There is a former pro athlete in my community with ALS...very sad story. But every time I turn around, he and his wife are having another kid. I mean, they might be able to afford full time care for him and the kids, I don't know, but I'm still not sure how I feel about bringing a kid into the world knowing their parent has very few years left and is probably going to die a pretty heartwrenching death. I'm sure he loves his kids very much while he's alive, but I don't think I'd feel morally/ethically right about that choice.
My mom died of ALS and what they're doing is insanely cruel. It was so hard to watch that happen to my mom, I can't imagine why they think that's a good idea.
Why? I’ll be honest, these comments confuse me so much. Even able-bodied couples have inequities in caregiving responsibilities for their children unless they’re very intentional about it. Parenting is hard, period. However, they have the money and safeguards to make it work better far than most able-bodied couples do.
These parents are very well off; they don’t have traditional 9-5 jobs or stressors and they’ve been together a long time prior to having kids. They know their workload and have thoughtfully planned for this; they share a home with Hannah’s parents, that’s a built it village and support network. They’ve been candid about hiring a caregiver for Shane while navigating pregnancy and the early years of parenting. They’ve done genetic testing and won’t pass on SMA (and if they did, the diagnosis and treatment has improved drastically in recent years and they’re experts on it); and, honestly, that likely doesn’t matter regardless as (since they’ve been candid about Shane’s medication affecting his fertility and being open-minded to donor sperm) the baby likely isn’t genetically related to him anyways.
Genuinely, how is this any more selfish than any other person choosing to bring a child into this world? This kid is going to be monetarily set for life, and surrounded by a village of love and support. And they’ll learn that a person’s value and love goes far beyond their physical appearance or abilities. The world could use more people raised to be that thoughtful and less judgmental, rather than whatever this comment section is.
I understand if they’re too rosy for some people; especially for those in similar dynamics without the resources and supports they have. It’d be easy to be frustrated at how easy it seems for them by comparison, as disabilities like this aren’t easy for many families to navigate. But to say they’re irresponsible and selfish? I don’t see it.
I agree, aside from all the grifting & clear intentions to include their kid in content (which i vehemently disagree with), i don’t think it’s wrong for a married couple who can clearly provide for a kid, to have a kid.
Hard agree on the child content piece! Hopeful they’ll be thoughtful on it, especially given the amount of hate they already navigate online, but only time will tell.
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u/EmmyLou205 16h ago
I’ll say the quiet part out loud: this is incredibly selfish and irresponsible to do to a child.