Unwanted because of abnormalities? My parents had hope for me to live

As a woman with a disability, I am deeply confused as to how truly inclusive our society is, towards families that have children with special needs and towards building a culture of life in our nation. This is after reading the report, “MP renews call for review of abortion gestational limit” (March 6).

I was born with brittle bones disease and doctors told my parents I would not live long. In those days, in the 1970s, parents here did not know much about genetic defects that a child could have before their birth.

Now, it is a different world.

In a Washington Post report in 2017, Singapore is listed together with Canada, China, the Netherlands, North Korea, the United States and Vietnam as having the most liberal abortion laws. We allow abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. There is no defined age limit for abortion and no parental consent is required for minors.

In the latest parliament proceedings, Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health, said that “foetal viability” (or the chance of babies surviving) below 24 weeks remains low and that “morbidities, such as neuro-developmental disabilities, are very high among the premature babies who survived”.

Member of Parliament Alex Yam had asked to lower the 24-week limit to 22 weeks.

Back in 2014, when he raised the same issue, Dr Khor said then that a routine foetal scan is performed at 20 weeks and this is the stage where the foetus is sufficiently developed to enable structural abnormalities to be picked up from the scan.

Keeping the abortion limit at 24 weeks will allow mothers some time to consider the implications and make an informed decision as to whether to keep or abort the child, without being rushed to meet a shorter cut-off time.

Under the Guidelines on Termination of Pregnancy Act, pre-abortion counselling may be adapted for women diagnosed with foetal abnormalities.

My view is that abortion at every gestational age after conception kills a human being.

Much of human biological research confirms that human life begins at conception, meaning fertilisation.

Do the babies who were aborted because of foetal abnormalities and medical issues matter to our nation, just like how I mattered to my parents and was therefore given a chance at life after I was born?

I live and serve our nation today because technological advances empowered me to live an abundant life, one that benefits our young generation as I am a private educator.

Abortion is physical death not only for a child, but it is also psychological death for a mother who grieves a death, in a different way from a miscarriage that is not within human control.

What does it cost Singapore to lower the abortion limit to 22 weeks? A child killed is a local talent lost.

https://www.todayonline.com/voices/unwanted-because-abnormalities-my-parents-had-hope-me-live