As we count down to the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on the 22nd of January, Feminists for Life will reveal stories of a dozen Remarkable Pro-Life Women® who faced hard cases and made exceptional choices.
I am a regretful post-abortive woman who worked in the abortion industry for years, but FFL was the first pro-life organization I joined after becoming pro-life just two years ago. FFL’s mission to eliminate the root causes that lead women to abortion resonated with me, and I have been volunteering for this organization for the past year before coming on board as Editor of FFL’s magazine, The American Feminist.
The stories these women share are heartbreaking, courageous, and life-affirming. These brave women inspire me to an even deeper dedication to create a world where resources are available to pregnant mothers, all life is respected regardless of the circumstances surrounding conception, and abortion is unthinkable.
| Because women deserve better, Jewels Green Editor |
 |
A Dozen Remarkable Pro-Life Women® who faced hard cases and made exceptional choices:
Why would a woman choose to have the child conceived through sexual assault?
- Analyn Megison – “Love is stronger than fear…Many people pressured me to have an abortion because I was raped, though they called themselves pro-life.”
- Heather Gemmen Wilson – “A stranger raped me in my home. I was asleep in my bed when he attacked me at knife point: and, to control me, he threatened the lives of my two children who were in the next room.”
- Joyce McCauley-Benner – Joyce was working her way through college when she was sexually assaulted by a coworker. She didn’t know who the father was, but she knew who the mother was and chose victory over violence. Joyce has worked as an advocate for racial justice and victims of sex trafficking.
The perspective of the forgotten victim: Children conceived in rape.
- Rebecca Kiessling – “At 18 I learned that I was conceived out of a brutal rape at knife-point by a serial rapist…[Y]our value is not based on the circumstances of your conception…”
- Julia Schoch – Julia’s daughter, whom she adopted, was conceived in rape. “Her birthmother was only 13 years old. She was told by the abortion clinic staff that “no one will want a biracial, rapist’s baby” The second-trimester abortion was so painful that the abortion provider stopped and told her to bring back more money. Thankfully she got more information and never went back. “[My daughter] is a precious little girl who is loved and wanted regardless of her conception, her race, her status, or her abilities.'”
Adoptees’ search for parents uncovers incest and multiple abortions to cover up the crime..
- Kristi Hofferber – Kristi always knew she was adopted, but she was very unprepared to learn the truth about her biological parents. Read why Kristi’s passion is to serve others who may be facing difficulty with any aspect of adoption. “There is value in every human life.”
What about the life of the mother?
- Angelica Talavera – “In spite of the doctor’s professional opinion and advice from those around her, my mother chose to carry [me]to term.”
What about the life of the child? When mothers learn the worst.
- Jeannie Wallace French – Jeannie resisted pressure to have an abortion when one of the twins she was carrying was diagnosed as anecephalic. After doing everything possible to save their daughter, Mary lived a few hours after birth. Mary’s heart was a perfect match for two other children. “Our daughter, living less than a day, saved the lives of two other children. Which of us, even after decades of living can make the same claim?” Jeannie asks.
- Diane Simoni – Diane was working in the Genetics Department at a children’s hospital when she learned that an ultrasound picked up abnormalities in the infant she was carrying. “When well-meaning doctors and medical personnel try to influence women to abort their babies with major medical issues, the parents may give in to that pressure and miss out on the experience of getting to know that child.”
- Lourdes Hnath – Lourdes was terrified when she learned her son would be born with major heart problems and Down syndrome. Doctors encouraged abortion. Read what she learned and why her life is better because of Joshua. Lourdes says “No child is ever a mistake.”
- Tracy Haugen – Read and share why Tracy’s decision to have Davis Eric, a baby boy with a serious heart defect “saved my life, not physically, but spiritually.”
