Tag Archives: Pregnancy
Being Handicapped is Not a Crime by Suzanne Ward
Prenatal (before 
birth) testing today results in the early diagnosis of more and more abnormalities from the extremely simple to the very complex. Sadly, physicians may suggest terminating a pregnancy with only a possible risk of abnormality, probably due to fear of malpractice law suits.
Half of the children targeted for destruction are not even affected by the feared abnormality. More normal children are killed than handicapped children.
As a society, we must remember that a child’s right to life is given by their Creator, not their parents or even the state. Being handicapped is not a capital crime and should never carry a death sentence. In any or all circumstances, we want to protect and support both mother and child.
Studies show that women who choose abortion for genetic reasons have significant grief reactions, a high rate of depression, and flashbacks. Negative reactions are also seen in the siblings even when they had no direct knowledge of the event.
Approximately 20% of U.S. adults have some sort of disability according to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC. Many, many of these individuals accomplish amazing things in spite of great challenges. Let’s ‘meet’ just a few of them:
Robert Michael Hensel was born in 1969, with a birth defect known as Spina-bifida. His disability would limit him to a wheelchair, but he continues to find ways to positively impact people. Hensel is an award-winning poet and has recently been recognized by the Museum of Disability History in Buffalo, New York.
Hensel is a Guinness World Records holder for the longest non-stop “wheelie” in a wheelchair. His efforts have raised money for wheelchair ramps throughout his hometown of Oswego, New York. Hensel continues to raise awareness of the many talents and accomplishments made by disabled individuals. Says Hensel:
“Know me for my abilities, not my disability.”
“I don’t have dis-ability, I have a different-ability.”
“When everyone else says you can’t, determination says, YES YOU CAN.”
“No disability or dictionary out there is capable of clearly defining who we are as a person. It’s only when we step out of that labeled box, that our abilities begin to be fully recognized, giving us a better definition of who we truly are as individuals.”
Nick Vujicic is the Founder, President and CEO of Life Without Limbs, a non-profit organization whose mission is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ through his own life. Born without arms and legs, Nick has shared his message with over 5 million people in 44 different countries. “Life without limbs, or life without limits?” Nick is known to say.
Nick’s story, outlined in Biography of a Determined Man of Faith, tells of his childhood in Australia, his turning points and his growing passion to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ. Nick says, “God does not make mistakes, but He does miracles. I am one. You are too.”
Here in Georgia, Phillip Richardson is President of the Cherokee County Chapter of Georgia Right to Life. He is also a faithful member of Christ the Redeemer Charismatic Episcopal Church in Canton, Georgia.
Born with Spina-bifida, Phillip would face the additional challenges of poverty, physical abuse and homelessness. “Life is hard,” Phillip says, “but life is worth it.”
Phillip credits his mother with choosing life even under very difficult circumstances. His hardships, he says, “…… have not swayed my resolve to be a proactive, compassionate man that is so thankful to have the life that God has given me. How can we logically deny someone’s existence before they even have a chance to overcome and be the success story that so many of us are in awe of?”
Indeed. We will all face challenging times in our lives. How can we exclude any one group of people – the disabled pre-born – simply because of any presumed problems? Who knows what wonders they might accomplish when given the chance?
by Suzanne L. Ward
Public Relations/Education
suzanneward@grtl.org
Filed under abortion, Disability, eugenics, euthanasia, personhood, Pregnancy, Quality of Life, Sanctity of Life
My birthday is getting closer, mommy!
October 2: week 28
Whoa! I’ve had trouble with my balance but it is getting better. I’m going to be in my first Life Chain today. The cars might not notice me but my mom will. Not much room to wave in here, but my eyes are opening, so I guess I’ll just practice blinking at everyone. I weigh about 2 pounds. Mom’s talking about different names for me. Hey, mom, how about Chris?
October 9: week 29
I am about 14 inches tall now and growing really fast. I try to stretch out and mom can feel me move about. You could hear my heartbeat if you put your ear on my mommy’s tummy. If I were born now, I’d have an 85% chance of survival because my lungs have been getting stronger. Sometimes mom has a craving. I really like the ice cream; pickles, not so much.
