25 JanAn honest pro-life response to “Pro-lifers don’t help people after birth? Nonsense.”

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“Quite possibly, it is the conviction of abortion advocates that “caring for the born” translates first and always into advocacy for government programs and funds. In other words, abortion advocates appear to conflate charitable works and civil society with government action. The pro-life movement does not. Rather, it takes up the work of assisting women and children and families, one fundraiser and hotline and billboard at a time.” http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-lifers-dont-help-people-after-birth-nonsense

This article makes it seem as if the pro-life movement does more for pregnant women in every way than impersonal government action and government programs.  However, if it were not for government action, I might be bankrupt today.  I’m 100% Pro-life, and I can honestly say that when it comes to medical care – the single largest expense of a woman’s pregnancy—I felt relatively abandoned by Pro-life groups.  I get letter after letter telling me to “sacrifice” for Pro-life nonprofit groups that almost have to “shut their doors” when in reality, some – not all – but some of their officers are taking good pay, and I sense that it is more of a time tested fundraising technique than a genuine plea.  Yet, when I was in trouble and needed help, aside from around $1900 in well appreciated donations from some of our customers at ChristianShirts.net, who was the biggest single person to whom I was referred for medical help and who ended up saving me from financial ruin?  At this point, I would love to list a name of a well-known Pro-life celebrity who came to my rescue.  Unfortunately, I can’t.  I got the most help from a distant, pro-choice relative – Uncle Sam!  But until this day, I am a bit embarrassed that I had to rely on help from the pro-choice state when supposedly the Pro-life movement does everything to help pregnant mothers and unborn babies.  Although the above article makes it seem as if the Pro-life movement goes beyond government programs and action, making them unnecessary, the truth is that they are vital for women and children, especially because the Pro-life movement offers little or no medical care to women.

Why is this such a problem?  As a sidewalk counselor, when I’m out there begging and pleading with a girl to turn around and not walk inside that abortion clinic, she is on the fence.  After all, she is pro-choice.  She just needs one excuse to turn around – whether real or perceived.  So when I hand her materials, what do I say to a girl who fell through the cracks like I did?  “Oh, I can’t help you with medical costs, but there ‘might’ be some government programs that can help you out…”  That offer rings hollow considering that planned parenthood probably has most of her abortion costs covered.  I should be able to tell her: “Don’t worry about it.  If you want to have that baby, I’ll make SURE that everything gets paid for.  Don’t worry.  Leave it up to me.”  Imagine how that girl would feel if she walked into the office of a Pro-life nonprofit, and the President of the group comes out and says to her, “If you want to have that baby, I’ll cut my salary and pay for it.”  That’s how it should be.  Let’s give a girl or woman who wants an abortion NO EXCUSE to have one. Whatever a pro-choice girl reasonably needs to choose life, that is what we should give her without hesitation – even if that means paying for her medical care.  By pawning her off on pro-choice Uncle Sam, she learns 1) that the Pro-life movement cannot meet all her needs,  2) her Pro-choice Uncle Sam is a very nice man with deep pockets, and 3) the pro-life groups have no choice but to hand her off to a state assigned pro-choice doctor.  Once Uncle Sam pays for her medical bills, she might tend to take his advice when he tells her afterward that she needs to be on birth control.  After all, she can trust Uncle Sam.  He came through when nobody else did.  I had a pro-life OB who kept me on when I had to take the state insurance.  The abortion-minded young woman will be assigned a pro-choice OB who will be ok with abortion if she happens to change her mind.  I practice NFP, and my doctor supports it.  Her pro-choice OB will most likely push abortifacient birth control methods.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I have been involved in the pro-life movement long enough to know that pro-lifers are some of the most loving, compassionate people I know.  They are prayerful people with good hearts.  I have been on the front lines at the abortion clinic, even having a gun pulled on me, so I know the compassion of the sidewalk counselors and prayer warriors better than most.  Those involved in the pro-life movement have come so far in teaching people the value of human life – from conception until natural death.  The education of the general public is done so well now especially with the internet and social media that I don’t think anyone can truthfully deny that a fetus is a human being.  They can deny the right to life to that human being, but they can’t go on saying that the unborn baby is a blob of tissue.  The pro-life movement has also made strides in turning women away from abortion clinics.  From my experience sidewalk counseling, the other counselors I met were sincere in their desire to educate the women going into the abortion clinic.  The nearby CPC offers educational materials about abortion – not only about the procedure but also about the emotional impact that an abortion has on a woman.  They also offer material goods that an expectant mother needs – diapers, baby clothes, etc.  I believe that we have education and material needs pretty well covered.  However, let’s not claim that we do everything for mothers and unborn babies.  We don’t.  I know because I have gone through it. From a medical standpoint, we need more than just an ultrasound machine here or there.  We need doctors and nurses, funded through nonprofits, who provide free medical care to mothers.  If we can donate billions to politicians every election and then have little or nothing to show for it, we can donate a fraction of that to help pregnant women by paying for their medical costs.

