About the Two Babies in the Palin Family
September 1, 2008 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
There’s discussion all over about Senator John McCain’s choice of Alaska governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. There’s the highly speculative rumor via Daily Kos that Palin is not the mother of Trig Paxson Van Palin (born in April), who has Down Syndrome, but that her 17-year-old daughter, Bristol Palin, is. And it was recently reported in the New York Times that, to rebut rumors, Palin has announced that Bristol Palin is indeed five months pregnant and is planning to have the child and marry her or his father.
Moving beyond the rumors, one thing that is clear is that the Palin family is going to have not one, but two young children in it soon; due to the attention newly directed to Sarah Palin, it’s likely that these young children will be under more than a bit of public scrutiny, for worse or for better. The Age of Autism website, which belives that vaccines or something in vaccines is linked to autism, is already asking about whether or not Sarah Palin plans to vaccinate Trig for fear that he may “get” autism from a vaccine. No doubt the same question will arise when Bristol Palin’s child is born.
As the mother of a special needs son, it’s not what choices about vaccines that Sarah Palin and her husband make that is my main concern, but how to make sure that Trig gets the right, and the very best, therapies and services for his medical and educational needs. What kinds of special education options are available for him in Alaska? What might be offered for him in Washington D.C.? I work full-time now but part-time and not at all when Charlie was a baby and a toddler, and he needed a lot of time; campaigning in a presidential election would make it difficult for any mother to be with her children as much as she might wish, and what about for a child with special needs?
With very best wishes to the Palin family and especially Trig and Bristol, who has a lot ahead of her.
Good, thoughtful post.
Mark Blaxill, Editor at Large at AOA
“…she has a new set of choices to make that will become a matter of intense public interest. Will she follow the recommended childhood immunization schedule for Trig, or will she not?
What are you going to do Governor? What are you going to do?…”
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I think I like a paraphrase of Barack Obama’s statement that people’s families are off limits as part of politics. It may be a matter of “intense public interest”, and if the Palins choose to make their family’s business public, that’s their choice. But if not, to heck with our interest, “intense” or not, esp. if it’s a political litmus test. I think their first priority is whatever as a family they need to do for Trig.
I also recall the media attention (furor) that arose over whether or not Leo Blair the young son of Tony and Cherie Blair, had received the MMR, and the insistence in some quarters that they say whether he had or not.
I only just recently heard about this dame.
I’m still not voting for McCain, but I hope her family will be OK since being a VP nomination is such a big change. Folks will nose in her business, which is just rude.
I too, worry about Trig on the campaign trail. Not so much that it’s his dad and not his mom that will be primary caregiver –I assume– while his mother campaigns to help run the country. Look at how Obama is on the trail and he has two young ones, yet no one questions this. But I feel that with all the travel, when will Palin’s Baby get the therapy and intervention he needs?? I know that with my little part time OT job and two kids, one with Autism, I am often overwhelmed with demands. So is my husband. It’s a family affair.
As for what’s available in Alaska, it’s the same, (If not better because of reduced size of the school districts, etc) as what will be offered in D.C.: Federally and state funded programs for kids, and in the largish Anchorage Metro area, where I grew up, plenty of private and public resources for families with special needs.
The Palins schleppy cute portrayal of Alaskans as moose stew lovers and mukluk wearers makes me want to throw up. I grew up there –at times in the very remote bush– and still managed to nosh frozen pizza and wear Nikes like the rest of the world. It’a unique, yes, but not all Alaskans love to be portrayed as rustic and eccentric –and I imagine, interesting, to gain votes.
I for one, am curious to find out what her history and stance on funding for special ed programs has been in Alaska.
There have been some very, very hateful posts to places like HuffPost and DailyKos. Just horrible.
First, there’s the issue of if a woman over 40 should have children. I’m sorry, but a lot of people I know delayed families. It’s never an easy choice, but earning a Ph.D or specialized degree takes time.
There are posts claiming oldest her son must be brain damaged to join the military. That’s just a dumb thing to post to a blog.
The claims that Palin is not the mother of Trig is horrible. I have family in Alaska — my uncle and teenage cousin live in Wasilla. The governor was definitely pregnant… definitely.
It’s an area of high poverty, and high teen pregnancy. (My “stepcousin” ended up such a statistic.) There seems to be a correlation between economics and teen problems. Maybe it’s time to have a frank national discussion on poverty and social ills.
While autism might not relate to poverty (though there are some interesting studies on this), other issues definitely do correlate to poverty, age of parents, and much more.
I’m not sure how I feel about this election. (I’m very anti-Biden for his support of bankruptcy and banking and credit laws that have really hurt families, and I’m equally sick of candidates pandering on religion.) What I do know is that every family, regardless of politics, has to deal with complex situations.
Maybe we can use this is a learning opportunity, but I doubt it. (Makes me think of the new ABC Family series — Life of the American Teenager.)
Very well said…its a shame that so many out there are getting so ugly. Kos and MoveOn and other like them should be ashamed, but sadly are not. Its still a long way to November, but so far its not having an impact on my decision.