October 16: week 30
I have doubled in size over the last 4 weeks and it is really getting cramped in here. I don’t have as much room to do my exercises. My muscle tone is better, though, and my body is filling out with baby fat. I have nice fine hair growing on my head. I can recognize my mom’s voice. I know that she is feeling a lot of aches and pains and discomfort, but she knows that she will be seeing me real soon.
October 23: week 31
I must be getting younger. The wrinkles that I had everywhere are slowly disappearing. I used to have a big head, but now that I’m gaining weight, my body is catching up. I can move my eyes, but it is still pretty dark in here. I can hear my mom. I can’t wait to see her.
October 30: week 32
I weigh three pounds now and will gain about a half pound each week until birth. It’s really cramped now, so I have assumed the “fetal” position. I can see, but I don’t have 20/20 vision. In fact, I won’t have 20/20 vision until I’m about 7 years old–hopefully. Mom is pretty uncomfortable right now. When she sleeps on her side, I really like snuggling into the mattress.
Chris is “bulking” up!
September 4th: Week 24
I have fine hair all over my body that is there to protect my skin. I will lose this before being born. I’m a little thin at this point but am putting on more baby fat. My eyes are formed, but my iris has no color. I think I want brown eyes. I weigh over a pound and am about a foot long. If I was born today, I’d have a fighting chance to survive. (about 50%)
September 11: Week 25
I’m really beginning to bulk up. I gained 6 ounces this week! I think most of it was muscle but also some bone mass and some organ development. My taste buds allow me to distinguish between bitter, sweet and sour. My lungs have developed so well, I’m now officially considered viable. I could live outside my mom. My parents have each contributed 15,000 genes that determined not only what I look like, but how I taste stuff, how athletic I will be, any allergies I might have and so much more. Ain’t genes great!! Especially if my dad is an athlete. Tee-hee-hee.
September 18: Week 26
Thousands and thousands of brain cells are growing in my head every day. That’s very cool. I’ll soon have billions of them. I can make a fist and grasp things. My spine is beginning to form to protect my spinal cord. I’m covered by a white cheesy substance that protects my skin. But, don’t worry, Mom, it comes off right after birth. Mom can also tell when I have the hiccups.
September 25: Week 27
My taste buds continue to form. I can taste sweet things now. My mom likes chocolate and so do I! A bright light can be seen by me through my mommy’s tummy. I have eyelashes and eyebrows, now. My fingerprints are fully formed and they are growing. I might need them clipped when I’m born. Mom’s womb is about the size of a soccer ball. Can I call her my “Soccer Mom?”
We need some sowers!
Georgia Right to Life is surprisingly like the farmer in Jesus’ parable. Like him, we sow seeds of truth—God’s truth about His gift of life. In our case, it is His truth about the preciousness of physical life, while the parable is about eternal life.
Like the biblical farmer, we sow broadly, and our planting has similar results: Some seeds land on inhospitable ground and fail to grow to maturity. But other seeds fall on good soil. They grow well. They multiply into an abundant harvest.
We at Georgia Right to Life sow the message of the sanctity of life. We sow it in the fields of public opinion and in the fields of broken lives. We scatter our seed far and wide and then we cultivate it…and we pray.
In the short-term, we enjoy a bountiful harvest. A harvest of changed hearts and minds. A harvest of saved unborn lives, saved one at a time. A harvest of mothers spared damage and regret. It is demanding work that must be done day after day, every day. As we work, we put our trust in the Lord of the harvest.
Imagine holding in your hand, a single stalk of wheat. In your hand is the fruit of the harvest.
“To be honest, when I found out I was pregnant, I Googled ‘abortion’ and your site popped up. When I called the help-line, I was encouraged and realized that I was not alone. This help-line played a big role in me deciding to keep my baby. Thanks so much!”
Georgia Right to Life keeps planting the truth and cultivating it for the coming harvests. The ultimate harvest we all want is justice—justice restored to all persons, born and unborn, in our state and in our country.
And you and I can already see many signs of that future harvest sprouting. You can see more and more states, like Georgia, adopting Personhood as their pro-life message for the 21st Century. You can see more and more young people getting involved as pro-life apologists through our Campus Outreach. We trust you will see more and more abortion clinics closing and Planned Parenthoods going out of business as they lose state and federal tax dollars. We trust you will see more and more politicians closing the loophole of rape and incest in abortion laws.
