Karl was away today so I did my segment with Cameron Williams and we had lots to discuss on the Today Show this morning, including Down Syndrome , manscaping and banning kiss-and-catch at school.
[FYI the necklace I'm wearing is from Sanctus Stones motivational jewellery - thanks guys, I love it]
In case you can’t watch the video, here’s what we discussed:
1. Two families are taking legal action against hospitals for not detecting their unborn children had Down syndrome.
Both Victorian couples claim they would have aborted the babies had they been aware of their condition and are seeking compensation. The legal action surrounds a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old child.
The parents of the girl, born in July 2005, are suing the Royal Women’s Hospital after claiming an ultrasound taken during the second trimester failed to detect Down syndrome.
It contradicted a previous scan that gave an early indication of the chromosomal disorder. “Had the presence of Down syndrome been diagnosed at the time of the first trimester ultrasound and/or at the time of the second trimester ultrasound, a time frame which permitted the termination of the pregnancy, then the (mother) would have terminated the pregnancy,” the Herald Sun quoted the statement of claim as saying.
The second case sees Western Health being sued over a child born at Sunshine Hospital in December 2007. The parents claim they were not provided with the option of ante-natal screening and are suing for “depression, shock and anxiety” as well as “pain and suffering”.
2. How much sexual ‘experimentation’ is appropriate for kids at school?
QUEENSLAND teachers have been told that all children “require opportunities to engage in developmentally appropriate sex and sexuality exploration”.
A professional development series run by Education Queensland and Queensland Health, designed to help teachers cope with the growing problem, also questioned whether parents should be told about some incidents because of the distress it caused.
Child welfare group Bravehearts and the State Opposition claimed the information was “frightening” and “concerning” and came at a time of exponential growth in young children acting sexually towards their peers.
3. More than 50% of Aussie men admit to “manscaping” – is the ocker bloke stereotype dead?
Sure, there’s beer and barbies and Barnesy – that holy trinity of blokeiness that supposedly defined Aussie guys for decades.
But a survey of more than 3000 Aussie blokes reveals a much softer side to modern man, with family values and loyalty trumping getting up to mischief with mates. Well, most of the time at least.
The online survey by AskMen.com found Australian men today see a happy family as the ultimate status symbol, ahead of material possessions such as luxury cars and houses.
And most men believe that the Hollywood hunk Hugh Jackman is the man who most embodies the modern Aussie male.
If you have anything to say about any of these topics, let’s hear it!
Comments
87 Comments so far
“But a survey of more than 3000 Aussie blokes reveals a much softer side to modern man, with family values and loyalty trumping getting up to mischief with mates. Well, most of the time at least.”
This isn’t new. It’s been going on for 3.5 million years
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I have friends who has risked their pregnancies with invasive screening tests. Because they believe they couldnt have coped with a disabled child. The reality is that these tests dont guarantee a perfect child. All children come with their challenges. Of the friends who had the screening tests and would have terminated, one has an ADHD child, one is Autistic and one is still living with the health problems at 10 of being a premmie. I honestly believe its a case of be careful what you wish for.
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Good point on the man scaping mia!
my bloke is a tradie and beer swigger, sometimes as ‘ocker’ as they come.
however yes he does indulge in manscaping… AND yoga with me and cooking up delicious feasts…..
just as the definition of woman has changed so has it to what constitutes a bloke. thank god.
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Well I hope that it gets thrown out, unless there is irrefutable evidence that the hospital acted negligently. I know that having a special needs child is difficult, but these tests are not and do not promise to be 100 per cent. Unfortunately there are children that are born with different health conditions, the hospitals do the best they can but they cannot be 100 per cent.
Every child is a blessing in their own way – is their life genuinely poorer for having given birth to this child? I doubt it.
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There is a really great piece which was written in the 1980s called Welcome to Holland (http://www.our-kids.org/Archives/Holland.html).
It is beautiful and although I know that this pretty piece of writing doesn’t make raising a child with Downs or Autism any easier but it does highlight their delights!
