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| Edyta Mordel (right) outside London’s High Court |
Edyta Mordel from Reading, England sued Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust after she gave birth to a son diagnosed with Down syndrome, saying that she was not given a test that would have allowed her to know ahead of time and choose to abort. It is NHS's policy to offer this test to all mothers expecting children, and Mordel originally opted to take the test, but during a screening when she was asked if she would like it she responded no. The court found that Mordel had misunderstood the question and the hospital should have further questioned her about her response since it had changed. She was awarded $360,000 worth of damages as a result.
In her testimony, Mordel stated, “I knew someone from work with Down’s syndrome. I saw how difficult his life is and I would not have continued my pregnancy. I would not have wanted a disabled child, and I would not have wanted my child to suffer the way that disabled people suffer. I wouldn’t want to have brought my child into the world like that.” NHS is not even a pro-life institution, but because there was a miscommunication regarding a medical test it is now 'at fault' for a life that the mother deems isn't worth living.
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