Editorial 6 October 2008

Occasionally a story appears that causes a shift in our thinking, that leads us to challenge long-held assumptions, to question the ‘conventional wisdom’ as to what should be done in a certain set of circumstances. This week we feature the first part of Fiona Place’s story about her son Fraser, a child born with Down syndrome. Fiona was encouraged to undergo amniocentesis, the test commonly offered to woman identified as having a heightened risk of carrying a Down syndrome baby. Although scientifically based and designed to benefit mankind, amniocentesis is not value-neutral. It is loaded with a certain set of value judgements regarding disability and how this should be prevented. We are grateful to Fiona for permission to feature her story and to the medical journal where it first appeared. There are links to the site where readers can learn more about Fiona and Fraser and living with Down syndrome.

Readers who attended our June Women’s Night Out event will remember the delightful Emma Gilmour, New Zealand’s most successful female rally car driver. Emma described her life and took us behind the wheel of her car by means of an onboard video recording, a terrifying but exhilarating experience! Emma’s successful career continues and this week we feature an interview she did recently with Womenz. 

This being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, take the opportunity to check out the information supplied to us by the Breast Cancer Foundation. Although a true scourge for women, breast cancer is also one of the most treatable forms of cancer and so regular mammograms are imperative for early detection and successful treatment.

Spring is here and Gail Matthew’s article Get Ready to Detox introduces the concept of spring cleaning your mind and body. Those whose children are soon to enter the changing world of high school education, or are there already, could find very useful a new resource featured in our book review section. As always, our decluttering and aromatips are well worth a try.

Happy reading and experimenting!