IN MY SHOES: What It’s Like To Be A Governor With A Child Who Has Down Syndrome
At 44-years old and four months pregnant with her fifth child, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) found out that the baby would have Down Syndrome, which is caused by the presence of an extra copy of the 21st chromosome so that each cell has three copies instead of one from each parent. She tells The Associated Press about whether having a special-needs child will affect her ability to lead the nation’s largest state:
[The] prenatal testing were in, and the doctor's tone was ominous: “You need to come to the office so we can talk about it.”
Palin responded, “No, go ahead and tell me over the phone.” …
Her growing reputation as a maverick, for bucking her party's establishment and Alaska's powerful oil industry, quickly gained her a national reputation.
All that seemed put into question after the doctor's call in December …
Once her husband got the news, he told her: “We shouldn't be asking, ‘Why us?’ We should be saying, ‘Well, why not us?’” …
[T]here was never any doubt they would have the child, and on April 18 Sarah Palin gave birth to Trig Paxson Van Palin.
“We've both been very vocal about being pro-life. We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential.” …
Three days after giving birth, Palin returned to work in her Anchorage office, accompanied by Trig and her husband.
This was not a mother's typical visit to the office to show off the new baby; instead, she was serving notice that a child of special needs will not hinder her professional commitments. …
“It's a sign of the times to be able to do this. … There is no reason to believe a woman can't do it with a growing family. My baby will not be at all or in any sense neglected.”
Neither, Palin said, will the state, as she prepares to lead deliberations on a multibillion-dollar natural gas pipeline. That is the economic future of the state, a means of getting North Slope natural gas to consumers throughout North America.
“I will not shirk my duties.”
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