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Thanks for that, Pixie! That is a beautiful piece of writing
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Mia! What’s your secret to that oh-so-shiny hair you were rockin’ this morning!?!
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Was it shiny?
Well, I didn’t wash it this morning. Lovely Norman did it and I asked him to just do it straight and no hair-spray.
I’ve only just started saying this. There is usually lots of hairspray on TV but maybe it has a mattifying effect?
I hate spray…..
Thank you Norman.
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Loved the colour! Looked like it had lovely red in it
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I noticed when Mia and Cameron were talking they both claimed that if they were in the situation where they were told there was a problem with their child they would not have terminated – I know both of them were trying their best not to pass judgement but in fact by saying “i don’t judge but I never would” you are. I don’t think any person who has not been told that news can really have an informed opinion on what they would do.
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but see how Cameron then said that he had changed his mind before getting the test results back (not sure if Mia agreed with this or his previous stance) – to me this shows an awareness of the nuances and challenging nature of this matter ie that it is hard to reach an absolute decision.
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You’re both right. We both said we thought we’d terminate until the day of the test and then we thought we wouldn’t but neither or us – thankfully – had to make the actual decision.
So it remained hypothetical……
Impossible to know what you’d do and how you’d react I think….
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I didn’t watch the segment, so dont know the exact context of your conversation. I did have a down syndrome scare with my second child and had a long 10-12 days to think about it while I waited for the amnio results. We thought we would terminate, but thankfully the results were ok and we never had to make that final decision.
Still, even getting so close to having to make that call, I cant imagine how hard it would be.
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With all of my 4 pregnancies when asking whether or not I wanted to have the screening test for Downs, my Ob asked me whether or not I would terminate. I said no. Baby is welcome warts and all. He said that some of those tests cause so much unnecessary stress and grief for couples as they can give inaccurate results he urged me not to have the test. Especially as there was nothing to be gained from an early diagnosis. So I didnt. And all my babies are perfect.
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re Families Suing Hospitals Because They Got a Downes Syndrome Child, I have to say I am not sympathetic.
When you embark on parenthood there are no guarantees that you will have a perfect child. Many medical tests can give false negatives and false positives, it is not the doctor’s fault or the hóspital’s fault.
I read in the paper today that sometimes ( a low percentage I think it was 1%) of the Downes Syndromes tests say normal babies are Downes Syndrome and perfectly normal babies are aborted.
Even if you have a child that is normal in utero something can go wrong during delivery and the baby can be damaged by being starved of oxygen. What are parents going to do then?
What about when your child runs in front of car or fails to wear a bike helmut and goes head first into a wall.
I believe if you are not prepared to accept the child you get, do not get pregnant.
Children are born who are going to be: autistic, schizophrenic, anxious, depressed, developmentally delayed and there are no tests yet available to abort those babies. I believe if people feel they cannot cope with a special needs child they should either not embark on parenthood fullstop or consider adoption. Adoption is an option for those who cannot cope with a special needs child. Open adoptions are available now, so people can visit and have progress reports and photos of children they relinquish to another’s care.
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I agree with you Catherine. I think it’s particularly bad that these people have their children and still can say that they would have aborted them. How terrible for that four year old and that two year old who will one day know and understand that their parents would have preferred they never existed.
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It’s interesting to note that these parents seem to be suing on the basis that an ultrasound scan did not diagnose/pick-up Down Syndrome early enough.
Ultrasounds are not diagnostic for Down Syndrome. Not in early pregnancy, not in late pregnancy.
The scan is what is known as a screening test – it may detect the likelihood or probability of a certain disease or disorder being present, yet it cannot diagnose. It is imperfect, and about 10% of all scans of babies with Down syndrome will not display the markers associated with the syndrome.
This is what diagnostic tests are for, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, depending on when the test is performed. These obtain a small sample of the fetus’ cells in order to perform karyotyping (chromosomal analysis), which provides a definitive diagnosis of a chromosomal disorder such as Down syndrome.
Perhaps we do not have all the information here, but if this claim is correct the doctors in question hardly acted negligently.
