A couple of weeks ago I was watching a Grey's Anatomy episode where a lady and her husband came into the hospital to get a pregnancy test. The doctor performed the test and excitedly gave the couple the news that they were going to have a baby! The wife burst into tears and exclaimed that she wanted an abortion as soon as possible. The doctor was confused and tried to explain that there are other options. The wife then explained how she is HIV positive and knew that she could never have a baby because they baby would be born with aids too. Therefore, this pregnancy was not planned and she wanted to terminate it as soon as possible.
As someone who fights to save unborn babies lives, this scenario was new to me. I had never been posed the question of, "Can someone with aids still have a baby safely without passing on the aids?"I immediately put it in the back of my head to research later, so I could be fully educated on the matter. However, Grey's Anatomy answered the question for me! The doctor on this episode, Izzie Stevens, went to her superior and explained the situation, asking if the baby had to be aborted or if there were other options.
A little later in the episode, the Dr. Izze Stevens goes back to the couple to inform them of the other options. Because of the advancements in medicine in the United States, by taking the right precautions, mothers have only a 2% chance of passing aids on to their babies. Thats huge! Only 2%. That's 2 out of every hundred, and absolutely no reason to end a human being's life!
When a mother does not take these precautions, the chance of aids being passed on is 25%, or 1 in every 4. So taking these precautions is very important! During the pregnancy, there are antiretrovial drugs that the mother can take. Also, C-sections are recommended and not breastfeeding it very important. Much more information about pregnancy can be found online at: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/prevention/reduce-your-risk/pregnancy-and-childbirth/. And some helpful information and steps to take before getting pregnant if you're HIV positive can be found here: http://aids.gov/hiv-aids-basics/staying-healthy-with-hiv-aids/friends-and-family/having-children/.
It is very important to be educated incase questions like these come up. I would have had no idea how to answer that question if someone had asked me before. However, thanks to Grey's Anatomy, I can now ensure someone that is HIV positive, or just interested in what would happen if they were, that keeping their baby does not mean they will be transmitting aids. I can inform them that by taking certain precautions, the chance of that happening is only 2%! And you can too! This information can be the difference between life and death for a unborn baby.
Will you help us save lives? Share this helpful information with someone that is HIV positive, someone who is interested in a question like this, or just share it to raise general awareness about other options besides abortion.
We choose life, do you?
-Angela
Friday, June 28, 2013
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Miss Delaware:
Maria Cahill is not your typical Miss Delaware. Underneath the glittery dresses, and dazzling smile is a girl who is down-to- earth, motivated, and courageous.
She is determined to redefine the “pageant girl image” by proving that your favorite meal can be a Big Mac from McDonald’s (don’t forget the large fry!), and you don’t have to think twice before playing video games with your brothers.
She couldn’t care less if she broke a nail; but most importantly she couldn’t care less about what people think of the principles she lives by and the causes she is adamant about. Where is the golden rule that if you are a beautiful and confident young woman in the spotlight you must either conceal your conservative values or pump your fist high for “women’s rights”? Well, it’s her body, her choice, and she has chosen to stand for life.
Maria is the second oldest of seven children, and has always been passionate about the pro-life movement: “It came from growing up in a household where the value of life was respected no matter what the case. I became even more involved when I met women that were contemplating abortion. Seeing the pain in their eyes and hearing them talk about the fact that they believed that there was no other way out was heart wrenching; and honestly made me want to make a difference”.
Standing firm amidst today’s opposition is not an easy task, though. Shocking right? No, but one would hope that in a society that promotes the “liberation of women”, a young woman would be free to speak her mind on one of the biggest controversies that has enveloped her generation. “Thinking of the lives that will be lost, and how these children have not had the opportunity to make a name for themselves”, only compels her even more to be their voice. She continues to spread her message regardless of the harsh criticism she sometimes receives along the way. “One of my mottos is, “it is better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you are not”.
