Don’t feel ashamed if you have a child with Down Syndrome!

Every pregnant woman, who has already done blood analysis, which shows that her baby has down syndrome can make genetic investigation-Amniocentesis free of charge at Ghudushauri National Medical Center to assure the fact in maximum 15weeks pregnancy .After the first shocking reaction comes the question; if the mother and Georgian society is ready for having children like this.
The geneticist Lali Margvelashvili says that Amniocentesis in Georgia is performed for one year. Ultrasound investigation can show in earliest 11weeks pregnancy if there is the chance the fetus can have Down syndrome. Blood analyze could be only 80% true and that’s why they do Amniocentesis, which is 100%correct.It is a medical procedure in which a small amount of fluid, which contains fetal tissues is examined for genetic abnormalities. In 15weeks pregnancy, when abortion is possible it’s up to mother what will she decides. As Margvelashvili says there is no exact statistics In Georgia about the number of pregnant women with Down syndrome.”AS I know 23cases were found out with Down syndrome during prenatal diagnosis in our clinic last year, “says Margvelashvili.She can’t say exact numbers but some of them decided to make an abortion.
Psychotherapeutic Lika Tushishvili also agrees that there is no exact statistic about the people with Down syndrome in Georgia. As she says the reason could be that families are ashamed of having the children like this.”There is some kind of assistance for the children with Down syndrome in our country, but the families refuse to take this because they don’t want to talk loud about the issue, “says Tushishvili.When a few families turn to the psychologist expensive procedure-about GEL25 for an hour to help their child, they should realize that first they need help. “The parent must adjust the idea, that their child is a little bit different, with law mental abilities, but as normal member of the society as any of us in the world. Psychologist also helps the child to feel the same and makes him feel that he has the right to be happy with his life, “says Tushishvili.
The mother of 3year-year-old Sergi Stepanishvili still hopes that her son visually looks like as to be born with Down syndrome and the proper treatment can cure him. During prenatal care she knew nothing. When she found out after the childbirth that her baby had Down syndrome she thought to live him in the puerperal, but her elder daughter didn’t let her do this. Now everything has changed, the whole family cares with a lot of love about him, but as almost all the parents of this kind of children in Georgia they are reluctant to talk about this problem sociably. Although they live very needy they try to do their best and do investigations for improving his condition. As the pediatrician of Stepanishvili says he doesn’t have any extra complications with his health:”Mostly he has cough problem. In all his health condition is satisfactory this time”.
Worldwide is estimated the incidence of Down syndrome 1 per 800 to 1,000 births. Stephanie Dietrich was seven month pregnant when she found out that her baby could be born with Down syndrome. Since that time the whole family including elder daughter Sophie 10, started getting used to the Idea that Marie is as ordinary person as they are and have the same rights as every human in the world. “It would be extremely difficult to decide abortion or not in the very moment, if I had ability to make genetic investigation of Down syndrome in early pregnancy. But I think I would choose the life of my child, “said Mrs. Dietrich mother of 5-year-old Marie:”Sure a lot of things changed after her birth. She needs a lot of and especial care, it’s hard, but Marie is my life.” Now Mrs. Dietrich is an active member of the Family Association which has children with Down syndrome In Germany to encourage young mothers who find out with early testing that they could have the children with the same symptoms not to make abortion and get used to it.

Down syndrome is a combination of birth defects, including some degree of mental retardation and characteristic facial features; an unusually round face, an abnormally small chin, protruding or oversized tongue, an almond shape to the eyes. Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder caused by the presence of all or part of an extra 21st chromosome.

Jews in Georgia

They are almost 8 thousand in Georgia, Call themselves Georgian Jews and have the same problems as each Georgian today has: jobs and not enough salaries.
“We are Georgians, “said Avimilikh Rosenblatt the deputy of main Rabbi,” I am born and grown up in Tbilisi. We have nothing to complain against Georgian government and society. On the contrary they are always ready to help us in any case if we need their maintenance.”
In Judaism, a rabbi is a religious teacher. As Rosenblatt said Jews in Georgia come to him always with religious problems, because religion defines all the aspect of their life. On the holidays they have a very strict law about working, it’s forbidden for them to work on some holidays. Most of Jews work with Georgian employers and almost all Georgians make exception for them and let them have a holiday even if it is a working day in the whole Georgia.
“If there is any special case and employer insists on working, because of some need we try together to find any way-out, because we have some laws and all Jews have to obey this laws, “said Rosenblatt, “But this kind of issues happen very seldom.“
Georgian Jews meet each other in Synagogue. There are two Synagogues in Tbilisi on Leselidze Street. Rosenblatt said that Synagogue is financed from contributions. They have different rituals every day and Jews buy the right to take part in these rituals through the auctions. The more people take part in the auctions the more money is contributed. The number of the prayers lessened last time and the Synagogue doesn’t have as much money as before. Sometimes some international organizations make contributions for Synagogue.Jews pray three times a day, once in the morning and two times in the evenings. Isaac Beridze who tries to come to Synagogue every evening can’t also remember any kind of discrimination from Georgian people:
“We don’t really have any lack of attention from Georgian government,” said Beridze,”We have regular relations with Georgians. Journalists also come when we have any holidays or special events. We live here as in our home town and have exactly the same problems what Georgian Orthodox’s today have.“
As Isaac Beridze said they have some Jewish newspapers and NGOs in Tbilisi, “The 26th Century”, “Club of Jewesses” who have connections with Journalists and give them information if something special or interesting happens. Thematically their events are almost religious.
His relative,74year-old Jacob Xaxiashvili who moved to Israel because of some private reasons and visits Georgia very often tried to explain their condition with a little joke:”If we are religious minority in Georgia, they call us ethnic minority in Israel, because we are here Jews and in Israel Georgian Jews, “said Xaxiashvili.
Georgian-speaking Jewry is one of the oldest surviving Jewish communities in the world. The Georgian Jews have approximately 2,600-year history in the region.Some claim they are descendants of the exiled ten tribes of Israel by Shalmaneser V of Assyria. Another more popular view is that the first Jews made their way to southern Georgia after Nebuchadnezzar conquest of Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. and exile in Babylon
The Georgian public defender raised the question of registering status of religious minorities. The deputy of Rabbi said that Jewish government is actively taking part in the negotiations:”Although we live in normal conditions in Georgia we have nothing against having status, “said Avimilikh,”Rosenblatt This is a more privilege for Jews. “