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Letter: Stop putting a price tag on a person’s existence because of their disability

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Bowman Gray, 26 mos., has the full attention of family friend Elizabeth Jackson and her son Noah, 13, at the Utah Rare Disease Day Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2018. Once completely non-verbal, Gray defies the odds for Down Syndrome in speaking and music through music therapy and now knows 15 words. Gray was at the Capitol to draw attention to the power of music therapy for use with rare disease patients who need to learn or re-learn how to speak.

This is in response to “Lifelong implications” by Joan Provost (The Tribune, April 20).

I was very disturbed by her comments about Down syndrome and its lifelong implications. Her remarks lead me to believe she has not lived or worked with an individual that has Down syndrome. I have a sibling who has Down syndrome, and I have been blessed with the opportunity to be loved unconditionally and experience a kindness and love that is unfailing.

I am against abortion whether a fetus is free of a disability or has one. Abortion is an individual’s choice. But not mine.

Having Down syndrome or any other challenge, whether mental or physical does not make them a lesser person then you or me.

The cost of housing and other expenditures should not justify the reason to expunge our world of imperfect individuals. If that were the case, none of us would be here.

There are people out there now who have no disabilities who are faced with all the concerns that Provost stated in her letter.

Stop putting a price tag on a person’s existence because of their disability, look at the positive aspects of knowing them as a loving and caring human being.

Patricia Gourdin, Murray