Life is a Blessing

Jerome Lejeune was one of the most highly regarded geneticists of modern times. He discovered numerous sicknesses of genetic origin, of which Down Syndrome (Trisomy 21) is the best known, and he was an ardent defender of life and of the dignity of "those who are mentally wounded", as he called them, to whom he dedicated his entire life, his energy and his talents. Jerome Lejeune was a "sign of contradiction for our time" according to the words of Pope John Paul II.
His daughter Clare presents here the private man- the happy father of a family, surrounded by children and grandchildren, a great Christian marked by a discreet and radiant faith, a man of culture inspired with a great sense of humour, but above all a man of courage and of great relevance who would always battle to defend the smallest (i.e., the pre-born) and the mentally handicapped. As a physician and a researcher, Jerome Lejeune would become involved in causes that would transform his life into a destiny.