Down syndrome creates a plethora of obstacles for both children with this condition and their parents. Two families are particularly notorious for having given birth to children with Down syndrome – Herzenbergs and Whites. Although they faced this problem in different time periods, there are similarities between their obstacles. Understanding what constitutes karyotype and Down syndrome is essential in ascertaining what challenges Herzenbergs and Whites have.
In total, humans have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes in the nucleus of each cell. The easiest way to ascertain the presence of an extra chromosome is to look at the person’s karyotype, which is a visualization of all chromosomes as a static image. Down syndrome refers to a genetic disorder that causes intellectual disabilities due to the presence of extra genetic material in the cells.
The first challenge that the White family encountered was the decision of what to do with the fetus. The Herzenberg family had the same dilemma, yet the difference was the absence of a prenatal diagnosis. It was only after the birth that Herzenbergs knew that the child had Down syndrome, while Whites could contemplate the idea of abortion (Hershkowitz 04:20). The next challenge was the necessity to care for a child with intellectual disabilities. Herzenbergs decided not to raise their son at home, while Whites accepted their daughter in the family.
It should also be noted that both children had distinct physical features that indicated their genetic condition. However, Michael Herzenberg also had heart problems, which caused the cessation of breathing on several occasions (Harris 05:00). At the same time, there was no indication of health problems shown in Perfect. Most of the discussed challenges were psychological in nature for parents. One final difference between Herzenbergs and Whites was publicity. Herzenbergs made a deliberate decision to separate their child with Down syndrome from their family. In contrast, Whites were open about the condition of their daughter, with the father making a social statement out of his participation in marathons with his daughter.
Altogether, it should be evident that both families faced the same psychological stigma regarding people with intellectual disabilities. The advancement of technology has allowed contemporary families to know in advance the prospect of giving birth to a child with Down syndrome, which was not possible for Herzenbergs. Yet, despite knowing it, Whites accepted the child in their family, unlike Herzenbergs, who chose to raise their son separately from the family.
Works Cited
“E:60 – “Perfect” – Heath White.” Vimeo, uploaded by Toby Hershkowitz. Web.
Harris, Marry. “Only Human: A Birth that Launched the Search for a Down Syndrome Test.”NPR, 2016.