Life of the Week: Noah’s Dad

Noah, courtesy of Noahsdad.com.

When Rick Smith and his wife found out their newborn son had Down syndrome, their life momentarily turned upside-down. As with any of us who have received a diagnosis for our child, there were a million questions to ask, each coated in fear and anxiety. Rick set out to do what many parents have done – he started a blog to show the world just how normal his son and his life are. But he did it with a pro-life message.

On his blog, Rick writes:

Shortly after [Noah’s] birth we were shocked to learn that 92 percent of children diagnosed with Down syndrome through prenatal testing were aborted.

Sadly, he’s right. He even talks about how the doctor apologized and went back through his wife’s records to see if something had been missed, something that may have given Rick and his wife an out – through abortion.

So Rick set out to change the way the world views people with Down syndrome. He set out to teach expectant parents not to be so afraid when their child is diagnosed with Down syndrome. With his simple wording like “child-less (no-child-out-of-the-womb) couple” when he referred to himself and his pregnant wife, he is expressing to the world his belief in life before birth.

Expressing a pro-life view can invite some harsh words from readers, like “I wouldn’t want the burden of having a child with Down Syndrome. I would have terminated the pregnancy.” But by expressing those pro-life beliefs, Rick has saved lives. The criticisms are more than worth it.

One parent wrote to him saying:

I just got the phone call last night that my blood work was abnormal and my child may possibly have Down’s Syndrome. […] While my first thought was to abort if DS was confirmed all that has changed thanks to your story and others like yours.

Then, on National Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, Rick posted about his pro-life stance. This particular post was called “A Mother’s Womb, The Most Dangerous Place In The World For A Baby With Down Syndrome,” and in it, Rick talks about what we can do to change the world’s view of abortion as a whole and abortion of children with Down syndrome in particular. He talks about how it’s wrong for us to remain silent about abortion and says that by sharing our stories and our views, we can help families, we can help parents, we can help children. He writes:

People aren’t burdens. People are gifts from God. Created in His image for a purpose. Every. single. person. on. this. planet … in the womb, or out. Let me say it again, this time read it slowly. Every person on this planet is a gift from God, created in His image for a great purpose.

Noah’s obvious – but not only – purpose is to help his father fulfill one of his purposes: to save lives of unborn children with Down syndrome. And for that, we salute them both.

Editor’s Note: This summer, we will be providing you with a Life of the Week story every Friday. Our previous Life of the Week articles are here:

• Life of the Week: Coming your way soon

• Life of the Week: Marlena Diedrich and the Acts of Grace Foundation

• Life of the Week: One mom’s hopeful journey from infertility to fulfilled dreams

• Life of the Week: Rapper’s heartbreaking video on regretting abortion has 6+million views

• Life of the Week: From abortion to pro-life speaker

• Life of the Week: Two students bike to save unborn babies

• Life of the Week: Standing for life in Texas

• Life of the Week: Midwife fights against describing children as “monsters”

• Life of the Week: Eli Project gives orphans hope and homes

• Life of the Week: Defying the doctors and the odds with Trisomy 18

Please come back each Friday to find a new featured Life of the Week!