Four days after returning home from the Miss America competition, Maria was back on the road again; only, this time to a less flashy destination. The 2012 March for Life in Washington, D.C. couldn’t have been a more perfect opportunity for Miss Delaware to be a public witness for this powerful movement.
In an interview with EWTN’s Teresa Tomeo during the march, Maria stated “it doesn’t matter whether I’m a Miss Delaware or just Maria Cahill walking the streets. My message is still the same, and that is that life is beautiful and life begins at conception”.
Maria is proud to be a voice for a movement that she has stood for all her life, and honored that the Miss Delaware organization would give her the opportunity to publicly share her beliefs. She says: “I have heard that because I am in the public eye, I have no right to speak about the pro-life movement. I feel the total opposite. There is a crown on my head for a reason. I am trying to save innocent lives and if it takes a crown for people to maybe consider this issue a little further, then my mission has been accomplished.”
With crown and sash in hand, Maria Cahill not only continues to defy the status quo, but is becoming a source of encouragement for those new to the pro-life movement and those who have fought in it tirelessly for years. Perhaps it stirs an excitement in each one of us to rediscover the talents we possess that can be instrumental in swinging this culture of darkness to the light. Maria’s crown is her means to inspire… what is ours?
Quoted from: http://liveaction.org/blog/miss-delaware-life-is-beautiful-and-life-begins-at-conception/
Keep on standing up for what you believe!
She is determined to redefine the “pageant girl image” by proving that your favorite meal can be a Big Mac from McDonald’s (don’t forget the large fry!), and you don’t have to think twice before playing video games with your brothers.
She couldn’t care less if she broke a nail; but most importantly she couldn’t care less about what people think of the principles she lives by and the causes she is adamant about. Where is the golden rule that if you are a beautiful and confident young woman in the spotlight you must either conceal your conservative values or pump your fist high for “women’s rights”? Well, it’s her body, her choice, and she has chosen to stand for life.
Maria is the second oldest of seven children, and has always been passionate about the pro-life movement: “It came from growing up in a household where the value of life was respected no matter what the case. I became even more involved when I met women that were contemplating abortion. Seeing the pain in their eyes and hearing them talk about the fact that they believed that there was no other way out was heart wrenching; and honestly made me want to make a difference”.
Standing firm amidst today’s opposition is not an easy task, though. Shocking right? No, but one would hope that in a society that promotes the “liberation of women”, a young woman would be free to speak her mind on one of the biggest controversies that has enveloped her generation. “Thinking of the lives that will be lost, and how these children have not had the opportunity to make a name for themselves”, only compels her even more to be their voice. She continues to spread her message regardless of the harsh criticism she sometimes receives along the way. “One of my mottos is, “it is better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you are not”.
Four days after returning home from the Miss America competition, Maria was back on the road again; only, this time to a less flashy destination. The 2012 March for Life in Washington, D.C. couldn’t have been a more perfect opportunity for Miss Delaware to be a public witness for this powerful movement.
In an interview with EWTN’s Teresa Tomeo during the march, Maria stated “it doesn’t matter whether I’m a Miss Delaware or just Maria Cahill walking the streets. My message is still the same, and that is that life is beautiful and life begins at conception”.
Maria is proud to be a voice for a movement that she has stood for all her life, and honored that the Miss Delaware organization would give her the opportunity to publicly share her beliefs. She says: “I have heard that because I am in the public eye, I have no right to speak about the pro-life movement. I feel the total opposite. There is a crown on my head for a reason. I am trying to save innocent lives and if it takes a crown for people to maybe consider this issue a little further, then my mission has been accomplished.”
With crown and sash in hand, Maria Cahill not only continues to defy the status quo, but is becoming a source of encouragement for those new to the pro-life movement and those who have fought in it tirelessly for years. Perhaps it stirs an excitement in each one of us to rediscover the talents we possess that can be instrumental in swinging this culture of darkness to the light. Maria’s crown is her means to inspire… what is ours?
