Every Life Counts

{{Short description|Parent support network in Ireland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox organisation

| name = Every Life Counts

| website = {{Official website|http://www.everylifecounts.ie|EveryLifeCounts.ie}}

| type = Support group

| location = Dominick Court, 41 Dominick Street Lower, Dublin 1, Ireland

| leader_name =

| leader_title = Spokeswoman

}}

Every Life Counts is a support network for families whose child is diagnosed with a life limiting condition in Ireland. They campaign for the creation of a perinatal hospice in Ireland, as an opposition to abortion in cases of life limiting conditions, claiming it is not a "pathway to healing", and that abortion causes depression and distress.{{cite web|url=http://www.everylifecounts.ie/about/|title=About and Support {{!}} Every Life Counts|publisher=Every Life Counts|access-date=28 February 2016}}{{cite news|newspaper=The Irish Times|first=Tracy|last=Harkin|date=14 July 2016|access-date=28 February 2017|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/abortion-not-the-only-answer-to-life-limiting-conditions-1.2720629|title=Abortion not the only answer to life-limiting conditions}}{{cite web|url=https://www.citizensassembly.ie/WebServices/Submission.asmx/GetFile?json=1113_8833|title=Every Life Counts Submission|date=16 December 2016|author=Every Life Counts|access-date=28 February 2017|archive-date=1 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301011955/https://www.citizensassembly.ie/WebServices/Submission.asmx/GetFile?json=1113_8833|url-status=dead}}{{rp|p8}}

They are opposed to the term "fatal foetal abnormalities" or "incompatible with life" calling it an "ugly term", preferring the term "life limiting condition".{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/the-eighth-amendment-1.2703064|title=The Eight Amendment|date=29 June 2016|newspaper=The Irish Times}} They point out that some people diagnosed with life limiting conditions (e.g. Patau syndrome {{aka}} Trisomy 13), live for many years after birth.{{cite news|newspaper=Irish Independent|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/my-daughter-is-proof-that-the-judge-was-wrong-about-fatal-foetal-abnormalities-34258076.html|title=My daughter is proof that the judge was wrong about 'fatal foetal abnormalities'|first=Tracey|last=Harkin|date=4 December 2015}}

After the 2016 Mellet v Ireland UN case, they claimed the United Nations Human Rights Committee "deliberately ignored the experiences of families who had received great joy and love from carrying their babies to term".{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/government-urged-to-make-constitutional-legal-change-on-abortion-1.2678611|newspaper=The Irish Times|title=Government urged to make constitutional, legal change on abortion

|date=9 June 2016|first=Elaine|last=Edwards|access-date=28 February 2017}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/stop-saying-fetuses-with-disabilities-are-incompatible-with-life-1.2014538|title='Stop saying fetuses with disabilities are incompatible with life'|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=25 November 2014|first=Zara|last=Zhuang}}{{cite news|newspaper=Irish Independent|url=http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/un-ruling-on-abortion-laws-34793064.html|date=12 June 2016|title=My daughter is proof that the judge was wrong about 'fatal foetal abnormalities'}}

They made a submission to the Citizens' Assembly, which discussed Ireland's abortion laws, where they claimed that abortion is not a solution to a fatal foetal abnormalities diagnosis.{{rp|p2}} They were selected as one of the groups to make a presentation to the members of the Citizens' Assembly.{{cite web|url=https://www.citizensassembly.ie/en/News/17-Advocacy-Groups-to-Address-Citizens-Assembly-on-the-Topic-of-Eighth-Amendment.html|title=17 Advocacy Groups to Address Citizens' Assembly on the Topic of Eighth Amendment|date=21 February 2017|publisher=Citizens' Assembly}}