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Let’s face it some people do not want to take any responsiblity for their actions.They have to blame someone else for e.g. the pitfalls of nature, old eggs and old sperm ( the older you are the more likely you are to have a Downes baby).
As an almost 43 year old woman I know I would be at high risk of having a Downes Syndrome. Given that I do not want the work involved in caring for a special needs child I am damn careful to make sure I do not get pregnant.
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Facts on Down Syndrome can be found at http://www.dsawa.asn.au
This site has a lot of facts in regards to downs, including that the parents are in no way at fault to the development of downs (old eggs or not) and that 80% of downs kids are born to parents under the age of 35. The website explains things better than I can.
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Most kids with Down’s are born to women under 35 because they account for most births. The risk that an individual woman will have a baby with Down’s increases dramatically with increasing maternal age. This is of course not to say that it is her fault, it is just the statistics.
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I was wondering the same, while ultrasound can pick up some abnormalities common to down’s babies, I didn’t think they were considered diagnostic for the condition. Like you said, there are other tests for that, and if those failed it would be a matter with pathology messing up the tests, not doctor negligence.
It seems a little odd and unreasonable to me and I truly hope their case isn’t successful, unless of course, we don’t have all the facts. If the case is taken seriously, it will just mean a hike in indemnity insurance, which will in turn be passed down to all of us in higher fees and less doctors willing to practice.
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Well said; the ultrasounds are indeed screening tests and not an ironclad guarantee.
When we had the 12-week ultrasound, we were told our ‘number’ (derived from the ultrasound indicators, our ages and genetic history) – that there was a 1 in 11,600 chance that our son would be born with down syndrome (very low odds). With this information, we could then choose to have a more invasive diagnostic test, such as an amniocentesis or CVS. With such small odds we chose neither, however were still aware that there was a tiny chance our son could be born with a genetic abnormality. He was fine.
A friend’s ultrasound showed an indicator for Down Syndrome as her daughter has no nosebone. They had no intention of aborting, and were fully prepared to accept their baby however she came out. Turns out her daughter was, and is, fine; she’s now a very smart, headstrong 6-year-old. So the indicators are definitely not always reliable.
I understand that people may have chosen to terminate if the abnormality had been detected (and we would seriously consider it too), but based on the information provided in these stories, suing doesn’t seem like the appropriate thing to do.
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Off topic but, I really like Cameron Williams. He always seems so happy, and is genuinely warm. Pretty easy on the eye too!
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Yes I like waking up to Cameron too !!
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Oh my Gosh I can’t stand him!! I think he likes himself a little too much! Had anyone noticed how he kind of does this wide eyed thing to the camera? It really irritates me! Can’t wait for Karl to come back!
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Oh and Mia, your eyebrows looked great this morning, I think a little fuller, as did your super shiny hair!! Very pretty!
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My eyebrows?
Guilty. I’ve stopped getting them ‘shaped’. Can’t be bothered. Too expensive. So I am pretending that shaggy is in.
Zoe Foster told me it was but she still gets hers done every 5 weeks!
I’m down to about once every 18 months….at best.
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Well, the lack of grooming is totally working for you!
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Couldn’t disagree more about the Karl v Cameron thing! But Mia’s hair was impossibly shiny this morning – is there a secret Mia??!
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Geez, my hair was having a good morning it appears.
Maybe my shiny dark top made my hair look shinier?
A theory.
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The case of parents suing about having Down syndrome babies seems wrong, based on the information I have seen. In 2007 the nuchal screening ultrasound was routine in NSW. I had one and the blood test picked up a possible problem with my son, we were offered an amnio and counselled by a genetic counsellor in the public health system. The article reads as though the woman did not have an amnio, if she would have aborted why didn’t she request further tests when the first scan suggested there was a problem? After all abortion is, i believe, less traumatic earlier in the pregnancy and the 2nd ultrasound isn’t done until 18wks at the earliest. The ultrasounds are only screens, they can not tell for certain if there are problems and all the sonographers and drs I have dealt with in my 2 pregnancies have stressed that.