Quoted from: http://liveaction.org/blog/miss-delaware-life-is-beautiful-and-life-begins-at-conception/
Keep on standing up for what you believe!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Football Star who is Pro-Life
For all of y'all who like football:
More than 24 years ago, Pam and her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink.
She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant. Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety, telling her the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted.
While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times, but still refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband: If you will give us a son, we’ll name him Timothy and we’ll make him a preacher.
Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14, 1987. Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry in the Philippines. He also plays football.
His name is Tim Tebow.
More than 24 years ago, Pam and her husband Bob were serving as missionaries to the Philippines and praying for a fifth child. Pam contracted amoebic dysentery, an infection of the intestine caused by a parasite found in contaminated food or drink.
She went into a coma and was treated with strong antibiotics before they discovered she was pregnant. Doctors urged her to abort the baby for her own safety, telling her the medicines had caused irreversible damage to her baby. She refused the abortion and cited her Christian faith as the reason for her hope that her son would be born without the devastating disabilities physicians predicted.
While pregnant, Pam nearly lost their baby four times, but still refused to consider abortion. She recalled making a pledge to God with her husband: If you will give us a son, we’ll name him Timothy and we’ll make him a preacher.
Pam ultimately spent the last two months of her pregnancy in bed and eventually gave birth to a healthy baby boy August 14, 1987. Pam’s youngest son is indeed a preacher. He preaches in prisons, makes hospital visits, and serves with his father’s ministry in the Philippines. He also plays football.
His name is Tim Tebow.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
A Real Story of Choosing Life
A few years ago I met an amazingly talented artist and her story is a truly moving one:
"I was only 17 when I got pregnant with my daughter, just barely out of high school. I was scared and I had no idea what to do. I grew up in a Christian home and knew I didn't want to abort, and couldn't stand the thought of giving my baby up for adoption but I didn't know how my parents would react and what I would do if things didn't go well. My boyfriend was supportive, but didn't have the money to help. I went to a pregnancy resource center, where they gave me lots of encouragement and a long list of programs that could help me out if I couldn't stay at home. Having a back-up plan gave me the courage to tell my parents. Luckily, they were supportive of my decision to keep the baby, although my dad didn't talk to me again until after she was born. Being as young as I was, and without a ring on my finger, I had a good amount of dirty looks when I would go out, and it bothered me quite a bit, but not as much as some of the comments I got. My boss actually told me I was stupid for not getting rid of "it" and that "it" was going to ruin my life. But holding my baby girl in my arms that first time was the most amazing feeling I had ever felt, and I can't imagine my life without her, or how empty my life would be if I had taken the easy way out.
When my daughter was only 9 months old, I got pregnant again. It seems like it should have been easier, since I had gone through all of it before, but it wasn't. You mess up once, and it's just a mistake, but doing the same thing again is not so easily forgiven. I felt so ashamed that I had messed up again, despite all the warnings I had gotten. I was sure I wouldn't be able to stay at home. I was going to school, and I had a little girl to take care of, and there was no way I could take care of 2 babies by myself. I didn't want to take my daughter out of the home that she was used to living in, where there was enough money that she could live comfortably and lots of people who loved her. I knew I couldn't provide her with the same by myself. My boyfriend continued to be in and out of work, and the relationship had gotten abusive, and I eventually left. So there was no back up there either. I went to the pregnancy resource center again, to get the information about the programs that would help, but the life that we would have to live to make it would be a very difficult one, and I didn't want tto do that to the child I already had. I was encouraged by several of the few friends I told to get an abortion, and despite my firm beliefs against it, I looked into it. My self-esteem was at an all time low, with the rocky relationship I was in and the shame and embarassment I felt for messing up again. I looked at several pro choice programs, including planned parenthood, and the procedure sounded humane, but I knew the reality. At that point, I was past the point of a simple pill abortion, and would have to go in for a procedure, as I was about 11 weeks along. In the end, I couldn't make myself do it, but I was sitll left with the problem of what to do. I went to a counselor who helped me figure out a way to tell my parents... again. I had decided that I would be willing to give the baby up for adoption, if it wasn't an option to keep it, so that we could stay in my parents house. I let my parents decide. God answered my prayers, and my parents gave me the grace that I really didn't deserve. I was able to stay with them, and so were both my kids. The rest of my family was not so understanding, and some of them still don't talk to me, but my son is such a blessing, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. I thank God every day for my kids, and for my family and friends who supported me through the rough times, and I am so greatful that I didn't follow through on the abortion. I'm now in nursing school and on my way to being able to provide for my little family. It's hard, I hardly get any sleep, I never go out, and my friends don't see me much, but I wouldn't want things any other way."-(Name will be kept annoymous)
Life is precious and even though choosing life isn't always the easy descison, it's the right one. An abortion doesn't just involve one person, it involves two. So please encourage those around you to choose life.
