You can see that the most important element of a handicapped child's life is that child's family, predominantly mother and father. Not only is it important that the child have both parents but that mother has the backup of father. I could not have carried on without my husband. The reason I oppose your Bill so strongly is that you and your followers are not giving me and the people who oppose your Bill the choice. You argue 'the choice for whom?', but a young girl who has in a moment of carelessness managed to get herself pregnant could not cope with the huge responsibility of bringing up a disabled child and should not be forced to do so. Nobody likes abortion and if research can do something to find out sooner rather than later any problem with the foetus, and I do not mean chorion biopsy as this does not detect spina bifida, then your figures would drop considerably and I and many others would be very happy. However, until that time, do not damn a defenceless little human being to a life of nothing.
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I felt I must write to you not in any spirit of malice but to ask you to please reconsider the implications of your Bill. My life has been altered forever by the events of the last few weeks. The child that my wife and I had so longed for was not only to be severely disabled with spina bifida but would not live due to an inoperable condition. I watched this child come into the world and held her in my arms unable to do anything to save her precious life. As a couple we had decided to forgo any tests as we could not face the decision of aborting for disability but that was our decision. The scans showed no abnormality not even over 30 weeks. It was only the final scan that indicated there might be a problem. We had to go to specialists with the best equipment in the country to find out the real truth of the situation. Now your Bill looms large. Yes we need reform; while I was with my wife I watched premature babies nursed to health by devoted professionals. But would you force a woman to carry an irreparably damaged child against her will? I realise that you care deeply about the rights of the disabled but what of other supporters? Will this government boost spending so that parents of disabled children can lead happy provided-for lives? You know about the problems of poverty and ignorance.