RALLY for Life guest speaker Tim Rushbrook is often struck by people’s response when they see his two-year-old child with Down syndrome.
“‘Didn’t you know before he was born?’ they’ll ask,” he said.
“The obvious implication is: ‘Why didn’t you do something about it and terminate the pregnancy?’
“It’s a horrendous thought as I look at my son Jireh who has brought such joy to me and Christina.
“We didn’t have a screening test for Down syndrome before he was born even though some people urged us to.
“Christina and I didn’t want to jeopardise her pregnancy with such testing.
“And even if we had tested and the results came back positive it wouldn’t have changed things.”
Mr Rushbrook will be speaking about his son and other aspects of his pro-life stance at the Rally For Life 2014 being held in Queens Park in Brisbane CBD on Saturday, February 22.
Organiser Cherish Life Queensland president Teresa Martin said it was important for as many people as possible to attend the rally.
“It is a public witness to the sanctity of human life and the sacredness of the lives of our fragile, vulnerable, aged and infirm,” she said.
“If we don’t make a stand while there is some legal protection in place for our pregnant women and their babies, it will be too late to make a stand to defend them if the laws fail … as has happened in Victoria and now Tasmania.”
CLQ first held the event in 2008 under the title Respect for Women Rally.
Ms Martin said other pro-life groups had been invited as a way of making a “powerful public statement”.
“The rally grows each year as more communities come on board to support it,” she said.
“Our vision is to grow it as big as the March for Life in Washington DC – I believe in dreaming big.”
Ms Martin issued an invitation for supporters to attend a non-denominational prayer meeting at the New Hope Church facility next to the Normanby Hotel in Kelvin Grove on the day of the rally from 9am to 12.30pm.
“The prayer meeting is to pray for the success of the Rally For Life and for the changing of hearts of those in the pro-abortion industry,” she said.
Other speakers are Right to Life Australia president Margaret Tighe and Queensland Australian Christian Lobby state director Wendy Francis.
Roby Curtis and Band will open the rally at 1.15pm with live music.
The gathering will start at 2pm.