P.S. If you are on facebook, please like us on our facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/wechooselife#!/pages/I-Choose-Life/151830328252386, for more frequent updates!
-Angela
"I was only 17 when I got pregnant with my daughter, just barely out of high school. I was scared and I had no idea what to do. I grew up in a Christian home and knew I didn't want to abort, and couldn't stand the thought of giving my baby up for adoption but I didn't know how my parents would react and what I would do if things didn't go well. My boyfriend was supportive, but didn't have the money to help. I went to a pregnancy resource center, where they gave me lots of encouragement and a long list of programs that could help me out if I couldn't stay at home. Having a back-up plan gave me the courage to tell my parents. Luckily, they were supportive of my decision to keep the baby, although my dad didn't talk to me again until after she was born. Being as young as I was, and without a ring on my finger, I had a good amount of dirty looks when I would go out, and it bothered me quite a bit, but not as much as some of the comments I got. My boss actually told me I was stupid for not getting rid of "it" and that "it" was going to ruin my life. But holding my baby girl in my arms that first time was the most amazing feeling I had ever felt, and I can't imagine my life without her, or how empty my life would be if I had taken the easy way out.
When my daughter was only 9 months old, I got pregnant again. It seems like it should have been easier, since I had gone through all of it before, but it wasn't. You mess up once, and it's just a mistake, but doing the same thing again is not so easily forgiven. I felt so ashamed that I had messed up again, despite all the warnings I had gotten. I was sure I wouldn't be able to stay at home. I was going to school, and I had a little girl to take care of, and there was no way I could take care of 2 babies by myself. I didn't want to take my daughter out of the home that she was used to living in, where there was enough money that she could live comfortably and lots of people who loved her. I knew I couldn't provide her with the same by myself. My boyfriend continued to be in and out of work, and the relationship had gotten abusive, and I eventually left. So there was no back up there either. I went to the pregnancy resource center again, to get the information about the programs that would help, but the life that we would have to live to make it would be a very difficult one, and I didn't want tto do that to the child I already had. I was encouraged by several of the few friends I told to get an abortion, and despite my firm beliefs against it, I looked into it. My self-esteem was at an all time low, with the rocky relationship I was in and the shame and embarassment I felt for messing up again. I looked at several pro choice programs, including planned parenthood, and the procedure sounded humane, but I knew the reality. At that point, I was past the point of a simple pill abortion, and would have to go in for a procedure, as I was about 11 weeks along. In the end, I couldn't make myself do it, but I was sitll left with the problem of what to do. I went to a counselor who helped me figure out a way to tell my parents... again. I had decided that I would be willing to give the baby up for adoption, if it wasn't an option to keep it, so that we could stay in my parents house. I let my parents decide. God answered my prayers, and my parents gave me the grace that I really didn't deserve. I was able to stay with them, and so were both my kids. The rest of my family was not so understanding, and some of them still don't talk to me, but my son is such a blessing, and I wouldn't trade him for the world. I thank God every day for my kids, and for my family and friends who supported me through the rough times, and I am so greatful that I didn't follow through on the abortion. I'm now in nursing school and on my way to being able to provide for my little family. It's hard, I hardly get any sleep, I never go out, and my friends don't see me much, but I wouldn't want things any other way."-(Name will be kept annoymous)
Life is precious and even though choosing life isn't always the easy descison, it's the right one. An abortion doesn't just involve one person, it involves two. So please encourage those around you to choose life.
