{"id":207580,"date":"2019-07-26T15:09:33","date_gmt":"2019-07-26T20:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=207580"},"modified":"2019-08-05T13:19:24","modified_gmt":"2019-08-05T18:19:24","slug":"today-show-down-syndrome-negative-didnt-tell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/today-show-down-syndrome-negative-didnt-tell\/","title":{"rendered":"SHAME: Today Show portrayed Down syndrome in a purely negative light. Here’s what they didn’t tell you."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East is expecting her first child with her husband, Andrew East. They had previously suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage<\/a>, and were thrilled to find out they were expecting again<\/a>. But that excitement turned to fear when they discovered their child might have Down syndrome.<\/p>\n

The Today Show covered the couple’s\u00a0pregnancy journey<\/a>, including the complications that were found at a routine 20-week ultrasound. It turned out their baby had a two-vessel umbilical cord to the placenta, as well as dilated kidneys. These can be considered markers for Down syndrome, and the couple was recommended to undergo genetic testing.<\/p>\n

“We canceled everything we had that day, and just huddled up on the couch, and prayed,” Johnson East recalled in a video she posted, adding, “If our test came back and our baby had Down syndrome, we would love that baby more than anything in the entire world… but in our hearts, as parents, as every parent out there prays and hopes, you hope for a healthy baby.”<\/p>\n

The feelings expressed by the East family are not surprising; when facing a disability diagnosis, it’s natural for any parent to be scared and uncertain. But the question is, why<\/em>? The coverage from Natalie Morales at the Today Show offers a clue:<\/p>\n