Abortions and Special Needs - Surrogate Offered 10k to Abort Baby

I glanced through my CNN headlines today and came across this video:

When I was pregnant with my third, several tests came back that indicated my baby girl could have Down Syndrome.

I was quickly offered the option of an abortion. I was offered the option several more times before our state’s deadline to have an abortion. I had never even had an amnio to confirm the diagnosis at that point.

To be clear, I was given the option, not encouraged. But I wondered why it came up so often and so easily. I did a little looking and the abortion rates for a child with Down Syndrome range from 87-98% depending on the study that you read.

I was scared and knew it would change our life dramatically. I watched my own mother raise a child with special needs, and saw the impact it had on her life. Ultimately, I didn’t have to work through all of those things because I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. We opted to continue the pregnancy without confirmation of the diagnosis as it would ultimately have no affect on our decision to keep the child. We were nervous about any additional risks an early amniocentesis might pose to the pregnancy.

On the other hand, I have known people who’ve had abortions due to the diagnosis of multiple disorders and limited chances for basic survival. I understand their choice and it’s theirs to make.

Regardless of religion or personal ethics, this is a choice that parents have to make on their own within the limits of the law.

What about this situation? What would you have done as the genetic parent? As the surrogate?