P.S. If you are on facebook, please like us on our facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/wechooselife#!/pages/I-Choose-Life/151830328252386, for more frequent updates!
-Angela
Saturday, November 26, 2011
New Bracelet Color
We have added a new color of bracelet to our collection! It's bright purple with white lettering and comes in both medium and large. We'll update the picture of all the bracelets ASAP :)
Facebook Fan Page
We now have a facebook fan page! We would love if it you checked it out and shared it with as many people as possible.
The link to this page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Choose-Life/151830328252386
Or if that doesn't work, you can search 'I Choose Life' on facebook.com.
The link to this page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Choose-Life/151830328252386
Or if that doesn't work, you can search 'I Choose Life' on facebook.com.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Our Vision
If something has a heartbeat and brainwaves, does that mean it’s alive?
What if it has feet, hands, and fingernails; is it just a clump of cells?
If it can hear you, move around, and feel pain, does that mean it’s okay to end it’s life?
And just because it can’t open it’s eyes or speak to you, does it lose all human rights?
Of course not.
Imagine a group of four friends. Each person is individual, unique, and irreplaceable. Any one of those people could go on to do outstanding things, like become president, fight for our country, or change peoples lives on a daily basis. In that group of four friends, one of those will be aborted before they ever had a chance to live. What if that had been George Washington? Beethoven? Benjamin Franklin? Or any other great person?
What if that had been you?
Just because a child can’t speak to you, tell you the pain it feels, or the voices it hears, doesn’t mean it’s stripped of all human rights. Majority of people believe that an unborn baby is merely a clump of cells that feels nothing, is immobile, and has no physical characteristics or appearances of a baby. They’re wrong. The earliest time you can get an abortion (or what abortion clinics advise) is approximately around six weeks. By that time the baby has an individual heartbeat and has already developed arms, legs, and a mouth. By seven weeks, fingers and toes begin to form, and the baby begins to make it’s first reflex movements. Also, brainwaves and nerve connections develop at this age. The baby starts spontaneously moving by week eight and starts developing movements such as hiccuping, frowning, squinting, furrowing the brow, breathing (without air), yawing, sucking, and more. By this time the baby is about the size of a thumb and has every organ inside its body. Of the 4500 structures in the adult body, 4000 are already present. By nine weeks, the baby’s eyelids and hands close if prodded and genitalia is now visible.
Abortions performed from conception to 9 week are called medical abortions. This procedure is done by orally or injecting a drug to kill the baby. The most common being mifepristone; a drug that destroys the connection between the baby and mother (the placenta) by breaking down the lining of the uterus. Following this, another drug is administrated, misoprostol, which is meant to induce labor so that the dead baby can be delivered. At times a suction aspiration is needed to complete the procedure when the drug doesn’t fully complete it’s course.
An estimated 43% of women will have at least 1 abortion by age 45.
And 52% of women having abortions are younger then 25.
Starting at ten weeks, fingerprints and fingernails begin their formation. Also, the connections between nerves and muscles have tripled since week nine. By week eleven the baby can swallow and even smile. By this time the baby is now practicing breathing and the vocal chords and taste buds form. With week twelve the baby can respond to skin stimulate. By week fourteen the baby is 4” from rump to crown. Take a look at your index finger, the average length for that finger is 4” long. Now Imagine a baby the size of that. Tiny, right?
This tiny human will be able to feel pain, just like you.
