My Down’s Baby by Gitty Bulow (4-Minute Inspirational Video)

My Down’s Baby by Gitty Bulow (4-Minute Inspirational Video)

In this powerful video, 23-year-old Denver JewishMOM Gitty Bulow reflects on what it was like to discover that she would be giving birth to a baby with Down syndrome. I think this video is so inspirational, and provides wisdom for coping with all unexpected surprises that life/Hashem sends our way…My Hashem continue to bless Gitty and her husband with much continued nachas from their son Jonah… Thank you to Rabbi Michael Green for sending this my way.

9 comments

  1. This is by far, one of the best videos I have ever seen! As a teacher for children with special needs, I applaud Gitty and her husband for accepting their son for who he is, a little boy! I wish everyone else in our world would look at all children/people with this mindset!

    Blessings, Kelly

  2. On this topic, I highly recommend the book Expecting Adam by Martha Beck. It’s about her journey finding out that she was expecting a Down syndrome baby and her and her husband’s choice to grow from the experience. It is my favorite book. Check it out!

  3. I have been somewhat horrified to discover how even religious women talk about Down Syndrome and pregnancy termination as if it’s not even a question–halachic or moral–to terminate such a pregnancy. I would never judge a parent who makes such a choice and thank God I have never had to face this terrible nisayon, but what bothers me is that the societal expectation these days is that of course you would terminate, and if you decide to keep the pregnancy regardless or especially if you choose not to do the relevant prenatal tests, you are seen as being “irresponsible”.

  4. Shoshanna

    Daniella, I’m an Orthodox parent of a child with Down Syndrome who chose not to do prenatal testing. My own OB/GYN was fine with that decision and non-judgemental. Later, in the hospital, I got some intrusive questioning and comments from other medical staff that I didn’t care for. Once my son was born the whole thing was a non-issue and no one has ever told me I was “irresponsible”. I have since met many parents of kids with DS, and when I hear about the negative information and pressure to terminate that often comes along with a prenatal diagnosis, I am glad I decided to go the route that I did. However, I have hope for change. I think that a prenatal diagnosis can help families and medical staff be more prepared to deal with the complications that can arise from a chromosomal abnormality. I have learned that there are many people of all religious backgrounds who choose not to terminate and I am hopeful that society is becoming more accepting of that choice. I recently also participated in a program that pairs up families with DS kids and students at a local genetic counseling graduate program. In short, the assumption that DS pregnancies should be terminated is NOT universal and with education and outreach attitudes can be changed. Pressuring a family to terminate a pregnancy due to this diagnosis is what’s truly irresponsible.
    I also recommend the book “Choosing Naia: A Family’s Journey”.

    • Daniella

      Shoshanna, are you located in the US or in Israel? I’m specifically talking about Israel. It is a known fact that the genetic counselling here is aggressively pro-abortion when compared to genetic counselling in other countries, and we have the highest rates of medical abortion in the world. We also do more “routine” prenatal tests than any other country in the world! All those things say something about the Israeli attitude towards differentness, and I think it is not very complimentary.

  5. I was very deeply touched by this video. Gitty was so sincere, honest, funny and open about her feelings. I appreciated that very much, it could not have been easy. What an incredible example of choosing to take the higher path.

    It was hard not to fall in love with Jonah!!!!! I positively melted when he gently caressed his mother’s face…. Hashem gave him a very special countenance, he looks HOLY.

    With in-utero “testing” becoming more and more sophisticated these days, that video is the perfect antidote for any overwhelmed religious mother-to-be.

  6. I have one friend who grandson (in Israel) was born with DS – they did not know before. It was tramatic for the parents, but B”h they seem to be coping. Of course DS babies have a higher incident of medical problems, esp. heart – and this special child just had heart surgery but B”h came thru wonderfully. He is truly a beautiful and special little boy. Another friend of mine, many years ago, (we are now in our late 50’s), had a DS baby, and he died of Leukemia at age 2. He spent he first two years in and out of the hospital with heart problems and the Leukemia. May Hashem bless these wonderful children and their parents who care for these babies for as long as they can.

  7. I was told today by a woman that with 2 of her 6 children she was told that they would mostly likely be born with DS. She only did the blood test and the scan, not the amnio test. Both children were born without DS. We are BH expecting our 3rd child and we have with all 3 pregnancies decided not to do any testing, because for us it wouldn’t change our decision to have the child. It would never cross our mind to terminate a pregnancy. I think Jonah is a perfect example of why, he is perfect just the way he is. A beautiful boy who is part of a beautiful family, ba’h.
    Btw, here in Australia the pressure for abortion is also very high if something is “wrong”.

    All the best to you all

  8. Another amazing book, that came out recently, about a family who had hints before the birth of their son being born with DS but were totally happy with him as he is, only in hebrew so far…
    אל הנער הזה התפללתי מאת שלמה בן דור
    http://www.elhanaar.com/

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