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I have recently had a baby and the sonographer and geneticist made it very clear to me that the diagnostic screening only deals in probabilities. So, if you have (for example) a 1/1000 chance of having a child with Downs Syndrome, then there is still that 0.1% chance that it will happen – unlikely, but possible. The only way to be sure is to have an amnio. As others have written, we are not aware of the exact circumstances of these cases. However, ultimately, the doctors should only be held responsible if they had proof of down syndrome and withheld it or ignored protocol and did not recommend an amnio when it was indicated (due to age of mother – I was offered one at 35 – or ultrasound results). I have no problem with suing for negligence, but if we start suing our doctors when we don’t get the outcome we want, we will start to lose good doctors, and also pay more in insurance and medical costs.
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Love x10000000 the notes at the bottom about a vid.. makes it a trillion time better for me at work.
Thankyou!
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Oh good. We’ll do that every week for you. And others!
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I do my boyfriends manscaping because he’s cheap and doesn’t want to spend the money to get it done by a professional. I know some women who nag their partners into it. I didn’t, he brought it up in conversation one day. And he’s not the kind of man you’d think would be into this. He’s a cop (I always wonder what his work mates would say if they knew) loves his sport and his meat, typical bloke in any other way, he just likes to have a bit of manscaping done on him.
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My partner works in the Navy and he told me that he was one of the only ones not manscaping – so I don’t thinking it is necessarily the more ‘blokey’ men who don’t manscape!
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Hi – Mia you were very funny this morning – though, I have to admit I find it scary that 6 out of 10 men are manscapers. My womanscaping is rudimentary and intermittent, to say the least, so it’s weird to think that all those men are spending more time on that than me!!
Kind of related – at 40, I always feel a bit sad at how much kind-of obvious foundation 20-something girls are wearing. They are gorgeous and are just plastering their gorgeous glowing faces over. I always wish I could go shake them and make them realise they’re so beautiful without so much gunk.
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Re: the wrongful birth case:
OK, let’s assume that the intentions of these parents are genuine – that in the event of in utero diagnosis of downs, they would certainly have terminated the pregnancy. Somewhere along the line, they were failed in a way which essentially denied them the choice to terminate, a choice supported not only by law but by society at large.
How, then, can it be considered wrong of them to sue for wrongful birth? Is it really more distasteful (or less heartbreaking) for a parent to declare their child’s disability unwanted following, rather than prior to, their birth?
Re: manscaping – My husband still gets his hair cut by his mum. Does that count?
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The difference is, Doctors are not gods, there are no 100% tests for these things and are occasionally missed. Doctors are not gods and people need to accept that. By suing Doctors for things like this we are pushing people from life saving professions, raising insurance premiums and being sour grapes people who just can´t take life´s realities.
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Wholeheartedly agree with you amandarose.
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These tests are not 100%. I knew a lady who was told her baby had a high chance of having downs syndrome and a hole in the heart. Her baby was born completely healthy and neither of the above problems.
Doctors are not gods. When you become a parent, you don’t get to control every little aspect of how the baby will be. Fine, if you find out your child has a high chance of problems, then that’s your call if you want to abort, and I respect that.
BUT, if you have tested, and your child still is born with a problem, TOUGH LUCK. You deal with it. That’s parenthood. Get all the education and support you possibly can, and make the best of it.
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My mum was told that when she was pregnant with my youngest sister at 39. She decided to keep her and I truly think she is probably the smartest one out of all of us…lol
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It’s funny how life works out, isn’t it?
BTW, Mia, I hate to be a pain, but on your morning after pill topic, I have tried to post twice, and it won’t go through! Thought I should mention it in case it’s a glitch. Or maybe I’ve been moderated, who knows? lol. Either way, just wanted to mention in case it’s a glitch:)
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I see it! Nevermind:)
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Oh, the down syndrome issue is a tough one. I understand the desire (and real need) for financial compensation to help with caring for a special needs child. But the message you are putting out there regarding your child – I would have aborted had I known…such a tough one.
Kind of related but not, if you are interested in reading a blog by a woman who had a child with down syndrome unexpectedly, this post is possibly the most moving love letter to any new baby I have ever read http://www.kellehampton.com/2010/01/nella-cordelia-birth-story.html
Warning: may cause tears, but will warm your heart in many ways.
