All parents want to see their children marry happily and start a family. But when the couple has Down syndrome, the situation is profoundly complex.
Michael Cox and Taylor Anderton have been dating for almost two years and engaged for one.
The Queensland couple burst into the national spotlight in May whenan ABC news video about their romance was viewed online more than 13 million times.
Michael and Taylor’s parents have recognised the pair are happy together, but said they cannot support their dream of starting a family.
“Taylor and Michael want to get married and have children and that makes me feel very worried, apprehensive and concerned,” Taylor’s mother, Catherine Musk, told Australian Story.
The parents have raised their children to believe they can achieve their dreams, but now they worry they have fostered unrealistic expectations.
“I don’t see parenthood being something that they’re going to achieve, or really they probably should achieve,” Michael’s father Simon Cox said.
“It would be very difficult being a child whose parents both had Down syndrome and couldn’t have a job and couldn’t drive a car and couldn’t understand maths homework and those sorts of things.”
Michael and Taylor have agreed to delay their wedding, but remain determined to eventually have children.
“We want to have four kids,” Michael said.
“We’re going to have three daughters and one son.
Disability advocates said the decision on parenthood should rest with the couple.
Queensland Advocacy Incorporated director Michelle O’Flynn said people with disabilities were entitled to “bodily integrity”.
Why should they be denied children when muslims are not not denied their inbreeding, and hood rats are not forbidden from having their bastards? At least the children will be raised by a loving mom and dad.
If this couple can take care of their own family without other people having to help – if they earn their living without govt. assistance or either persons’ parents having to contribute/take care of them – then maybe I can see their point. I just think it would be utterly selfish on the part of this couple to have a bunch a children that other people are going to have to take care of. Some people with down syndrome are highly independent and at least more intelligent that your average street feral, but if they cannot even take care of themselves, they should not be bringing children into the world that they cannot take care of.
Thirdtwin, three wrongs don’t make a right.
@Gladys: +10
What Gladys said.
There should be a law stopping them. If you don’t know why G-d help you.
Buck v. Bell
I don’t know what Frank is referring to but if two parents, both with Downs, have a child there is a 1 in 2 chance the child will have Downs and only a 1 in 4 chance it will be normal.
Couple that with, at best, dubious parenting and this is a no brainer.
Those affected with Downs Syndrome are not noted foe being able to think through o a logical conclusion. They should be sterilized. It’s hard enough raising a child with a normal IQ and God bless the love they have found but they’re not capable, potential parents.
Can people with Down Syndrome with that extra chromosome and all even have children?
If they are denied that right, then all the free loaders that can’t work and support their 2 children shouldn’t be allowed to have anymore if the govt has to pay for it.
Also those that have drug addictions shouldn’t be allowed to have more children or they will be adopted out.
JP, I’m in favor of that. I would start with tying the tubes of a woman that has a baby while on welfare.
rogue Frank out there, not me
JP – I completely agree that people on welfare should not be getting more money for every child they have. I can understand if something happens when you already have children that you need assistance for a while, but having children while on public assistance is bullsh*t. It’s one of the reasons ghetto people start having babies as soon as they can reproduce whether the father plans on sticking around or not. So while working people can no longer afford to have children of their own, we are paying for these welfare bastards to pop out children they don’t give a crap about anyway at an alarming rate.
According to the literature, males with Downs Syndrome rarely if ever can father a child. Of course, let some bleeding heart outfit get involved and the girl sues for the right to subsidized artificial insemination, and the sky’s the limit to what society’d be on the hook for!
Well, I’m a pathologist, not an OBGYN, but I *do* have access to PubMed, UpToDate, and Clinical Key…
A quick 10 minutes of research tells me that males with trisomy 21 (Downs syndrome) are generally considered to be sterile. There are a few cases studies in the literature demonstrating paternity by microsatellite marker analysis, so there must be some fertile males out there. The only number I’ve found for males is an estimate, and is not generated by a study, but is given at 10-20%. For females, there’s more data, and it’s thought to be 15-30%.
So right there, chances are these two won’t be able to conceive in the first place.
But, assuming they do, there exists “an increased risk for miscarriages, premature births, and difficult labor”, so even if there is a pregnancy, the chances of a live birth are significantly decreased. Again, no firm data due to limited research.
If the child survives, we’re looking at a 50% chance of it also having trisomy 21, per the literature. But this figure is based on data from an effected female impregnated by a normal male. I didn’t find data on both parents being effected. If we assume a normal Mendelian distribution, then I’d say 1/4 would have quadrasomy 21 and be non-viable, 1/2 with trisomy, and 1/4 normal karyotype. Although it is noted that offspring of such a union lacking trisomy 21 are at an increased risk for other congenital or developmental abnormalities.
Repeat disclaimer: This is all based on limited research. This is not my area. I’m not an OBGYN, nor a genetics specialist. I’m just a plain ole general clinical/anatomic pathologist.
We allowed BJ Billy and Hillary to breed didn’t we?
Maybe they can have the bad chromosome stripped out in a lab so their child can be normal. There have been a lot of medical advances in that area
“We allowed BJ Billy and Hillary to breed didn’t we?”
Well, yes, but not with each other.
Michael sounds like a thoughtful and smart young man. From the article he says, regarding their parents’ concern, “I know that their heart is in the right place, but being over-protective is strictly not on with your child, even if they have a disability or not,” Michael said.
“I know that me and Taylor have the skills to be married and to start our own family.”
I have known quite a few people who were considered “normal”, with above average intelligence, physically lovely, successful in their careers, but who were mentally emotional basketcases. I have also known a few Downs Syndrome people who were happy, loving and joyful consistently. The doctor in the article stated that the chances of the couple becoming pregnant were slim. If they did, he said the chances of the child having Downs Syndrome were 50/50.
I like what Michael’s mother said: “Rather than be the ones to tell them: ‘this is what’s best for you’, bring them along with us and see if we can get them to come to that same conclusion. So that decision is theirs — they own that then.” May God guide these children to make the decision the He would have them to make. If they did have a child, I am sure the child would be loved, well nurtured, and cherished.
Taking emotion out of the equation – the reality is these people clearly are not equipped to understand what it takes to raise (SUPPORT) a child let alone 4. Life can be unfair, it is great they found each other but the reality is if they can’t have kids physically that is probably the best outcome. Fortunately it sounds like at some of the parents at least have their heads on straight and aren’t falling for all dreams should be pursued BS.
Hey, what’s the worst that could happen, them ending up with a kid like Chelsea or the two spoiled brats squattin in the White House now? Oh…never mind.
Are they both employable and can take care of themselves? Can they feed, clothe and take care of children? Will they push them off on the public teat for assistance? If it’s the later, sterilize both of them.