Family rises above being statistic

To the editor:

In response to "Kids' health": My husband and I were in college when we had a baby. Our pediatrician at the time told us our baby was going to be mentally retarded and we were two white trash kids trying to draw a check. Mortified yet?

Let me tell you about our white trash statistical family now. My husband is a high school principal, I am a sixth-grade teacher, and our "mentally retarded" daughter was promoted from kindergarten to the second grade and has an IQ over 130.

My husband graduated with his master's degree two years ago and is working on his specialist degree. I started my master's degree this semester.

Any educated person knows that any statistical data can be used for or against any cause. My family was once a statistic, and it pains me to know that there are pediatricians still putting labels on families. Thanks so much to the pediatrician nine years ago who made my husband and me feel like such worthless pieces of garbage. You really helped us be better parents.

CARMEL DARE, Puxico, Mo.