"Choosing Thomas" is a video that won in the 2010 Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. It entails the journey of a couple, from the time they found out they're having a baby, until the news was brought to them, their baby has Trisomy 13, a rare chromosomal disease which is fatal.
Usually, physicians would give abortion as an option to parents. However, for this couple, they chose to give Thomas a chance to see the world. T.K. and Deidrea Laux were married and having a child was their dream. When they found out she was pregnant, they were excited to see if the baby would a girl or boy. Sadly, the ultrasound revealed that their son has Trisomy 13.
They chose to keep the baby. The video shows the milestones they went through from prenatal consultations to the day Thomas was born. The video is a narrative story of their happiness and at the same time, struggle as they face the truth that their son will die any time soon.
The video entails compassionate end-of-life care where the couple made every single effort to take care of their son. At the end of the video, the mother was hugging the lifeless body of his son thanking him for making her feel what it is like to be a mother.
As of the moment, the viral video has been shared in social networking sites like Facebook and garnered thousands of likes. The story is heart warming and at the same time, an eye opener about Trisomy 13.
Research and studies are conducted in the hope that this condition will have its cure in the future. Trisomy 13 or Patau Syndrome has still no cure. Statistics show that there is minimal chance of survival. It has 60% chance of still birth and 87% chance of survival but up to just 30 days.
