Thanks to you, it sounds like your son has a great head on his
shoulders!!  I think both you and he are doing just fine!!

Continued good luck and happyness to you both!!-Gary


On Thu, 29 Apr 1999, Elaine P. Kane wrote:

>         I, for one, am glad that this "discussion" has come up - no matter
> how it started! First off, I want to applaud the entire group for their
> ability to accept other's posts without dumping on them or placing their own
> value system over someone else's. Just imagine if the whole world worked this
> way??? So before anything else, PLEASE-acknowledge yourselves for the
> open-mindedness and care and respect that has been shown through this thread.
> It makes me very proud to be a part of this group.
>         OK-- I am off my soap box, now. The other reason I wanted to speak up
> about this topic being openly discussed is that your posts are helping me to
> heal. I made the choice after my car accident (when I was 4 mos. pregnant
> with my son, Joshua) to not have a therapeutic abortion. 12 of 13 doctors
> voted for the abortion. My decision was really a selfish one. I only wanted
> to live to have this baby. If I had lost the baby, I would have given up and
> died!
>         When Joshua was born and showed signs of any disability, I never even
> blinked. I just immediately went to work (as any good OT would do!) and
> started early intervention. I love my son with all of my heart. He is now 16
> and is in a power wheelchair with CP. I struggle daily with guilt feelings
> about his disability and wonder whether I did him a disservice by being so
> deviant about not having an abortion at the time of the accident. Joshua
> tells me that he is glad to be here the way he is, but I am the one that
> struggles. The dialogue of this group helps me tremendously with that
> struggle. It has been painful to read some of these posts, but necessary as
> well.
>         I thank you all for your candor and your spirit. I can
> "intellectualize" as well as anyone and share my beliefs. The posts over the
> past week have been very therapeutic for me in my healing. I thank each one
> of you from the bottom of my heart. I pray that Joshua will someday as an
> adult still feel as he does now about the decisions I made without his
> consent.   <3 Elaine
>