Neurofibromatosis Support Group
Neurofibromatosis is usually noncancerous. There are three types of this condition. Type 1 usually appears in childhood, while Types 2 and 3 appear in early adulthood. Type 1 can cause bone deformities, learning disabilities, and high blood pressure. Type 2 can cause hearing loss, vision loss, and difficulty with balance. Type 3 can cause chronic pain throughout the body....
Im not asking this question to be rude, mean, or to persecute the people who have, Ive just always wondered why someone who knows they have NF would choose to have children.
Were all on this message board for one reason; because we, or someone we know has NF. We all know that although life can be great, NF can make life a living hell. NF causes things like tumors, bumps, disfigurement, malformations, pain, embarrassment and countless other issues. If you hate NF, and the way it has affected your body and your life, then why would you choose to subject another living creature to the same torture you endure every day of your life?
I realize that many people, for one reason or another, actually want to have children, but isnt it being selfish to put your want to have children ahead of the need that child has for a disease free, pain free, humiliation free life?
I also feel this dirties the gene pool and makes the problem worse. If hungry people breed, they just create more hungry people and make the problem worse. I know we cant get rid of NF completely, because sometimes its a case of gene mutation, but shouldnt we take measures to get rid of NF, but reducing the number of people who are born with NF?
As I stated in the beginning of my post, Im not trying to anger anyone, or be rude, Ive just been curious about this for a while. Ive seen other people make posts that hint at the fact that they dont think NF should be bread, so I figured I would start a discussion.
Were all on this message board for one reason; because we, or someone we know has NF. We all know that although life can be great, NF can make life a living hell. NF causes things like tumors, bumps, disfigurement, malformations, pain, embarrassment and countless other issues. If you hate NF, and the way it has affected your body and your life, then why would you choose to subject another living creature to the same torture you endure every day of your life?
I realize that many people, for one reason or another, actually want to have children, but isnt it being selfish to put your want to have children ahead of the need that child has for a disease free, pain free, humiliation free life?
I also feel this dirties the gene pool and makes the problem worse. If hungry people breed, they just create more hungry people and make the problem worse. I know we cant get rid of NF completely, because sometimes its a case of gene mutation, but shouldnt we take measures to get rid of NF, but reducing the number of people who are born with NF?
As I stated in the beginning of my post, Im not trying to anger anyone, or be rude, Ive just been curious about this for a while. Ive seen other people make posts that hint at the fact that they dont think NF should be bread, so I figured I would start a discussion.
There's really nothing to discuss here, people have kids NF or not because they want to. Not everyone sees NF as this horrific life-ruining entity that dominates every second of their life.
Dirtying the gene pool... ok... trying to 'clean up' the gene pool is called eugenics, and that's some horrid, horrid stuff.
If we as NFers go around telling other NFers to not have children, how are we going to defend ourselves when the general public says that to us, telling us to not trash the gene pool with our dirty genes? think about that. It wasn't too long ago people were steralized w/o their consent because they were seen as 'undesirable' to the society.
Too bad you won't be allowed to live in a world of generically-superior humans, so I guess you'll never get to experience that perfect world.
Limited gene pool is a terrible thing in the long run. Not all genetic mutations are bad and genetic mutations are why people are so diverse. You can see what happens when people try to achieve perfection by selective breeding. Just look at pure-bred dogs/cats, certain breeds have common inherited diseases not see in other breeds. The only way to lessen the chance is to breed out... OH NO... not pure, how terrible...
Mankind will be destroyed, one way or other, if we ever get to a point of achieving the 'perfect' human race.
Maybe to get that perfect human race, scientists should stop looking for treatments/cures for diseases/disorders and just focus on a the perfect mater human race. Forget wasting money on researching to help those people with defective genes, lets just eliminate them from the gene pool. Why bother finding treatment or cures for anything if we can simply eliminate it?
I'm hope you are just trying to stir the pot, b/c if that's how you truly feel that's so sad.
Marah: some other movies -Remember "Logan's Run"? How about we get rid of everyone once they hit 30 or 40 years old? Or "Jurassic Park" -life will find a way.
grnmnm: I always enjoy your point of view
Hamby, WTF; Not a very supportive post.
I am almost 30 years old. I will be 30 in less than a month. We want kids. I am prepared that this child might have NF, whether it be mild or worse. I am lucky, i only have a learning disability because of the NF.
I don't see NF as some horrible thing.
You obviously don't have children or don't plan on having children. You shouldn't tell someone else that wants to have children just because they have NF that they shouldn't reproduce.
I admittedly did not know much about it before I got pregnant because it caused me no issues other than the odd bump and freckles.
My ex knew I had NF and still had a child with me.
I doubt I will have more kids just because of the fact of what it can do to me during the pregnancy, but if I had the money to support another child I may have rolled the dice.
Life has a funny way of seeming to be perfect and then its not.
Sadly I knew people NF free who had a son who may never walk well due to CP, so which one is worse?
I sometimes wish I knew someone else with NF close to me, but this place helps.
Kudos to anyone who wants to have a child and best wishes for all out there!!
That being said, for those who believe in God, our life on Earth is just mere seconds based on a life of Eternty in Heaven.
Be fruitful and multiply the Bible says.. It does not say UNLESS you have NF, are blind, etc.
My opinoin only.
why would you take even the smallest chance of passing on the pain and sorrow you have already experienced to your children! How cruel and selfish is that!
if our parents knew that we had NF and decided to abort us or not have us then none of us would be here.
there is so much joy in my life for other things that It sort of eclipses the NF for now.
Who knows how life will turn out for anyone.
Look at John Travolta. Famous, rich, NF free and his son died from another condition but he cherished and loved that child and i doubt he ever thought for a moment that he would not have had that child knowing that this would be the life outcome.
NF has different way of showing up and effecting everyone, so everyones opinions will be different.
I say of course to each his own.
So what would you say then to someone who can not afford children having them?? Should someone who is poor not be allowed to have children either because they can not bestow all the material bounty that a rich person can?