About the whole "she's high functioning and doesn't understand that my kid isn't toilet trained" bit

[conuly]

Well, kinda about that!

Aside from the truly hysterical irony of the whole thread, it reminded me of a conversation I had with my mom the same day I posted that CNN article about euthanasia. You know, the one which involved infants with, in one case, "severe spina bifida".

Me: What I don't get is the spina bifida thing. Isn't spina bifida, like, nonfatal?
Mommy: Yes, but the thing is...
Me: *eager anticipation*
Mommy: Well, it's a lack of proper development, so for instance a lot of them are incontinent...
Me: Um, yeah?
Mommy: ...and so they're in diapers their whole lives...
Me: *thinking about that autistics.org article* Yeah, and?
Mommy: ...and they walk strangely....
Me: ...
Me: You've got to be kidding me.

I'm still not sure if she meant that seriously or was just paraphrasing the ideas of people who worry about their poor crippled children, but I was *very* freaked out.

Comments

[deathchibi.livejournal.com]

Um, the first crush I ever, ever had, in the 5th grade, was my friend with spina bifida. He was perfectly normal, as far as I knew, save that he was wheelchair bound. Mind, he was a badass when it came to upper boddy strength compared to the rest of my friend, but he was a good friend.

What it is is usually the spinal column doesn't quite cover the spinal cord. Unfortunately, depending on how bad things are, this means that big, honking bundle of nerves isn't protected. Our spines are <3 to us.

Most of them are NT, normal, standard, average, what have you mentally. It's just sometimes there's the shunt thingy problem (Bleah. Sorry.).

I dunno, I guess if it's really, really severe... but most people with spina bifida seem able to get along just fine and are sort of happy their parents didn't euthanize them.

[conuly]

In a wheelchair or used a wheelchair, isn't it? Lots of people don't like wheelchair bound.

most people with spina bifida seem able to get along just fine and are sort of happy their parents didn't euthanize them.

*laughs*

I'm sorry, the way you said that makes me laugh.

[deathchibi.livejournal.com]

Oh, well, he wasn't *tied* to it, nor was it his destiny. I had a politically incorrect brain fart. :(