II Thousands Speak (continued) Disabled people
Ellen was certainly not the only disabled person that wrote to us. We received many letters not only from disabled people themselves but also the parents, relatives and friends of disabled people putting their case. These letters were often very mixed and dealt with not only the problems that disabled people faced, but the problems for the family as a whole. This next section of letters are first from those people around the disabled person and finally from disabled people themselves. These letters illustrate well what the late Lord Cohen of Birkenhead, who was closely associated with the genesis of the British NHS, felt about the aborting of mentally or physically disabled children. 'No doctor could subscribe to this view ... who has seen the love and devotion which bring out all that is best in men when lavished on such a child.' Our baby was sadly stillborn. We knew early in my pregnancy that she would probably be severely handicapped, if she lived. We never thought for one minute of termination, our only concern was what we could do for her welfare. We have other children all of which have been precious gifts and our last child was no less so because of her handicap. Mothers who abort, I believe, can never mentally heal or overcome obvious feelings of guilt and loss which follow. Plenty of people are waiting to adopt. In fact one of our children is adopted.
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After an eventful second pregnancy I gave birth to a son. Immediately he was taken away from me and transferred to a larger teaching hospital, because he required urgent surgery. However, at this hospital we were told that this was only the beginning of his problems and concern was expressed for almost every organ in his body. We were then asked by the registrar to consider whether or not we wanted him to have this operation or let him 'die naturally' (although with him