department of Health and Human Services’ recent decision on the “preventive services” to be mandated in virtually all private health plans under the new health care law. The Department ruled that such mandated services will include surgical sterilization and all FDA-approved contraceptive drugs and devices—including the abortifacient drug “Ella,” a close analogue to the abortion pill RU-486.

The decision is wrong on many levels. Preventive services are aimed at preventing diseases (e.g., by vaccinations) or detecting them early to aid prompt treatment (e.g., screening for diabetes or cancer). But pregnancy is not a disease. It is the normal, healthy state by which each of us came into the world. Far from preventing disease, contraceptives can have serious health consequences of their own, for example, increasing the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted disease, such as AIDS, increasing the risk of breast cancer from excess estrogen, and of blood clots that can lead to stroke from synthetic progestin. Mandating such coverage shows neither respect for women’s health or freedom, nor respect for the consciences of those who do not want to take part in such problematic initiatives.

The “religious employer” exemption offered by the Department is so extremely narrow that it protects almost no one. Catholic institutions providing health care and other services to the needy could be forced to fire their non-Catholic employees and cease serving the poor and vulnerable of other faiths—or stop providing health coverage at all. It has been said that Jesus himself, or the Good Samaritan of his famous parable, would not qualify as “religious enough” for the exemption, since they insisted on helping people who did not share their view of God.

All these misguided efforts to foster false values among our youth, to silence the voice of moral truth in the public domain, and to deprive believers of their constitutionally-protected right to live according to their religious convictions, must be resisted by education, public advocacy, and above all by prayer.

The founders of our nation understood that religion and morality are essential to the survival of a freedom-loving society. John Adams expressed this conviction, stating:

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.”

Catholics must not shrink from the obligation to assert the values and principles we hold essential to the common good, beginning with the right to life of every human being and the right of every woman and man to express and live by his or her religious beliefs and well-formed conscience.

As Pope Benedict XVI reminded us last year in one of his Ad Limina addresses to visiting bishops, “a society can be built only by tirelessly respecting, promoting and teaching the transcendent nature of the human person.” That common nature transcends all accidental differences of age, race, strength, or conditions of dependency, preparing us to be one human family under God.

During this Respect Life Month, as we celebrate God’s great gift of life, let us pray and reflect on how each of us might renew our commitment and witness to “respecting, promoting and teaching the transcendent nature of the human person,” thereby shoring up the foundations of a society sorely in need of this guidance.

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Victory over vice at JC Penney's!

Yesterday, I called JC Penney Customer Service and blasted them for the sexually saturated commercial they were airing asking them if they wanted to be on par with Victoria's Secret (funny aside, my girls say, "that Victoria, she has NO secrets!")

We were heard! 

From One Million Moms who spearheaded the effort to ban the commercial:

Yesterday, OneMillionMoms alerted you to an extremely offensive commercial being aired by the JC Penney retailer and asked you to call their corporate office.

I'm glad to report that JC Penney has heard from thousands of women all across the country! As a result of your taking action, JC Penny has responded!

We received this response late last night:

"Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your comments about jcPenney's recent advertising. Very specifically, we attempt to avoid themes that would be considered offensive to jcpenney customers. We sincerely regret that our ad has offended you. It was not our intent.

"The jcpenney Company has a record of high standards in our approach to advertising and does its best to present our merchandise in a tasteful and appropriate manner.

"Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback and we want to let you know that we will no longer be airing this commercial."

Fr Donat Gionet removed for anti-gay, anti-abortion sermons - Canada - CBC News

Report from the Canadian press about Fr Gionet including quotes from his now infamous homily which was given in several locations around his parish coinciding with the local gay parade. The major of the town, who also sits on the parish council is gay.