What are your thoughts on this post?  Where does the pro-life movement shine?  And where the pro-life movement remain in the dark?

Please post comments on my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SidewalkCounselingcom/229367953199.

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31 MarCrossing the Tar Line

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This was my first time sidewalk counseling since the settlement was reached between the City of Aurora and the Pro-Life Action League in regard to the sidewalk counseling that takes place at Planned Parenthood in Aurora, IL.  I would recommend reading the Pro-Life Action League blog for all of the important details of the agreement. With the agreement, sidewalk counselors are now permitted to cross the tar line in the “middle” of the road (see the picture below – it wasn’t even halfway into the road, really).  We usually stand on the north side of the road (left side of picture) and project our voices across the access road into the parking lot.

Reaching women outside of Planned Parenthood, Aurora, IL

Reaching women outside of Planned Parenthood, Aurora, IL

So, this morning, there were two of us sidewalk counseling. For most of the morning, we remained on the north side of the tar line. About thirty minutes or so before leaving for the day, I decided that I would cross the tar line  – there is something freeing about being able to step to the other side of street which, until just recently, everyone else was allowed to use except for us. So, I did cross the tar line a couple of times this morning, and it was clear that every time I stepped across the line, the Planned Parenthood escort did not like it. I wasn’t intentionally trying to make her nervous, I just continued speaking to the women going into the clinic. At one point, the escort hurriedly ran inside. Not to my surprise, a few minutes later, someone that worked in Planned Parenthood emerged to let me know that I needed to remain on the north side of the street. I kindly replied, “the agreement allows us on this side of the street now” to which she replied “well, just stay off of our property.” I was never on their actual property, and I never intend to be on their property. That was that. No police. No drama. Just sidewalk counselors offering hope and help to abortion-minded women – now from both sides of the tar line!

Category(s): Thoughts on sidewalk counseling
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23 MarLenten Prayers for the Unborn

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Lent will be ending in the next couple of weeks, but with all of the talk about the new pro-abortion healthcare bill, we must pray without ceasing.  For those readers observing Lent (this includes me), I came across a Lenten prayer on the Priests for Life website.  I will reprint the English and Spanish versions below and encourage you to visit Priests for Life on the web where you can let them know of your commitment to pray.

Lenten Pro-life Prayer

Father of all mercy,
We thank you for this season of grace and light.
We know that sin has blinded us.
Draw us ever closer to you, in prayer and penance.

Since you, O God, are light itself,
Give all your people a clearer understanding
Of what is sin, and what is virtue.

Grant in particular that we may see, as never before,
The profound dignity of every human life,
Including the vulnerable unborn children.

Give us grace to defend
Our brothers and sisters in the womb
By our prayers, our words,
And our self-sacrificing actions.

We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Cuaresma – Oración Pro-Vida

Porque Tú, oh Dios, eres la luz Da a tu pueblo un claro entendimiento
Atráenos a ti en oración y penitencia.

Padre de toda misericordia, Te damos las gracias por este tiempo de gracia y luz. Nosotros sabemos que el pecado nos ha cegado.
De lo que es el pecado, y de lo que es la virtud.

Danos la gracia para defender a nuestros hermanos y hermanas en el vientre con nuestras oraciones, nuestras palabras, y con la acción de nuestros sacrificios.
La profunda dignidad de cada vida humana, Incluyendo la vida
vulnerable de los niños no nacidos.

Concédenos principalmente que veamos como nunca ante hemos visto,

Te lo pedimos por Cristo nuestro Señor. Amén.