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Wow…you’re right, very very moving. I was in tears and it’s not even lunchtime yet!
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I’m still sobbing. What a beautiful story. It shows how much we take for granted and how we should stop and appreciate the little things.
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Oh yes. So many tears…but so beautiful. What a gorgeous baby girl, and what a wonderful family she’s been blessed to be born into.
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I am 15 weeks pregnant with a high risk downs result. I am waiting until 16 weeks to have my amnio. Only when i have some concrete results can I possibly think about a decision.
This link and subsequent story have really made an indent on me. I thought I knew how I felt but Kelle’s story has shown me the other side. Just beautiful and thankyou ace365 for sharing
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library mum, I can’t imagine how you must be feeling. I’m glad you liked the story and even more so that it may have been of some help to you in any way. Good luck….whatever that means for you & your family. xx
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I hope you never have to make that decision! The waiting is unbearable for test results & I wish you the best outcome!
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Dear library mum, the same thing happened to me. I was told I had a very high chance of having a baby with a chromosome abnormality. I had a CVS and it confirmed everything was fine. My darling son is 16 months old now and is a pure delight, although very naughty…..Good luck to you.
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Hi Mia, nothing to do with all the serious topics you spoke about, but your hair looked so lovely this morning! I was sitting there eating my cereal and thinking “Man, Mia’s hair looks so nice and shiny!” Nice colour too. Now I am looking even more forward to my hair appointment on Friday!
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I’ve also stopped colouring my hair.
How amusing that now that I’m spending no time or money on it, it’s getting some love.
Where are the fringe people???
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From what I have read regarding the Parents who are suing the Doctors, this reminds me of the Jodie Picoult book “Handle With Care”. This book deals with a family who has a child with a rare bone disease and by suing their OBGYN for wrongful birth the monetary payouts might ensure a lifetime of care for their daughter. The book explores the heartwrenching choice that the mum makes in deciding to go ahead with the lawsuit as she has to explain to her daughter that she loves her but at the same time is telling a court that if she had of known she would have terminated the pregnancy. I cannot imagine what these parents are going through.
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What was the outcome of the lawsuit?
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In the book they won the lawsuit even though it was was nearly medically impossible to diagnose the disorder when it was claimed it should have been.
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That’s so wrong! The lawsuit shouldn’t even have been allowed to go to court!
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Interestingly though… The mother never spent any of the money she received from the lawsuit… Just a book, I know, but still interesting…
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Except… that book is set in the US, where many families face bankruptcy from medical costs. Which still doesn’t answer the ethical problems inherent in either lying about intentions to abort in order to collect damages, or of publicly declaring that you would have preferred not to have your child.
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I was going to comment about that book until I saw you had. It was such a heartbreaking book (as all of Jodi Picoult’s usually are…. see http://www.jodipicoult.com/handle-with-care.html)
It’s a really really good read if anyone is looking for a book. (Also in the book, the OBGYN the mother in the family was suing was the mother’s best friend.)
I always hoped the story in the book would never reflect events in here life but here we are. Thoughts for the family and the doctors being sued.
xo
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Dea, I just finished reading that book this week. I’ve not read any of her books before but this one sucked me right in to see what the outcome was going to be.
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If you liked that book you should like her others. That was the one book that I couldn’t always ‘get into’ but I love her work. If you haven’t you should read ‘My Sister’s Keeper’. So SO SO much better than the movie and has a big twist at the end of the book that was changed for the movie
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How ridiculous suing the doctors over this! The parents shouldn’t be allowed to take legal action unless the doctors had knowledge of the condition & withheld it from the parents. The first parents should have had an amniocentesis after the first ultrasound when there was a problem detected. There are no guarantees when having a baby, parents should ask for tests if they want to minimise the chance of having a baby with abnormalities, but not all abnormalities can be detected!
On the second issue I think parents have the right to know about inappropriate behaviour at school involving their child!
Can’t believe so many men are manscaping! Must be only the younger ones!