"After 51 years as a priest, Gionet has been barred from saying mass and administering the sacraments in the Bathurst diocese.
Gionet said Wednesday that people who are gay are a threat to the Catholic Church.
"We have to try to fight [homosexuality], destroy it, or do our best to invite people to change their life," Gionet told CBC.
"And that's something which is from my duty as a priest. I have to teach the truth to the people. I have to tell them how they should live to be with the church because if you're gay you're not with the church."
Representatives from Gionet's diocese said they have heard mixed reactions from the priest's congregation, with some supporting his message but others uncomfortable with his sermons."

Of course there are mixed reactions, no one wants to hear their activities are sinful, but that is the duty of the priest! To call the sinners home to repentance and to preach the truth in season and out of season. God has blessed his faithfulness with a larger audience than he ever hoped to reach in his quiet parish. Stories about the priest, who is a modern day St Jean Marie VIanney, continue to multiply.

I was interviewed by Rene Landry of Radio Canada about Fr Gionet and will post a link to the broadcast here.





Courageous Priest weighs in on the issue here quoting a letter written by Fr Gionet to the press explaining his homily but not backing down one iota.

“I said:‘Today,it is we Catholics who are destroying our Catholic Church. We need only look at the number of abortions among Catholics,look at the homosexuals,and ourselves.’ (That’s when I pointed at my chest –through that action I wanted to say,we the priests) and I continued saying:We are destroying our Church ourselves. And that’s when I said that those were the words expressed by Pope John Paul II. At that point,in the St-Léolin church only,I added: ‘We can add to that the practice of watching gay parades,we are encouraging this evil’ …What would you think of someone who seeing what was happening on (Sept.) 11,2001,the crumbling of the towers,had begun clapping? We must not encourage evil,whatever form it takes.”

Fr Gionet sees homosexuals with the compassionate eyes of Christ, he sees their grave sins, and invites them home to confess and live a life in the grace of God. We tend to forget that after Christ saved the woman caught in adultery from judgement and stoning, He told her "go and sin no more". Fr Gionet is like Christ, not wishing violence against gays but warning them that if they persist in mortal sin, they are condemning themselves to hell.
Such pure love is seldom understood by the world, but one would expect his bishop to understand.

BOATLIFT, An Untold Tale of 9/11 Resilience

Fr Donat Gionet suspended over homily against sin

BATHURST, New Brunswick, September 22, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) –
 The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, New Brunswick has removed an elderly priest from active ministry after he caused a storm of controversy by denouncing homosexuality, cohabitation, and abortion in an August homily.
85-year-old Fr. Donat Gionet had retired to his home town of Caraquet in June to serve palliative care patients, and now laments that in his declining years he is being forced to celebrate Mass “in secret.”
Fr. Wesley Wade, the diocese’s vicar general, told Radio-Canada that Fr. Gionet’s comments were consistent with Church teaching, but lacked the proper “pastoral” sensitivity.

You see, the gay mayor of the town the parish is in is on the parish council. He was offended.This is an outrage, and shows what the gay agenda is after; silencing good holy priests.Canada is not alone, the same thing has happened to a bold priest in Texas who dared to speak the truth about homosexual sin,  Fr Michael Rodriguez. God forgive us for hiding the truth from sinners in desperate need of it! We are endangering souls for the approval of Ceasar.

Here's my email to Fr Donat Gionet's bishop.

Most Rev. Valery Vienneau, Bishop of Bathurst,
I am writing in support of Fr. Donat Gionet, C.J.M. We need more priests like him, with the courage to tell sinners that they are walking over hell on a tightrope, not petting their egos by putting them on the parish council while they are living in sin.

The Prophet Isaiah said, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20.

If I love my children, and they are in sin, I will. as a mother, correct them with love. Of course, they might argue that my tone is harsh, not because it is, but because they are offended. "The sting in any rebuke is the truth." said Ben Franklin. Father Gionet was admonishing the sinner, a spiritual act of mercy. Please restore him to his parish, or you will be giving scandal to the entire diocese!


The openly homosexual mayor needs confession, not retribution against an elderly priest who is concerned for his immortal soul.


Your diocese needs more priests like this modern day St Jean Vianney! Satan said of him "with three more like him, I could lose the world!"

