Jamie McCallum

Today, as I write, it is my daughter Rosie’s fifth birthday. It’s been a belly-laughing joyous celebration. As I sit here typing this I’m watching Rosie, her siblings and cousins wrap the day up on the trampoline laughing till they cannot breathe. And I find myself reflecting - it’s five years then, since the worst day of my life.

"I'M sorry to say that your child has a condition. If you choose to go ahead with the pregnancy, she will have a 42 per cent chance of developing cancer in her lifetime, a 17 per cent chance of a stroke. Here is a leaflet detailing many of the other risk factors. We have a termination slot booked for you tomorrow morning in case you need it. The decision is entirely yours to make. We will support you whatever you decide to do."

THIS year may go down as the pivotal moment in history that led to people like our daughter Rosie becoming extinct. Mankind may reflect for centuries to come about a particular species of human being, with a subtly different genetic profile, high in emotional intelligence, with a lower than average IQ, that was systematically eradicated like a disease.