In early December, Susan Holcombe captured a priceless moment on video. Her son, Rion, who has Down syndrome, opens a letter from Clemson University informing him that he has been accepted to college.
Viewers can’t help but respond to Rion’s reaction of both joy and disbelief as he gets the news. Since Susan posted the video on YouTube on December 6th, it has received over 440,000 views and has gone viral on social media.
In response to all the positive feedback, Susan posted:
“Thanks for the encouragement. A little explanation for those who find this perplexing….Rion was accepted into a special program called Clemson LIFE. This is an amazing two year program for a small number (15) of young adults with special needs. This isn’t a program in which one can earn a degree. Right now, Clemson is one of five universities in SC with a LIFE program. I love that kids like Rion get to experience college life and this type of independence. Proud of my alma mater!”
Precious moments like this underscore why we continue to stand for life. Tragically, over 90% of children who receive a prenatal diagnosis showing they may have Down syndrome are aborted, according to some studies.
CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!
Recently, a Washington state jury awarded $50 million to Rhea and Brock Wuth for the “wrongful birth” of their son, Oliver, who was born with an “unbalanced chromosomal translocation.” “Had the couple known of the genetic defect, they would have ended the pregnancy, according to court filings in the case,” Levi Pulkkinen of the Post-Intelligencer wrote.
Hopefully, by highlighting the lives of people like Rion Holcombe, we can bring hope to a society that views killing as a viable solution to dealing with the problems that people with disabilities face.