The cover to "A Special Mother is Born" is in!

For ordering information or reviews, go to my book blog A Special Mother is Born. 

The Difference Hope Makes

A Palm Beach jury just awarded a couple $4.5 million in damaged in a wrongful birth suit.
Their son Bryan was born in October 2008 without arms and with only one leg.
Their suit was against the mother, Ana Mejia's obstetrician and sonographer, saying if they had done their jobs detecting the anomaly before birth, that the couple would have had time to abort him.

Mejia and Santana claimed they would have never have brought Bryan into the world had they known about his horrific disabilities. Had Morel and technicians at OB/GYN Specialists of the Palm Beaches and Perinatal Specialists of the Palm Beaches properly administered two ultrasounds and seen he was missing three limbs, the West Palm Beach couple said they would have terminated the pregnancy.

According to the outcome of this trial, its the duty of the obstetrician to detect any abnormality in time for the mother to abort him. Admittedly it does seem a gross oversight to miss such an obvious abnormality, but I am glad the doctor did miss it, for now little Bryan, who never chose his disability, will have a chance to sing his song in the world.   I am sure Bryan would rather be alive as he approaches his third birthday. He doesn't need $4.5 million, just parents who have the attitude that life is what you make of it with what you have, not parents who bemoan what they don't have and seek someone on whom to lay the blame. We have become an entitlement society, where if my life isn't all I wanted it to be, someone other than me is at fault. Then I sue them and live off the damages. No wonder no one wants to be an obstetrician anymore, the malpractice insurance is astronomical, and those who remain in the field often pressure women into prenatal testing and abortion in case they regret their decision to give life to their child and turn on their doctor.
That attitude won't make Bryan succeed. He needs parents who accept him for who he is, not what he isn't, and who challenge him to achieve what he can despite his disabilities. Like Tony Melendez.

Tony Melendez at the Memorial for the Preborn in Washington. 

'Tony Melendez was born in Nicaragua in the days when Thalidomide was no longer given to American and European mothers, but was still prescribed to Latin American mothers to curb morning sickness. He was born without arms. Rather than complain about the unfairness of his condition, which was preventable, his father sought to help his son. Tony's father brought the family to California to fit him with artificial arms, which he later discarded because he was so much better at using his feet. In high school, Tony learned how to use those feet to play guitar.Soon, he returned to the Church of his childhood, and began to play at as many as five Sunday Masses. He was selected to play the guitar for the visit of Pope John Paul II to LA on September 15, 1987.
It was as today, the Feast of the Sorrowful Mother.

Tony Melendez and my daughter Gabbi 

Tony was nervous when he performed his song "Never Be the Same" about his reversion to Catholicism, but no one was prepared for the Holy Father's reaction. He rose, jumped off the platform where he was sitting, walked over to the platform where Tony was, and reached up to embrace him. The audience roared its approval. Since then Tony has crossed the world with his singing apostolate, married and adopted several children. It was my honor to meet and embrace him twice, his joy is contagious, he made me feel like his sister. I just emailed him with a link to this story to ask him to contact Ana Mejia and Rudolfo Santana to give them hope that little Bryan can have a happy, fulfilling life. Tony radiates the peace of Christ, and if anyone can illustrate how to turn one's life around from self-pity and blame to self-help and service, he can.

From my experience raising my nine year old Christina,  a child with serious cognitive delays  and physical disability, yet who greets every day with a smile, I can confirm hat $4.5 million dollars can buy many things to make life with a handicap easier, but a hopeful attitude, can't be bought, it must be caught. Caught from a living example of a deep personal relationship with Jesus and mentors who don't take 'no' for an answer.I hope Tony Melendez contacts Bryan's family and becomes that mentor.

 I hope that this couple makes a commitment to each other in Holy Matrimony, returns to the Church and brings their son in to be Baptized. With the grace of the sacraments, they can find the peace they were seeking with the lawsuit, and give their son the hope he will need to sing his own song of praise for Our Lord in his daily life.

Read the entire article here.