Equal medical rights for people in Ireland with Downs Syndrome

People i.e.: sons, daughters, aunts , uncles, brothers , sisters and cousins; with downs syndrome in Ireland are being denied access to vital medical care of all types due to their condition. This appalling policy means they cant have heart transplants and other life saving procedures. Why? Because their limitations mean they wont have the same quality of life as a normal person so they don't merit our best efforts to save their lives .

How do we define quality of life is it attainment of wealth, or building of things, or doing things or should it be the contribution that a person makes to the world around them and the enjoyment they can attain from people who are differently abled are some of the most joyous and loving people who embrace each day and live it to its fullest this is a quality of life that far exceeds the dreary attitudes of some so called normal people. The term normal is so vague in this modern age of diversity that it only serves to exclude vast amounts of people depending on the defining parameters.

In this country the right to life of these individuals and all individuals is protected by our constitution whilst they are in the womb surely we should afford them the same protection after birth when family bonds have been established .

Having nobody with downs syndrome in my family i feel that i view this horrendous inadequacy in an objective rather than purely emotional manner which is not to say there is not some degree of strong emotion in my outrage at this situation.

Remember a society can be best judged by how we treat the weakest of our citizens and not the strongest and with this situation in mind we fail that test miserably.

If you feel the same as i do please sign below so that the relevant bodies can be informed of your feelings.