Sanctity of Life?

It has been a while since I blogged, and even longer since I ranted, but today I saw something that has made me want to rant. There is a story on CNN about a couple who was successful in a lawsuit for "wrongful life." I may not get all of the facts straight, but this couple had a child a few years ago that was born with a genetic defect. A doctor diagnosed the defect, and the family is dealing with it. Apparently the child can't break down cholesterol, communicate, and is in need of constant care. Family is pregnant with a second child. This child is born and has some of the same complications (which might be significant because I think that a genetic test ruled out the defect that the first child was diagnosed with). Anyway, both children are now diagnosed with a different genetic defect and are in need of constant care and will probably never be able to communicate. So what does the couple do? Sues the doctor that mis-diagnosed the first child's defect because if he had diagnosed it correctly, the second child could have been tested for that particular defect and been aborted. Not only that, but a Florida jury awards the family $21 million because the baby should not have been born.

There are so many things wrong with this scenario. First, why should a baby have its life taken just because it has a defect? Since when have we defined humans as those who can communicate or care for themselves? Whose quality of life are we really concerned about here? Isn't it the parents' quality of life that is more at issue than the child's? All that both children need is to feel the love of their parents. Instead they are treated as a burden because they cannot provide anything in return? I know that I haven't been faced with a situation like this so I don't understand what the parents must be going through, but to actually bring a lawsuit saying that this baby should have never been born is awful. Apparently the award was based on the medical expenses that this baby will experience throughout its life. I know that it must be difficult, physically, emotionally, financially, to deal with two children like that, but to sue because the child lived is absurd. It shows that we live in a society that puts certain standards that one must meet in order to be allowed to live, and those standards are decided by people who justify their decision on a number of things. Parents should be selfless and make sacrifices, not sue because their children are an inconvenience and/or financial burden. However, this is what happens when abortion becomes another form of birth control and children are terminated in the womb for any reason.