This is Dr Lee's original letter to the ST Forum, printed on 15
September 2006.
Note the title: "DON'T SALVAGE LIVES THAT WILL WEIGH ON
FAMILY"
Coincidentally recently I've been doing a bit of pondering on this
issue, whether parents-to-be, who know their child will certainly
be born with serious defects, should keep the child.
If we look at the issue humanely, one might say that the child has
a right to live.
But as a parent, do we not have the right to decide for a child,
who is still unable to see the obstacles that are abound in his
future and hence come to a decision he truly desires?
How do you know the child wants to live or not?
Even if you say the child should be given a chance at life, will he
suffer more if you terminate his life before he comes into the
world, or will he suffer more if you let him live on and attempt to
overcome all adversities that may fall unto his path (and may not
even have a truly happy ending)?
And the above is only secondary.
The primary argument here is, who will look after your child after
you pass on? Even if you manage to save enough to put him into a
nursing home, can you guarantee the nursing home will always be
around, and always be able to provide for your child? What if one
day the nursing home closes down, and they cannot find any other
which is willing to take in your child? Will your child be able to
take the blow of losing his parents, after decades of being so
close to and being taken care of by his parents?
And to put it rather heartlessly, what is the worth of the child's
life, if he is unable to contribute to the community at all (not to
even mention economically, in this ugh ugh world)?
These are my harshest words. Berate me... whatever.
