Reading the article I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant surely elicited an array of different opinions and emotions among readers, as I confirmed from the comments beneath the online article.

Talking about sexually-related issues always opens a can of worms... and if sexually-related issues are set in the same sentence with disability, it might open even two. Unfortunately, these sensitive issues cannot be discussed in such a brief reply.

I respect the Grech family for bringing their story out in public. I am confident that their intentions are those of raising awareness on the lack of social justice and support in this country.

As for the way the story has been reported, I have, in the past, commented about the way in which journalists refer to people with disability both in terminology and attitude. I find that they lack contemporary terminology and use dated terms when reporting, such as “mental disability”.

The attitudes are also very negative and reflecting a medical model of disability, with ‘suffering’ at the pinnacle of the storyline.

In concluding this letter, I must address the issue of people with disability and procreation in terms of medical issues.

It is reported in the article that the baby born to Corinne Grech “was also disabled”.

At this point, notwithstanding the unconstructive tone that sentence carried, it is worth making clear that children with disability, even genetic ones, are also born to non-disabled people.

At the same time, people with disability, even of a genetic nature, do give birth to children who do not have a disability.

It is a medical fact that there is a risk but there is a risk in any case.

Moreover, life is valued, whether having a disability or not, and the baby born with a disability is still a very valuable baby, as I am sure it is for the Grech family.