I’d have to imagine at least some of the people filing “wrongful life” lawsuits don’t really mean it. They just see a cash cow that could be milked and they know that providing for a special needs child is expensive. And maybe they figure that the child will never know that they sued for “wrongful life” or that they’re saying in court documents they would’ve killed them in the womb if they’d known they had special needs.
That’s about the best spin I can put on it.
LifeNews.com reports:
Parents Brock and Rhea Wuth were awarded $50 million by a Washington jury for the “wrongful birth” of their five-year-old son, Oliver. Oliver was born with an “unbalanced chromosome translocation,” a genetic defect that affects the little boy mentally and physically.
He is unable to run, walk up stairs, or speak more than a few dozen words. The Wuths’ attorney states that Oliver will need “24/7 care for the rest of his life.”
Oliver’s parents won their suit against Valley Medical Center and Laboratory Corporation of America. The companies were found dually liable in missing Oliver’s condition before birth.
So the good news kiddo is that we’re rich. But please don’t ask how we got that way.
I think that even if people are doing this kind of thing with the intention of providing for the child, it’s no good. It coarsens the culture. It makes a statement to the world.
I look back on my own life and see the sometimes negative impact I’ve had on other people’s lives through what I’ve said or done in my own life. We really do affect others by our words and actions.
Think of all the people who see these people out with their child. They know about this lawsuit and it makes it easier for others to view life as discardable.
So it could be your child will never know that you sued for wrongful life. But so many others will. And think of the fate of those children who will be seen as discardable.
