Human Interest
'One in a million' newborn defies odds, despite doctors' predictions
Bridget Sielicki
·Spotlight Articles
Human Interest·By Nancy Flanders
Mother defended quadruplets’ lives despite pressure to ‘selectively reduce’ to twins
Many pro-lifers have a story or a moment in time that led them to their pro-life convictions. For Michael, that story is his very life — and the lives of his three brothers.
As reported by Life News, Michael shared the story of his mother’s pregnancy and the pressure she was under to have an abortion in an email to the Legislative Director and Political Action Committee Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, Maria Gallagher. Michael and his brothers are quadruplets, and many doctors will often pressure mothers of multiples to “selectively reduce” their pregnancy and abort one or more of the babies.
Despite Michael’s parents’ decision to stand strong in their pro-life convictions and faith, doctors insisted that not choosing abortion would be tragic. Michael explained that doctors told his mother “that she and all four of us would die if they didn’t choose abortion.” But, he explained, “[M]y parents’ faith and belief in the equality of unborn life led them to protect us all.”
The couple was able to find pro-life doctors who helped them through the pregnancy, allowing all four boys to be born without complications or health issues, and allowing their mother to remain healthy as well.
“Knowing that I was only born because of my parents’ commitment to valuing all life, and willingness to put their lives on the line for those beliefs, I’ve always considered it my responsibility to defend unborn children,” said Michael. “My right to life shouldn’t have depended on parents who would hold to their beliefs in the face of immense pressure from the medical system, and other children shouldn’t lose their lives because their parents lack those beliefs.”
A recent story published and then removed from Love What Matters shared the story of Ashley and Calli, who wanted to have children but needed a sperm donor to do so. When they conceived five babies through insemination after stimulating ovulation, they decided to abort three of them — treating the children they went out of their way to create as nothing more than disposable objects.
The sibling survivors of abortion victims are often traumatized by the fact that their siblings were slaughtered but their lives were spared. One now-adult survivor said, “I have not forgotten my siblings and I never will. I miss them although I never knew them.” After learning about her aborted sibling, Chloe explained:
I felt heartbroken, and at times, I feel guilty. I struggled with depression before I found out, and after finding out about the abortion I constantly questioned my worthiness of being on this planet. I always felt (and still feel) like there’s an important part of my life missing.
Abortion takes the lives of innocent human beings, and nearly 75% of women who have sought post-abortion counseling have admitted that they chose abortion due to some level of pressure. Michael’s parents — unlike many who succumb to pressure and later live with a lifetime of regret — stood firm in their knowledge that each of their babies’ lives is valuable.
“Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Human Interest·By Nancy Flanders
Mother defended quadruplets’ lives despite pressure to ‘selectively reduce’ to twins
Many pro-lifers have a story or a moment in time that led them to their pro-life convictions. For Michael, that story is his very life — and the lives of his three brothers.
As reported by Life News, Michael shared the story of his mother’s pregnancy and the pressure she was under to have an abortion in an email to the Legislative Director and Political Action Committee Director for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, Maria Gallagher. Michael and his brothers are quadruplets, and many doctors will often pressure mothers of multiples to “selectively reduce” their pregnancy and abort one or more of the babies.
“When my parents discovered they were expecting four children at once, their doctors tried to pressure them into ‘reducing’ to twins,” wrote Michael. “To the medical system, the lives of my brothers and me didn’t count — literally — unless our parents chose to carry us to term. And twins were ‘less risky’ for the doctors and the hospitals than quadruplets were.”
Despite Michael’s parents’ decision to stand strong in their pro-life convictions and faith, doctors insisted that not choosing abortion would be tragic. Michael explained that doctors told his mother “that she and all four of us would die if they didn’t choose abortion.” But, he explained, “[M]y parents’ faith and belief in the equality of unborn life led them to protect us all.”
The couple was able to find pro-life doctors who helped them through the pregnancy, allowing all four boys to be born without complications or health issues, and allowing their mother to remain healthy as well.
“Knowing that I was only born because of my parents’ commitment to valuing all life, and willingness to put their lives on the line for those beliefs, I’ve always considered it my responsibility to defend unborn children,” said Michael. “My right to life shouldn’t have depended on parents who would hold to their beliefs in the face of immense pressure from the medical system, and other children shouldn’t lose their lives because their parents lack those beliefs.”
A recent story published and then removed from Love What Matters shared the story of Ashley and Calli, who wanted to have children but needed a sperm donor to do so. When they conceived five babies through insemination after stimulating ovulation, they decided to abort three of them — treating the children they went out of their way to create as nothing more than disposable objects.
The sibling survivors of abortion victims are often traumatized by the fact that their siblings were slaughtered but their lives were spared. One now-adult survivor said, “I have not forgotten my siblings and I never will. I miss them although I never knew them.” After learning about her aborted sibling, Chloe explained:
I felt heartbroken, and at times, I feel guilty. I struggled with depression before I found out, and after finding out about the abortion I constantly questioned my worthiness of being on this planet. I always felt (and still feel) like there’s an important part of my life missing.
Abortion takes the lives of innocent human beings, and nearly 75% of women who have sought post-abortion counseling have admitted that they chose abortion due to some level of pressure. Michael’s parents — unlike many who succumb to pressure and later live with a lifetime of regret — stood firm in their knowledge that each of their babies’ lives is valuable.
“Like” Live Action News on Facebook for more pro-life news and commentary!
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Human Interest
Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN
·Nancy Flanders
·Human Interest
Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN
·Nancy Flanders
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