Choosing Naia: A Family's Journey. M. Zuckoff, M. Boston: Beacon Press, 2002.
Greg and Tierney Fairchild, an interracial couple with impressive careers, imagined their ideal family would include three children. However, prenatal testing during Tierney's first pregnancy revealed Down syndrome and a serious heart defect in their baby girl. Choosing Naia follows the couple in their difficult journey as they examine their options. Should they terminate the pregnancy or commit to raising a child whose physical and mental challenges were uncertain?
Making the right choice weighed heavily on the minds of the Fairchilds. They studied literature, watched videotapes, and sought counsel from professionals. Some family members pressed the case for abortion; others tried to be supportive. Conflicted, the couple did not know if they wanted this baby.
Society's intolerance played a role in all the Fairchilds had to consider. Greg knew his marriage to Tierney would present challenges to any...