This picture is posted on a Facebook Page called “Down Syndrome Awareness.” (Not including the words I’ve added)  I’ve posted on the picture to let the person know that first, the statistic is wrong, and second, that I’m pretty sure he didn’t get permission from Kelle Hampton to use her daughter’s photo. The person who owns the page did the same thing that the other person did last week who had stolen a picture of Abby for his own page: he deleted the comments instead of taking down the picture. Why? Because crap like this gets SHARES and shares build facebook pages.  It’s not just these pages. Tomorrow, the whole Down syndrome world will blow up in honor of World Down Syndrome Day. People will use that statistic over and over again thinking that they are spreading Down syndrome awareness.  I don’t think it does that.

So…my plea:

Please. Please, I beg of you. Stop using this statistic. Not just because it’s wrong- which it is, but because I don’t think it’s doing ANYONE any good. Think about it.

A pregnant woman is thinking about whether or not to keep her baby that was just diagnosed with Down syndrome. She researches about Down syndrome and sees that damn statistic over and over and over again. What kind of influence do you think that will have on her? A positive one?  To  hear that 9 out of 10 women in her position choose to abort?

What about people with Down syndrome? How do you think it makes THEM feel to hear that people choose 9 times out of 10 to abort someone like them? Do you think they don’t understand that? They do.

Tell me how this raises awareness? I’m serious. Someone tell me. Tell me how this helps schools, lawmakers and medical professionals WANT to put more money into Down syndrome causes?  It’s not going to make researchers want to learn more about a condition that people believe is becoming more rare.

Please. I beg of you. Stop.