Kos did not post the rumor that Bristol is Trig’s mother. It was one reader post, through the Diaries (community). Go to the main Daily Kos and you won’t see any posts about it, except the one where Kos say he doesn’t buy the “grandmother” rumor. In any case, the girl is indeed pregnant, which in itself does not disprove that she couldn’t have had Trig too. But the evidence is not good enough to prove that.
Hopefully the Palins will NOT move to Washington, so I think it’s still a little premature to talk about this.
Age of Autism’s assumption that the decision to vaccinate Trig or not will be of major public interest is so ridiculous.
Another distraction from the real issues of war, or disabilities, education for all, etc.
Glad Obama took the high road.
Kritstina, I just said about the same thing to someone who was talking about this very issue. I know when Casey was little, I had to work part-time to take him to Early Intervention classes, and although we didn’t do a lot of outside therapies, I was constantly playing with him, taking him places, etc. and he’s an only child! Someone came back at me with “Well, she has a lot of help!” but geez, quite simply, she’s his mom for God’s Sake. Is it really that important right now that she become runner up to the leadership of the freeworld!?
I’m doing my best to stay focused on the issues, and Palin is not on my page on any issues that I can find. Our only common ground is that of parenting a special needs child. That’s not enough to earn my vote.
Just trying to process it all! I really really believe in working moms and especially working moms of special needs kids, but, well, I was certainly in no shape to go back to work after three days. (But that’s me……..)
For a humorous take on Palin’s pregnancy pickle check out, http://beema.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/beema-news-september-1-2008/.
Kind of OT, except for the connection with Down Syndrome–
Interestingly enough, today I received an Information Bulletin on educational policy from the National Down Syndrome Society, (which makes a refreshing change from the usual emails I receive exhorting me to buy another book or product on alternative therapy or attend a conference on such). I also note that of all the various organizations working together to promote UDL,
Tool Kit for Universal learning (UDL)
except tangentially through the ARC, Council for Exceptional Children, and Easter Seals there appear to be no organizations whose primary focus is autism, such as AutismSpeaks or the Autism Society of America participating on the National Universal Design for Learning Taskforce. I realize that the IACC is the current focus, but there seem to be aspects in this group’s focus which would be relevant to issues of accessibility and inclusion.
There was also additional information on the Higher Education Opportunity Act Reauthorization (P.L. 110-315), which incorporates UDL, and Teach to Reach grants.
Just FYI.
The rumor that Trig is another child of the oldest daughter of the Palins was based on a bump seen in a photograph of that daughter. However the date of the picture and Trig’s birth would have meant Trig’s gestation period was elephantine.
I’ve also seen posts stating that Palin’s intelligence is suspect because she decided to have Trig despite knowing of his condition.
Certainly with his mother as VP, Trig would have access to the best services. There are often associated heart defects where these services might be useful
The capabilities of Down’s syndrome bearers varies widely.
We have no idea how or to what degree it will affect Trig.
Does anyone see the glaring hypocrisy of the Republican party who routinely chastise black teen mothers having babies out of wedlock but when a conservative white teen has one out of wedlock its considered “courageous” and supports their view of “life”. Hmm…..
It’s not hypocrisy. They’re complaining about single mothers using the State as “Daddy”, while the actual male progenitor may well be never seen again. Levi is obviously going to marry and support Bristol and the kid, or else. (Sarah’s a good shot.)
Oh, Barack’s Mom was 17 when she bore him, I believe, while his male progenitor was married to somebody else.
Is shotgun weddings part of the “mainstream” values too? The guy said he didn’t want any kids.
what happens in the case of a rape victim. Palin wants to outlaw abortion even if the fetus results from a rape. If that victim is poor or say disabled either before or after the rape, will you blame her as wanting the state to act as “daddy”. Is that part of your mainstream values?
Dang, cs, you seem right exercised here. Circumstances alter cases. Hard cases make bad law.
Chill, dude!
On the shotgun wedding: Yup, it’s better that bride’s daddy (or mommy) enforce child-support than that the God-Damned State do so!
Justthisguy,
Hard questions don’t lend themselves to black/white thinking, but a flexible and nuanced mind. Life is complex. People’s lives are at stake. For instance, Gov. Palin slashed the budget this year to help unwed, homeless teen mothers. A program that was meant to give them a little stability to allow them to complete school, get an education and hopefully be able to be employed. Not every baby is born to a teen daughter of a governor. You can punish the parents all you want, but in the end, your punishing that baby, a baby that was perhaps conceived by two irresponsible teens. The mainstream values I support is not one where we leave the disadvantaged to twist in the wind, but give them help, like the governor’s daughter is getting.
CS: Amen!
Justthisguy: so who pays Governor Palin’s salary to support her kid who didn’t practice the abstinence mama preaches?
Dude, she IS the G-D government!
I do feel sorry for the kids and grandkid to be: it is a NIGHTMARE to be related to a politician these days. God bless them all, every one.
I am curious- does anyone know of Sarah Palin’s work on behalf of special needs children BEFORE she happened to have a child with Down Syndrome herself?
Being an advocate for special needs children when you are not a parent of one sends a different message.