A heart with a superfluous chromosomeForty-six. This is the number of chromosomes a person has in their body. Forty-seven. This number represents the number of chromosomes present in the body of a person with Down syndrome. Every year, thousands of children are born with Down syndrome to families who anticipate the birth of a healthy child. An extra chromosome will change their lives forever. Kim Edwards evaluates the life effects of having a child with Down syndrome in her book: The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Through internal conflicts, numerous character contradictions, and a meaningful environment, the decision to choose to raise a child with a disability is both difficult and rewarding, so the consideration of not participating will lead to deficient emotional feelings of fulfillment in one's life. Norah Henry, preparing to give birth, looks at her husband with optimistic eyes as she says, “Our world will never be the same again” (Edwards 17). When these words left Norah Henry's lips, they had positive intentions: how their worlds would become a new chapter filled with the joy of embracing a new life. The seconds preceding the exact moment in which Dr. David Henry makes the decision not to take care of his newborn daughter, suffering from Down syndrome, represent the moment in which everything begins to change. This decision serves as the catalyst for all conflicts in the novel. Throughout the novel, David Henry experiences internal conflict regarding his decisions. A father's perception of his daughter's disability is reflected in the way David reacts to his daughter: “A classic case… A mongoloid” (Edwards 16). In Recognizing Fathers: The Needs of Fathers of Children with Disabilities, Carpenter and Towers observe that when a child is born with a disability,... middle of paper... Phoebe reaches developmental milestones and believes her daughter has the same rights as any other child. With passion and confidence, she becomes an advocate for Down syndrome, insisting that the world see these children as individuals capable of learning and demanding change and rights for their children. Michelle Jarman, PHD, is an associate professor of disability studies at the University of Wyoming. In The Jornal of American Cultrue, Jarman evaluates “Intertwining Disability, Ethnicity, and Relationships: Orientation to Belonging in George Estreich's The Shape of the Eye.” Estreich's book gives readers insight into the challenges and difficulties facing parents of children with Down syndrome. In terms of severity, from social discrimination, to eating meals alone and ensuring that the world continually strives to mold itself into accepting its children.