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PS Noticed the hair looking gorgeous too, Mia!
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Going only on what is written here about the first couple suing for lack of diagnosis of Down Syndrome, it sounds like they did not have an amniocentesis performed. That may be incorrect, but as I said I’m only going on what’s written here. I would have thought that if the earlier scan showed evidence of Down Syndrome the couple would have been counselled to have an ultrasound as the next step but would also have had it explained to them that ultrasound doesn’t always pick up problems and is not necessarily a diagnostic tool in itself. My understanding is that amniocentesis is the only guaranteed way to make diagnoses during pregnancy. Due to increased risk of miscarriage (1 in 200, or half a per cent) I was told that doctors don’t usually move on to asking if parents want amniocentesis unless the risk factor is greater than about 1 in 300 or so. Also, due to the increased risk of miscarriage, many people opt out of having the procedure.
I am aware that I in no way have all the relevant information to this particular case. It may be that they were advised against amniocentesis. But going on the little bit that is written here it sounds like they had unrealistic expectations of what can be detected by ultrasound. That’s what I’d be interested to know – how detailed the explanations given to them about various medical procedures were.
In the case of the second one, I just find it surprising that the parents were not offered any screening as recently as 2007. I thought scans and blood tests between 10-12 weeks had become fairly routine. Or at least the offer to have them performed.
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I´m beyond disgusted at the parents of the downs children. can they not accept fate has landed them here.
As a health professional I would like the community to accept they we sometimes get it wrong. We are human. When you see a Dr, Nurse pharmacist etc your taking what they say and offer but need to accept they are not always right. that is life. Get a second opinion if you have doubts.
Sometimes things happen and if a small person gets to live- even with downs I think it is a blessing- downs kids have alot to give, it may not be your choice but sometimes you have to embrace what life gives you, especially when it is to late to change.
and I hate how money is the answer. Mistakes cannot be undone and money won´t change it. By sueing they are just increasing insurance premiums and turning people off certain professions.
Accept you Dr may make the rare error and I don´t believe in suing unless it was willful negligence, incompetent professionals, or people cutting corners. Money won´t fix it, but it will ruin someones profession who has dedicated there life to helping people.
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As with any professional, if you don’t have the skills or experience to competently do your job, you should not do it.
Incompetent professionals, including Doctors, need to be held to account if they ‘get it wrong’.
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there is a difference between incompetence and not being perfect.
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There’s even a difference between incompetence and not meeting someone else’s unrealistic expectations.
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I think you’re being very harsh Amandarose. Particularly your first sentence. Disgust is a strong word to use, particularly when talking about the parents of a special needs child.
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I think it is fine to feel disgusted. It is a huge problem in society when people feel there is a price for everything. That someone is to blame for everything. Sure I´d be upset too in there situation but I would like to think I have enough love in my heart to move forward and accept this is what fate dealt me in this life. An not want a huge pack check for my troubles.
I would also like to think I would attend the Dr/ radiologist know they are trying to look for signs but may miss them. It isn´t an exact science. There is no 100% in life.
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I have to agree with Ruby, compassion is what is required. I am unsure how having a docter tell you “oh well, you are the 1 in 5000″ and walk out the room, some how justify’s a job well done!!!
Personally, I feel the procedures in Asutralia in regards to downs testing do cause emotional heartache. For our next child, we will not be screening at all – an unknown risk is better than low risk. We should concentrate more on supporting the parents and not be “disguted” or tell them to “harden up”
If you have not been through the birth of your own special needs child, you can never understand the feelings involved and hypothetical comments need to tread very lightly. Remember, the vast majority of these parents have not asked for a cent!
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I have a friend whose sister is down syndrome and she turns 21 this week. She can’t work or live on her own so it is up to her family to shoulder the financial and physical care of this girl for the duration of her life.
I would take a guess that sueing is for money to help with the life long care the child is going to require, not because the parents are pissed they have an handicapped child.
Sexual experimentation at school? I don’t think so and not telling the parent about an incident because it could cause distress? What the? This has to be a joke, it is the most ludicrous thing I’ve ever heard.