For the coming harvests, the seeds of God’s truth are available, but the truth is not enough. The seeds of truth must be planted broadly, and the workers are few. We must continue to get the seeds into the needy fields of individual lives and of culture. So this is where you come in.
We need “seed” money to equip young people to winsomely advocate for Personhood on college campuses all over Georgia through our displays and our training.
We need “seed” money to develop and refine our websites so that we are the premier source of 21st Century pro-life educational and reference materials in Georgia.
We need “seed” money so that we can buy more billboard space to connect young women in unplanned pregnancies to the help they need.
We need “seed” money so that we will continue to be leaders in the Personhood movement that is starting to sweep the country.
Clearly, some of us are still going through tough times. But it is precisely at times like these that we need to till and to plant.
I am praying earnestly that this letter will generate much needed seed money. Can I count on your generous gift? Can you send a check for $15? Or, perhaps you could send $25, $50, or even $100. I’m also praying that some of you may consider a tax-deductible gift of $500 or $1,000.
We are preparing the soil, and we are ready to plant. Come, sow seeds with us.
Together for Life,
Daniel C. Becker
| Please mark October 27th, 2011 on your calendar. It is our annual REACH dinner at the Cobb Galleria. Jennifer Lahl will be our speaker. More information will be available soon. |
Visit our Virtual Holocaust Memorial Wall at www.personhood.net. The Personhood website is filled with valuable information on 21st Century life issues.
Also, we have a secure server for your donations at Donations for GRTL.
Remember: If you would like to receive a tax deduction for your donation, please make your check out to GRTL Educational Trust Fund.
Filed under abortion, adoption, anti-abortion, fundraising, Pregnancy, Quality of Life, Sanctity of Life
What’s Chris doing this month?
July 3rd – Week 15
Chris’ taste buds are working! Chris drinks more amniotic fluid and it tastes sweet. Chris’ pain sensory system is developing, but who would want to hurt Chris? Chris may be small, but he is growing fast. Mother enjoys the fireworks and celebrates the birth of our nation, but Chris doesn’t hear anything yet.
July 10th – Week 16
“Soon I will be able to grasp with my hands. What will I grasp? My other hand. Did you know that I have my own unique fingerprints, now? My fingernails and toenails are growing. I also have an adult’s taste buds. My eyebrows and hair on my head are sprouting. But it will probably change color and texture after birth. I’m kicking, twisting, and flailing really hard. But, mom can’t feel me moving, yet.”
July 17th – Week 17
“I’m getting a little baby fat under my skin. My heart is pumping as much as 6 gallons a day at a rate about double my mom’s. I can swim and kick and do somersaults! I’m the same size as my placenta now. I’m not a lightweight anymore – I weigh almost six ounces and I am about three inches long. I will keep growing until I’m 23 years old. I wonder how big I’m going to be?”
Mom might be able to hear tiny thumps of Chris’ heartbeat with an external monitor now.
July 24th – Week 18
“When I am sleeping, I have REM which means I am dreaming, but I can’t remember my dreams. My vocal cords have formed but I don’t make a sound–must be because there is no air in here. Isn’t it amazing that I’m able to breathe ‘underwater,’ inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid? I’m working on developing great lungs.”
Mother may begin to feel Chris flutter in her lower abdomen.
July 31st – Week 19
Chris can hear his mother’s heartbeat and some other funny noises that she makes. He is beginning to know her voice. His umbilical cord is an engineering marvel. It transports 300 quarts of fluid per day and completes a round trip of fluids every 30 seconds.
“Wow. I really like sucking my thumb! I wonder if mom is starting to ‘show’ me now.”
PERSONHOOD GAINS MOMENTUM
It seems that Personhood is repeatedly in the news – and rightfully so. Support is swelling right here in Georgia and across the nation for the personhood initiatives that seek to protect all human life from conception forward as a matter of constitutional law. It would restore respect and effective legal protection for all human beings, including the unborn. The idea is simple and bold and ultimately, may provide a direct challenge to the central holding of Roe v Wade, the landmark decision that made abortion legal in the United States.
