My Thoughts

After watching the national news this morning I feel compelled to comment on one of the lead stories. Pat Robertson, a well known evangelist, stated during his show, "700 Club", if your spouse has Alzheimers disease it is a cause for divorce. I could not disagree more with that statement which sent shock waves through the Christian and disability world.

When you marry part of the vows state, "for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health forsakeing all others until death do us part." This indicates a long term, committed relationship, not until something goes wrong. Alzheimers is not an easy thing to go through, watching your loved one go down hill. In being transparent my family and I went through a loved one having dementia twenty years ago so, yes, I know what it is like. My mother didn't have Alzheimers in the classic sense. She had a condition known as "older age hydrocephalas" which had the same effect. We watched as she lost her mental faculties over a number of years until she collapsed, was finally diagnosed, and went non responsive for several months. This was a journey of a year and a half until she passed away. Did my father see this as a reason to leave her? Absolutely not!! He stood by her until the end. Yes, she was in a nursing home but it was because neither he nor I could care for her for several reasons. Not to get her out of the way. We made the decisions about her care, but Daddy made the arrangements.

It is not a large leap to see this could happen with disabled children or others. Rather then careing for them put them in an institution and sign away parental rights. It breaks my heart to read about parents aborting their children when they find the child will not be"normal".

In keeping with transparency, I am multiply disabled. I was born with Turners Syndrome, a form of dwarfism and have some of the complications it brings. I have severe hearing loss, glaucoma, diabetes and the list goes on. The list of medications I take is not short, but not as long as other, and some of them are not cheap. They keep me as healthy as possible and able to be with my grandchildren. I am thankful for my husband of thirty one years who has stood by me as these things have come along as we have grown older. There are times when my frustration about thing has gotten the best of me and I have snapped at him when it wasn't warranted. I apologize, but once out, like feathers in the wind, the words cannot be taken back. I am thankful for his patience over the years on many fronts.

Mr. Robertson, I pray you will rethink your position on this. Scripture states we are all "fearfullly and wonderfully made." We are "knit in our mothers womb". We are are precious in his sight and have contributions to make.