Shocking Art: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

The fetus, while in the womb, is considered to be one of the most vulnerable and feeble organisms. At the time, it has no control over its destiny, it cannot make choices for itself; it cannot talk, cry, or even move. It is completely dependant on the mother to nourish and protect it.

So what happens if the mother is involved in a car collison, and the baby dies? Is it the mother's fault? Most certainly not. It was not intentional. But neither is sipping a glass of wine during the first few weeks of pregnancy, before the mother even knows she is pregnant. Even worse, some mothers choose to neglect their maternal duties alltogether and consume alcohol on a regular basis during their pregnancy. While one act is intentional and the other is not, they are both damaging to the long-term well-being of the fetus.

In our society, the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is considered an act of horror. Yet, every year in the United States, over 40,000 babies are born with fetal alcohol effects.

My adopted sister, Cheyenne, was one of those unlucky 40,000 babies whose lives have been changed forever due to the effects of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. That's why I chose to have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome be the theme of my "shocking art" piece. This one really hits home for me....

What I did for the project was I sculpted a fetus out of clay, trying to keep it looking as life-like as possible. There are some "deformities" but I think these add to the overall effect and message that this sculpture has. I made the "belly button" larger than normal so I could fit a tube in it and attatch the other end of the tube to a wine bottle. This portrays the umbilical cord literally connecting the baby to the alcohol (which is basically what is happening when the mother consumes alcohol).

Fetal alcohol syndrome is something I feel SO strongly about. It makes me so angry because that one stupid decision made by the mother will effect the child for its whole life. My sister Cheyenne will never be able to have a family of her own. She will never be able to even live by herself.  She will always have to have someone to look after her. She will never be able to drive. She will never have as many friends as she would like. She will never make it past fifth grade math (even though she is currently in 7th grade). It killed her when she realized that even her younger sister is able to pick up on things better than she can. She will NEVER be able to lead a normal life. At first glance, people might mistake her for just being plain stupid. BUT SHE REALLY ISNT. She has the same emotional maturity of any girl her age. She just doesn't have any cognitive abilities. She can't make connections between different concepts. She has a very hard time remembering sequences. She's very forgetful.

And yet, she is one of the sweetest, most loving girls you will ever meet. She LOVES kids and is great with them. There is not a mean bone in her body. I could go on and on about the tragedy of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. But I won't. Words honestly can't describe the feelings I have towards it and the sympathy I have for my sister. There is no cure to this disease. It can only be prevented.

here is a link about fetal alcohol syndrome if you want to learn more:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/brain/fas.html