President Trump on Down Syndrome Awareness Month: ‘Every Child is a Gift From God’
President Donald J. Trump issued a presidential message this month celebrating the lives of people with Down syndrome and honoring their families.
October is observed as Down Syndrome Awareness Month in the United States.
“Every child is a gift from God, created in His image and likeness, bringing hope, love, and a future filled with promise to our Nation and the world,” Trump affirmed in the message’s first sentence.
“I join millions of Americans in celebrating the lives, accomplishments, and contributions of people with Down syndrome and honor the families and communities who stand beside them each and every day.”
“Americans with Down syndrome enrich every life they touch, meeting the world with a sincerity and joy that make our classrooms brighter and our communities stronger.”
He noted Down syndrome is caused by a single extra chromosome, which is “a small difference that can slow a child’s development and bring challenges to families who love and care for them.”
The president lauded the great work being done by “our Nation’s doctors and researchers” who “have answered these challenges with remarkable scientific discoveries, and in so doing have greatly enhanced the quality of life for children and adults living with Down syndrome.”
The president touted his administration’s actions to protect innocent life and advance research “that delivers new treatments” and allows individuals with Down syndrome “to pursue their dreams and thrive in their communities.”
He also encouraged the families and friends who care for those with Down syndrome as “some of the most extraordinary, caring and generous Americans” who help ensure the over 5,000 babies born with Down syndrome every year “can live their American dream.”
“My Administration will never waver in our devotion to the men, women, and children living with Down syndrome, and I will always fight to ensure that they, like every other American, can be proud to live in a country with a government and a society that upholds the dignity of every precious life and recognizes the beauty and humanity of every person.”
The president concluded, “This month, and every month, we celebrate, love, and cherish the incredible Americans living with Down syndrome.”
It is estimated that between 60 to 90% of preborn babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted in the United States. It’s a great national tragedy that so many individuals with Down syndrome never get the chance to live a joyful and fulfilling life because of abortion.
Every child – born and preborn – is made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27).
Contrary to what you might hear, Scripture is not silent about abortion.
The Ten Commandments state:
The psalmist declares:
And the prophet Jeremiah proclaims:
For this reason, the Christian church has upheld the dignity and God-given rights of all people, including preborn children, since the very first century.
One of the earliest extra-biblical Christian teachings, known as “The Didache,” states: “You shall not murder a child by abortion nor kill that which is born.”
During this Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we give thanks for the life of each person with Down syndrome. We reaffirm their inalienable right to life and celebrate their contributions to our society.
Related articles and resources:
Resources: Special Needs & Disabilities
Parenting A Child with Down Syndrome
Shining a Positive Light on Down Syndrome
Pope Leo’s Pro-Life and Pro-Family Journey to France
The Young Man with Down Syndrome Who Built a Sock Empire
How Chris Burke’s Down Syndrome Saved Other Lives
How in-Utero Diagnosis Is Being Used to Push Abortion
Photo from Getty Images.
