By By Derek Varsalona

I have always held the view that a society can be judged by how it treats their most vulnerable members. On Yon Kippur, Oct. 13, 2005, a disturbing report hit the Web site of lifenews.com. This article was written by Steve Ertlet, the site’s editor. According to Ertlet, “Some parents of disabled unborn children are concerned that doctors are increasingly pressuring women carrying babies with physical or mental handicaps to have abortions.”

Well, for the record, I am one of those people.

When I was born on Sept. 1, 1980, the doctors told my parents that I lost oxygen to the brain at birth. They said in the best-case scenario I would have extensive brain damage and more than likely would not make it to the next day. With extensive brain damage one could assume college would have been a pipe dream.

Beth Allard is in the same situation as my mother. During her pregnancy, the doctors discovered a problem after conducting a routine ultrasound. “They called me at work to tell me you have two weeks to decide if you’re going to keep this child,” Allard said.

She told ABC News they emphasized the problems of raising a mentally challenged baby and gave her no hope. Not many mothers, or people for that matter, might understand how hard it is to hear this.

Brian Skoto is a student at Harvard University who might be able to understand. He conducted a study about mothers and mentally retarded children. At the end of his study, he concluded that physicians of mothers with potentially mentally retarded children held a negative view of bringing the child to term.

I can assure you choosing life is never an awful thing. I have come a long way and beaten my Cerebral Palsy and have faced every challenge head on. The doctors who talked to my parents thought I had no shot at college. They figured I would need specialized education at a special school such as Henry Viscardi.

I have defied their expectations. I went to a public elementary school, public middle school and public high school. I went to Nassau Community College and am now in my senior year here at the University, with a major in communications and a minor in political science. I can walk, run and play a lot of sports with out any adaptive devices. I have a permit and am learning to drive.

I have also competed in the New York State games for the physically challenged from elementary school until middle school. I have won gold medals in every swimming event and placed in track and field events. One of my dreams is to compete in the Paralympics, the Olympics for people with disabilities. These games are held in the same city that the Olympics are held in-two or three weeks prior to or after the Olympics. I also played in sports leagues when I was younger with athletes that did not have any disabilities.

I have learned a lot here at the University. I want to keep learning by going for at least a masters degree while working. I have defied the odds of all my critics, even the doctors who delivered me. My life is precious. Choose and respect life; your mother did.