JP: The seed for HANDLE WITH CARE began with an article I read about wrongful birth - a mother in New York who had recently won a multi-million dollar settlement sueing her OB/GYN after her son was born with severe chromosomal abnormalities. It was clear from the article that she loved this child dearly - but that in order to give him a better lifestyle, she needed to tell the world she would have aborted the fetus, if given the chance. That moral conundrum got me thinking: what if her child had not been profoundly mentally disabled, but just physically disabled? What if her child could HEAR her in court, saying that she wished he'd never been born? That's what led me to osteogenesis imperfecta. Also known as "brittle bone disorder," it is a genetic bone disease characterized by fragile bones that break easily. For research, I tried to walk a brief way in the shoes of a parent whose child has OI, by visiting multiple families with kids who were afflicted by the disorder. The first girl I met with OI had Type I - a milder form - but had suffered nearly fifty breaks in her eight years because her parents wanted her to live as normal a life as possible. Rather than having her walk on her knees or restrict her activities, they allowed her to do what she wanted...knowing that it would lead to broken bones.  Read entire answer...