X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Virginia church saves fetus with Down syndrome via Facebook

15 Jul, 2013
unborn child with down syndrome

A church in Virginia saves an unborn child with Down syndrome

More than just social media

Facebook, the most utilised social media platform in the world, definitely includes many more perks than mere socialising and advertising. The ubiquity of Facebook has allowed people to rally for protests, start revolutions and more crucially, saving lives.

Stories of people using Facebook to help others are posted everyday. But rarely has anyone seen a display of humanity like this benevolent deed. Daily Mail reported of a church in Gainesville, Virginia that managed to interest over 900 families in an unborn child with Down syndrome that would have otherwise been aborted.

RELATED: 5-year-old cancer patient inspires

The child’s salvation

Reverend Thomas Vander Woude begged the six-month pregnant mother of the unborn child with Down syndrome and her partner to let him find an appropriate family for the baby before they finalised on an abortion. Early last Monday, a volunteer at The Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Gainesville posted an appeal that asked if any families were interested in adopting an unborn child with Down syndrome.

This is what Geraldine Zahn Erikson, the volunteer who handles the church’s social media on behalf of Rev. Vander Woude posted on Facebook:

“There is a couple in another state who have contacted an adoption agency looking for a family to adopt their unborn Down’s Syndrome baby. If a couple has not been found by today, they plan to abort the baby. If you are interested in adopting this baby please contact Fr. VW IMMEDIATELY. We are asking all to pray for this baby and the wisdom that this couple realize the importance of human life and do not abort this beautiful gift from God.”

unborn downs syndrome child

The facial features are slightly different in children with Down syndrome among other things.

Since the state disallowed women pregnant over 24 weeks from abortion, Rev. Wander Woude was desperate to find a family for the unborn child with Down syndrome as soon as possible. Eventually, he turned to social media’s power to connect and share the news to people from all around the world.

The parents are now interviewing three potential families with an adopted agency.

RELATED: Woman offered cash to abort Down’s syndrome baby

Overwhelming responses

Church staff member Martha Drennan told The Washington Times, “When we got in and opened up around 9:30, it was nearly nonstop. All day long, we were receiving phone calls from people who wanted to adopt the baby. Father Vander Woude has gotten over 900 emails in regard to the baby.”

The church members are amazed by the overwhelming responses from all over the U.S., and around the globe including England, Puerto Rico and Netherlands.

They are certainly not the only ones taken by surprise to see the amount of people willing to step up and raise a child that does not belong to them, whether the child has Down Syndrome or not.

How would you have reacted in a situation like this with an unborn child with Down syndrome? Let us know your opinions! We’d love to hear! For more on why a child with Down syndrome is a blessing, watch this video:

Partner Stories
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort
Typhoon Haiyan relief effort

For more on this story, visit Catholicherald.com.

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Miss Vanda

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • Virginia church saves fetus with Down syndrome via Facebook
Share:
  • The Upside of Down Syndrome

    The Upside of Down Syndrome

  • Toddler gets featured after being rejected for having Down Syndrome!

    Toddler gets featured after being rejected for having Down Syndrome!

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • The Upside of Down Syndrome

    The Upside of Down Syndrome

  • Toddler gets featured after being rejected for having Down Syndrome!

    Toddler gets featured after being rejected for having Down Syndrome!

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.