Abortions done from five to fourteen weeks are called vacuum aspirations. This is where a cannula (a plastic tube) is inserted through the cervix into the womb. A pump is attached to the other end and this tube is used to pull the baby through the tube. In many case the baby is too large to fit through the tube, which will consequently cause the tube to pull the baby into pieces in order to get the baby out. These pieces will later have to be identified to ensure the entire baby has been removed. In some cases the tube will not be able to dismember the baby and he/she will have to be pulled out using forceps. Sadly, when this is used, if the baby didn’t die in the womb, it will be left to die outside the womb.
Worldwide...
Approximately 42 million abortions are performed each year.
Approximately 1115,00 abortions are performed each day.
United Sates..
Approximately 1.37 million are performed each year.
Approximately 3,500 are performed each day.
That means 146 abortions are performed every hour.
Which means three abortions every minute.
Or one abortion every 25 seconds.
At sixteen weeks nostrils and toenails are now visible. In this stage the baby may begin to suck his/her thumb, turn somersaults, and begin to develop sleep habits. In baby girls the ovaries contain the beginnings of eggs.The baby is fully able to experience senses such as pain at eighteen weeks. In baby boys, the testes descend at week twenty. Also, at this time period the mom may be able to feel the baby kick, turn, or hiccup. Each side of the brain now has a billion nerve cells. Starting twenty five weeks in the baby will be able to hear, along with being able to fall asleep and stretch upon waking up. Babies as young as twenty five weeks have survive premature labor. About one in eight babies in the U.S. are born prematurely (less than 37 weeks gestation). Eyelashes will appear by week twenty-eight, along with the eyelids being able to open. By week thirty two the skin becomes pink and smooth and the pupils of the eyes respond to light. At thirty eight weeks the child triggers labor and birth occurs.
You can’t say a baby that is able to live outside the womb isn’t alive
Abortions performed from twelve weeks to birth are called dilation and evacuation (D&E). It is a procedure for larger babies in the thirty trimester that are unable to fit through the suction tube. During this procedure, the cervix is dilated and then forceps (an instrument that resembles tongs) are inserted into the womb and the baby is pulled into pieces in order to be removed. Larger babies are first killed, either by poisoning with an injection of digoxin or potassium chloride, or by cutting their umbilical cord and allowing them to bleed to death. By killing the baby first it softens the tissue of the baby, thus making it easier to pull apart during the evacuation.
In the United Sates, abortion is legal until the day of birth. Over 13,000 babies in the U.S. are killed each year after 21 weeks of gestation (late second trimester to the end of the third trimester). Of these 13,000 babies, many would have been able to survive outside their mother’s womb.
Our Goal
Our goal is to spread the word as much and widely as possible. We are going to travel and talk to local colleges, churches, and organizations with a table display of abortion and the truth behind it. Which we will be blogging our progress as we go, along with posting other abortion topic posts and testimonies from women who have had abortions or come close to it. Also, along with this table we are selling bracelets (much like the breast cancer awareness ones) that will have the phrase “I Choose Life” on it. By spreading these bracelets out to as much people as possible, we are attempting to spread awareness and truth about this growing tragedy. These bracelets are available for $2 a piece and all the proceeds will go towards purchasing a sonogram machine and other materials for local crisis pregnancy center Austin LifeCare (www.austinpregnancy.org). Many crisis pregnancy centers aren’t able to purchase sonogram machines and when young mothers who are choosing between abortion and birth don’t get a chance to see their baby, the majority end up voting for abortion. We’re hoping to change that, but we need your help. How can you help? Tell everybody you know about us and the bracelets, follow and spread our blog page around, and help spread awareness by purchasing a bracelet.
In 2003, more children died from abortion than Americans died in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars 1 & 2, the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf Wars... combined.
If you have any questions, comments, or you want a list of sources used for this post please contact Avery Martin and Angela Bohm at: Ichooselife4them@gmail.com.
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