Trisomy 18

I stole this video from a friend's blog because I was so incredibly touched by it. Trisomy 18 is a terminal genetic disease that doesn't allow for a very long life at all...most babies don't make it to birth and those that do typically die within hours of being born. It's pretty rare - 1 in 3000 births. I've heard about it a lot recently, probably due to my condition. I thought this video was really moving and wanted to share again what an incredible blessing a child is. Please click on "video" up above if you feel so inclined. Here is some additional information I found on the Trisomy 18 Foundation website:

At conception, 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 chromosomes from the mother combine to create a baby with 46 chromosomes in each cell, two of each type. Each chromosome holds a particular "position" in the cell and carries certain genetic material. A trisomy occurs when a baby has three chromosomes in one position instead of the normal two.

The most common trisomy is Trisomy 21, also known as Down Syndrome, where a baby has three of the twenty-first chromosome. Trisomy 18 is the second most common trisomy and occurs when a baby has three of the eighteenth chromosome. This results in 47 chromosomes instead of the normal 46 in the affected cells. It is this extra genetic material that causes the problems associated with Trisomy 18.