I would just like to clarify to some people who seem to be confused as to what DS screening actually is. DS screening does NOT tell you if your child has Down Syndrome. It simply tells you if you are in a low risk category or high risk category. You can be low risk & still have a baby with DS or you can be high risk & not have a baby with DS. The only definite way to find out is to have an amnio & this IS available in N.I if any mother wishes to have it. I was simply trying let people know that to be given a high risk of DS, yet not know for definite (as you may well be after DS screening) is not desirable either. Your hormones & emotions are all over the place & yes you are vulnerable. Some people may be easily influenced by others to do things they wouldnt normally. Or out of pure fear of the unknown. This is an emotive subject for people & I am not surprised by the responses. Only 6% of people with DS actually survive due to some having defects & not surviving the pregnancy / birth. The rest are aborted. I totally agree with the previous post that states we should be educating others that Down Syndrome is NOT an awful affliction. That the future is bright for our children & our families. We need to be proactive in trying to erase the stigma which still lingers so that mothers are NOT afraid & traumatised at birth. I wish Catherine all the best with her campaign & I am NOT slating her for one second. Having been through the experience myself I simply disagree with her. I do not believe DS screening is the way forward.

I just wanted to say to catherine and her family well done on speaking out so bravely. I to feel that to be prepared beforehand, where you can meet other families with downs syndrome children, is something that should be incorporated into ante natal screening here in NI.Even just to be able to join a group or attend a meeting before hand would be very helpful. I know that by watching you and your husband with your wee girl Eve how much you love her. Well done for raising this matter in DOWNS SYNDROME week. xxx

I am disgusted by people giving this family a hard time. THis lady is only trying to higlight the fact that for some people, the more information you have prior, the better you cope mentally. Nobody is saying that DS screening should be mandatory for every pregnant woman - but it would be nice to have that option. It is clear from the clip that Catherine has a loving bond with her children, and never once mentioned abortion - obviously the Minister felt this was something he needed to talk about in his letter. Everybody has a hard time in lift, some more than others - I am not for one moment suggesting that having a child with DS is a walk in the park, but I dont think you can pip one against the other for healthiness!!! Just cut this lady and her beautiful family some slack please!!! and let her carry on the good fight!!!

Catherine, I would just like to comment on this as I received an antenatal probability of my baby having Down Syndrome at my 20 week scan. This was due to my child having a severe cardiac defect & we were given a 70 - 80% probability of Downs too. I did not receive a specific test for DS, but the particular heart defect was a marker for DS. I was also shocked & devastated at both of these news but decided against amnio for fear of harming our baby. Although I didnt know for certain, my grieving process began before I even met my little baby & I really do think that I may have coped better had he been here. If I had my baby to cuddle. I felt that I couldnt contact my local Down Syndrome group during pregnancy as I didnt know for definite if he had DS or not. I was isolated for the remaining five months & suffered greatly from panic attacks, not because of Down Syndrome but because I worried if my baby would be born alive or not. That was my greatest concern. Its true that I did read up about Down syndrome, theres lots of information out there about various complications etc. but in truth I really dont feel this information benefited me in anyway. Not when the baby was so young anyway. All babies can have complications and like any mother you just get on with it & give your child what he / she needs. I would have to admit that being knowledgeable about my baby's heart problems was of benefit, although again nothing really prepares you until you go through it. The birth of my baby was also somewhat spoilt by the knowledge of the possibilty of DS. Once I heard his cry & knew he was alive my next instinct was to check if he had DS. I do regret that this was one of the first things I did when I first met my baby, it sort of spoilt the magic, but I guess thats the downside of having too much information. Although you say you do not condone it, my main fear if this test is offered is that people will consider abortion as an option - something which horrifies me personally. I think perhaps the report did not do your arguement any great favours as on first read I was appalled by it. As Julie says it was the response you received from the Dept of Health which highlighted abortion rather than your comments but I think it was quite confusing until I read it again. One other thing. You say we all have our crosses to bear. Perhaps you did not mean to be offensive but I thought I should let you know that I do not regard my child as a cross that I have to bear. He is simply the best thing to have ever happened my family. We have learned so much from him in his short life & I am very much looking forward to the future. Wishing you and your family a very great future also x

I felt I had to reply to you Catherine, I don't think you should have been surprised to get such responses, especially when an article such as this is aired, on what was World Downs Syndrome Day 21/3... However, I have to say that I feel that you were very brave, and very honest to have followed through with what you believe in. That in itself shows great strength. I do understand how you feel and I will admit that 22 months on I still have days when I feel absolutely devastated and frightened for the future. I think also that the response you received from the Dept of Health as reported fuelled the abortion debate, not any of your comments in your interview. I was 32 when I had my only son, and like you was never offered any test, neither did it cross my mind at all that it there would even be a possibility of DS or anything other problem with my baby. I stand by what I said, for ME, a prenatal diagnosis would have made no difference, no amount of information could have prepared me for a similar birth story to your own. I think it would have made me worse. But, everyone is different and handle things in their own ways. Catherine, might I add, I was also shocked by some of the other comments that were posted. I got my perfect little parcel; he's just wrapped up in a different way. All the very best to you and Eve for the future, our little angels in disguise x