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I just played the video and read the excerpts to my husband and I said exactly the same thing, that their motives could be financial as the financial burden of a special needs child is enormous.
My son was born with a rare chromosomal disorder that was not diagnosed until he was 9 months old. He has associated health problems and at risk of more health issues later in life. Children with Williams Syndrome are often developmentally delayed and may lack self help skills, meaning that some cannot live and work independently as an adult. The outcomes are difficult to predict at a young age.
But I can totally attest to the financial cost of raising a special needs child. We see a paediatrician on a regular basis, and on an annual basis a ophthalmologist, a hearing specialist, a dentist, have a kidney and bladder scan and an echogram. Then there is the cost of early intervention services, the lost income from me not working to care for my son and the likely need for a private school in the future. We get $50 a week from the Government as Carer payment, which is great, but is nowhere near covering the cost of raising a special needs child.
We don’t know the motives of these couples, and like Char says, they could be just trying to do the best for their child and get as much money as they possibly can to help them with the financial cost of a special needs child. The parents also need to consider financing care for their children when the parents die and they can’t provide that one on one care.
Ultimately, it is for the courts to decide, and not for us to pass judgement on the parents. I am just trying to provide an alternative perspective. I have never commented on Mamamia before but felt compelled to in this instance.
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Gawrsh, Ms Mia, yer sher are purty…
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I’m married to a doctor (not in O&G thank heavens). Yes, there are doctors who do bad things, or incompetent things (only a fool would deny it) but the vast majority are decent, hardworking people trying to do the right thing as best they can, and one of their frustrationsis that some patients are totally unrealistic in their expectations. Not saying that necessarily applies here (how would I know?) .. but it is a real problem doctors have to deal with all the time, especially with emotionally fraught issues.
As regards the primary kids — that’s a shock to me. When I wasin primary school, girls and boys had separate playgrounds and weren’t allowed to play with each other. When my kids were that age, they naturally segregated themselves — girls with girls and boys with boys.
On a funnier note, I’ll never forget when my very academic daughter came home from school at age 6 or 7 and told me she was glad she’d been put next to a boy. when i asked why (knowing how she felt about boys) she told me it was bedcause he wouldn’t talk to her, so she could get on with her work in peace.
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I imagine the decision to sue must be complicated by the knowledge that the child in question might one day become aware that their parents did not want them the way they are and would have terminated them, given the choice…
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In Year 5, my kids were taught about the Reproductive System at school within the context of the whole body; they were, also, taught about the Respiratory System, Nervous System, Skeletal System, etc. Naturally, because the Reproductive System is a much more sensitive subject, we have an information evening for parents, children and teachers. The evening is designed to initiate conversations that parents should be discussing with their children.
By this time, however, the children know just about all the correct names for all the parts.
Also discussed at the evening are topics like ‘changes’, ‘menstruation’, ‘hormones’, ‘hair!’, and – most importantly of all – ‘relationships’. The whole topic of sexuality is far better addressed than how I’m explaining it; but we all come away from the course and the evening with a sense of respecting everybody as well as yourself, that your sexuality is part of the whole of you and that, if you have questions, ask a teacher and/or parent.
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I think you mean “doctors are fallible” or “doctors are not infallible”.
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“Doctors are fallible” and “doctors are not infallible” actually mean different things.
For example, “happy” is not the same as “not unhappy”.
Just because something is something, doesn’t mean it’s not its opposite.
Does that make sense to anyone else?
xo
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My point was that It was said that doctors are not fallible – meaning they are not capable of making mistakes!
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Oh sorry I compltely misread what you said. I though you said “not” instead of “or”. Haha it was early in the morning (Perth time) when I hadn’t had my morning coffee yet. Sorry!
xo
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Mia, thank you for posting. For us Aussies who live OS it’s so nice to see some Australian tv. I enjoyed listening to your banter with Cameron, but was so distracted by your hair, it is divine, oh I want it……
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I’m going to be posting this every WEds morning…..
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Quick comment for now, Mia, your hair looked gorgeous this morning! Sorry off track I know …
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God a live one eh? I’m trying everyone
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