In our time of science and technology, we know that life begins at conception. It would seem that confusion still exists. Modern medicine is not confused, however. The unborn child is their patient in genetic problems, vitamin deficiencies, spina bifida and more. Consider the case of Samuel, a Georgia boy, operated on at 7 months of pregnancy. The surgery helped repair a major spinal defect and a healthy, active baby boy was the result. I have seen him captivate a room full of people with his bright, smiling face and of course, his favorite truck! Who is the patient, but a tiny unborn human being? These days we protect turtles, wolves, eagles, and whales, and yet we “do away” with babies at the rate of over 400,000 per year.
Legalized abortion has been a part of the American cultural scene since 1973. In the Roe v. Wade decision, Justice Harry Blackmun said that, “(If the) suggestion of personhood [of the preborn] is established, the [abortion rights] case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life is then guaranteed specifically by the 14th Amendment.” If an unborn child is a person, then their right to life trumps their mother’s right to choose their death. With the states passing of the Personhood Amendment the litigation would eventually be taken up by the Supreme Court. Whether the Supreme Court acts – or how – is an open debate. Previous challenges and pro-life strategies have been viewed in the courts as an attempt to take away from the rights of the mother. The recognition of unborn children as persons does not take away from the mother but recognizes unborn children with all legal rights and protection due them under the 14th amendment.
We cannot continue to diminish the value of any one category of human life – the unborn – without diminishing the value of all human life. The personhood of the unborn child is the single point on which the entire debate turns. This is not the first time America has been divided by a Supreme Court decision that denied the value of human lives. The Dred Scott decision of 1857 was not overturned in a year, or even a decade. The good news was that the minority persisted in their vision and finally prevailed. It will take time to educate, clearly frame and present the issue at hand. Change is possible, however… and it begins with you and with me.
Let Georgia Right to Life help you educate your local chapter, your church or the citizens of your community on the value of Personhood. Contact Suzanne Ward, Director of Public Relations & Education, at suzanneward@grtl.org.
Georgia Leading the Fight for Personhood
THOMASVILLE — Georgia is a good place to live — especially for fetuses.
A recent poll suggested that 57 percent of likely Georgia voters want Roe v. Wade overturned. Roe v. Wade is the controversial 1973 Supreme Court ruling that established that most laws against abortion violated a constitutional right to privacy under the liberty clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, thus overturning all state and federal laws outlawing or restricting abortion that were inconsistent with the decision.
There have been more than 52 million legal abortions in the United States since Roe v. Wade became the law of the land.
read more here…http://timesenterprise.com/x947032027/A-place-to-live
Filed under abortion, anti-abortion, conservative, Family, fetal development, georgia, Georgia Right to Life, Parenting, personhood, Pregnancy, pro-choice, Rape
Time to Look in on Chris.
June 5: Week 11 The most critical part of Chris’ development is now complete. Now Chris enters into a period of rapid growth. Eyelids fuse closed and won’t reopen again until about 26 weeks. Eye color is already determined and Chris can squint and swallow. Chis is over an inch long and is moving quickly about the womb. Mother’s waistline is starting to disappear.
June 12: Week 12 Chris is almost 2 inches long now. Fingers and toes are separated. Chris could easily stand on Dad’s little finger nail. Chris’ feet are the size of the Precious Feet pins that have become the symbol of the pro-life movement. Finger nails and hair are starting to grow. The placenta is now proving nutrition from Mom. Chris likes pizza!
June 19:Week13 Chris now sleeps, awakens, and exercises the muscles energetically (we could take some lessons from him.) He turns his head, curls his toes, makes a fist, opens and closes his mouth while “breathing” the amniotic fluid to help develop his respiratory system. Chris is very active. However he is still a lightweight – weighing about one ounce – about as much as a letter. If the doctor uses a Fetal Doppler, it won’t be the weather that is seen, but Chris’ heartbeat which sounds like galloping horses.
June 26: Week 14 Chris now has teeth buds for all 20 teeth. Teething will come later. He is almost 3 inches long and weighs in at one ounce. Chris is still exercising and practicing his “breathing.” All Chris’ nourishment is now coming through the placenta. Vocal cords begin to form and although they may not be ready for a rock band, Chris will use them immediately following birth for that first cry! Now mom usually feels better and has more energy. She’s spreading the Good News.
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