If you haven't thought about abortion; this is why you should.
From: Abby Johnson's Facebook Page on April 16, 2019.
I've followed Abby Johnson, the former abortion industry worker- turned ProWoman, ProChild, ProLife advocate for several years on social media and in the news. I don't know Abby personally. I've met her a few times. She's authentic, a real life HUMAN and she has a story that no matter what side of the abortion debate you are on, should be heard.
Prior to 2005, I didn't think much about abortion. I had several close friends who had abortions. One of my friends in high school found out she was pregnant over the summer. She and her boyfriend had a slight excitement about their baby. Scared and hesitant they told her boyfriends’parents. His parents didn’t want to wreck his future, so they scheduled an appointment for an abortion and drove her to Chicago, and signed for the "easy solution". This solution was the abortion pill. I don't know all the details, but I remember it was one of the scariest moments of my life watching her crunched up in a ball on her bedroom floor in pain. Her parents had no idea that she had taken a pill to abort her baby. I thought she was going to die.
My second experience with abortion came when one of my close friends called me to tell me she was pregnant. She was crying because her boyfriend wanted to take her to the doctor and take care of "it". I told her she was strong and that, although her baby wasn't a part of her plan, her baby would bring her joy. I'm not even sure where those words came from, but I remember being afraid that my friend would think I was judging her by providing her with support. I let her know that I loved her and that no matter what her choice was, I would continue to love her. She had an abortion. Two days later she called me to tell me. We cried together for over an hour on the phone. She told me she regretted her decision and that her heart felt empty. I kept my word and supported her through her emotions and heartbreak. She became pregnant not long after only to parent a healthy beautiful baby.
I have more friends who have chosen abortion. Their stories are unique in the reasons to why they chose to have an abortion. I don't judge them for their decision, but I see where it has impacted their lives. Some have had trouble with carrying a baby to term and have confided in me that they feel having an abortion played a huge role in their miscarriages.
Even after all these stories, I hadn't really thought of what abortion meant to me or our society. I continued to be thoughtless. I turned a blind eye- even though I had witnessed the horrible consequences and hurt that abortion causes. If I had to put my beliefs in a category, I would have said I was prochoice or prowoman. I would have ended that statement with, but I would never have an abortion. Why? Why would I say this after witnessing the pain that my friends endured? I didn't want to hurt my friends or make them feel judged.
In 2005, I found out I was pregnant. The timing was terrible. I didn’t really have “being a mom” on my radar. I continued my pregnancy. I had pressures to abort because of the timing of my pregnancy. I didn’t want to have an abortion. I really didn’t want to give birth either, it sounded scary and hard. I had already played my cards and got pregnant. As my wise OBGYN told me, “you only get one shot at doing this right.” That stuck with me. What is right? What is right for me and for my baby? I struggled emotionally during my pregnancy. I felt alone. It was a time of growth in my life. I mean true growth; physically, mentally, and spiritually. All of my encounters with unintended pregnancies led me to do something I never imagined I would do in my life.
In June of 2010, I left my Corporate America job, that had a bonus structure and benefits to befriend women who are pregnant and in the decision making process of what choice they want to make for their baby. I made this decision after realizing that what women really need is to be supported and loved through their pregnancy. They need to be given the option to continue their pregnancy, even if it isn’t ideal. My friends were not given these options and now they are living with the life-long consequences of abortion.
Anyone who thinks that women who abort aren’t victims of the societal pressure to normalize abortion, or even the physical or emotional pressure to abort from those around them, are truly blind to what’s happening...either blind or willfully ignorant. Even women who “shout their abortions” are shouting out of hurt...sometimes it’s hurt they haven’t even begun to realize yet.”
I was willfully ignorant. I didn't break abortion down to what it really does to a baby or to a woman. All I thought about were the justifications of abortion. I educated myself on what the side-effects of abortion are to women physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I researched abortion. Then I formed an opinion. Women who are pregnant are already mothers to a human aby. I believe women deserve to know their true pregnancy options. Women are not benefiting from abortion. There are no winners with abortion(except the abortion industry making money).
No matter what side of the coin you may be on in the abortion debate please go see UNPLANNED.