I can honor my heritage by bravely managing my FA symptoms
On Holocaust Memorial Day, I recall the persecution of people with disabilities
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My mom died almost 10 years ago. Her birthday is tomorrow, Jan. 27, the same day that Holocaust Memorial Day is observed, and I always think of her on it. She passed on many strengths, including her loyalty to those she loved.
She always spoke of my grandfather with reverence, but there was always a cloak of secrecy that surrounded his heritage, until a family friend who enjoys genealogy discovered that he was Jewish. He came to the U.S. from Russia with his parents and his brother in the early 1900s. We don’t know for sure, but his family may have been fleeing the Russian pogroms against Jews.
My grandfather served the U.S. as a medic during World War I, but I wonder what it was like for him when World War II came along. It’s not surprising to me that he hid his Jewish heritage.
My mom, in her own loyal way, saw my grandfather’s deception as no big concern. It was his secret to keep, she thought, but I look back on my heritage with curiosity and awe. They endured a great deal.
I am interested in World War II in an amateurish, not extensive way. I admire the bravery exhibited during that time and try to understand the hatred. My outlet for exploring it is through historical fiction. I find it a good way to learn, with the caveat that it is fiction, and to be engaged and empathetic to a story.
On being brave
I also think about the Holocaust within the context of my Jewish heritage. But it could be that being one-quarter Jewish may have mattered less than having a genetic disease that causes a disability like Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), which I have.
The persecution of people with disabilities was brutal, and it seems to me to be overlooked when we seek to understand what went on then. During the Nazi regime of 1933–1945, people with disabilities were subjected to systematic persecution and violence. The Nazis promoted the idea of a “racially pure” and “healthy” society, which led to people with physical, intellectual, and psychiatric disabilities being targeted. They faced discrimination, loss of rights, institutionalization, and social isolation, and many families were pressured or forced to give up their relatives with disabilities. Surrendering them to the Nazi regime meant death and experimentation.
In 1933, the “Law for the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases” began to mandate the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of people deemed to have genetic illnesses or disabilities. Then in 1939, the Nazis implemented the so-called euthanasia program, also known as Aktion T4, wherein tens of thousands of children and adults with disabilities were murdered in hospitals and killing centers. Their methods included lethal injection, starvation, and gas chambers.
The atrocities committed against people with disabilities during this period are now recognized as crimes against humanity. These events led to greater awareness and, eventually, reforms in disability rights and protections after the war.
As we approach Holocaust Memorial Day and I think about the Nazi regime, I find myself wondering what happened to my ancestors with FA. Did the Nazis sterilize or euthanize them? They were certainly terrorized.
I hope I can be as brave as the characters I read about. It is the best way I know to honor both my disability and my Jewish heritage. Bravery is also a fitting way to honor my mom. FA means I can’t always be brave in the ways I think I should, but it also means I can bravely manage my FA symptoms.
Note: Friedreich’s Ataxia News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Friedreich’s Ataxia News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Friedreich’s ataxia.
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