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11 MarKNOW THE FACTS: A woman can reverse a late-term abortion that started with laminaria (seaweed)

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TAKE ACTION:  If you are a sidewalk counselor at a late-term abortion clinic (not all clinics do late-term abortions), take some time as soon as possible to locate a doctor who would be willing to step in to reverse a late-term abortion procedure that has already been started.  If you are looking for a pro-life doctor who might be willing to do this, you might want to start your search here:  http://www.aaplog.org/physiciansearch.aspx (American Association of Pro-Life OB-GYNs)

REPRINT:  I think it is important to reprint news stories in their entirety because they often do not remain online forever.

http://www.ncregister.com/register_exclusives/baby_claire_beats_the_odds_in_vegas/

Baby Claire Hits the Jackpot!  Dramatic Intervention Reverses Late-term Abortion

by JOSEPH PRONECHEN 02/24/2010

Staff writer Joseph Pronechen is based in Trumbull, Connecticut.

Jamie Stout and her newborn daughter Claire rest after Claire's birth.

Jamie Stout and her newborn daughter Claire rest after Claire's birth.

From left, Pam Caylor, Jamie Stout and Marina Cortopassi discuss the events that led up to Stout’s daughter’s rescue.

UPDATE, Feb. 24, 2010

Today biggest winners in Las Vegas surprised everybody and are causing quite a bit of excitement.

“Baby Claire arrived a little early — just a little while ago!” a thrilled Pam Caylor, executive director of First Choice Pregnancy Services, said today. “She and her mommy are doing great!”

Claire’s mom, Jamie Stout, had originally planned a late-term abortion but was urged by Caylor and ultrasonographer Marina Cortopassi to reverse Step 1 of the three-step abortion process and carry her daughter to term.

“Marina kept trying to get through to me,” Stout said. “She wouldn’t let up. ‘We can work this out,’ she said. ‘You’re going to show your daughter what a strong woman you are.’”

Everybody was a little surprised when Stout went into early labor yesterday evening. When Claire was taking a little time to move during the night, the decision was made to go with a C-section around 8 a.m. this morning.

That’s when Claire entered the world in fine shape. She weighed in at 5 pounds 2 ounces, and measured 18.5 inches long. Her Apgar (Appearance, Pulse, Grimace, Activity, Respiration) assessment for newborns score was a 8-9 out of a possible 10.

“It’s all good,” reported a very happy Caylor. “Jamie and baby Claire are going home in two days. It’s amazing.”

Both inspiring mom and baby certainly prove choosing life is the answer. And Caylor and Cortopassi show what never giving up can accomplish.

Caylor added, “Thanks for all your prayers.”

Feb. 20, 2010

Not many people in Las Vegas beat the odds.

Last November, one yet-to-be-born baby with the highest odds stacked against her did, thanks to a couple of never-give-up pro-life people and her courageous mom.

The dramatic intervention to rescue this baby is only part of the story. The far-reaching lesson the story tells is one that many pro-life workers and even doctors aren’t aware of or are reluctant to admit: Some abortions already under way can be reversed to save the baby.

“The execution had been ordered and started.”

So remembers Pam Caylor, executive director of First Choice Pregnancy Services in Las Vegas, about this major rescue of a 20-week-old unborn baby.

Earlier, Caylor had learned from First Choice’s ultrasonographer Marina Cortopassi that neighbor Jamie Stout was considering abortion. Caylor had Cortopassi contact the woman. She was on her way for the abortion. Despite that, Cortopassi drove to the facility, only to find the woman’s father waiting in the car for his daughter inside. They talked. He agreed to save the baby’s life.

Inside, workers had already started the abortion. Because the pregnancy was at 20 weeks, the abortion was a three-day process. Step 1, explained Caylor, was to insert “the laminaria — seaweed dilators placed in the cervix to create a hole big enough for a dead baby to be removed.”

Once outside the facility, “Marina kept trying to get through to me,” recalled Stout. “She wouldn’t let up. ‘We can work this out,’ she said. ‘You’re going to show your daughter what a strong woman you are.”

Stout already had a young daughter being cared for by her parents. But that wasn’t all: She had lost her job, fallen off the clean-and-sober road, and become homeless before returning home. Now Marina was assuring her this abortion could still be reversed.

“I don’t even like to confront a fly,” said Cortopassi of her stance by that facility. “I felt nervous and tense, but the Holy Spirit was guiding and pushing me along the whole way.”

Simultaneously, Caylor was trying to find a doctor to intervene to save the baby. “The battle for me was finding a doctor who would take her,” she said. “I don’t think it’s ever been done in Vegas before. I don’t think they knew it could be done — and most pro-life people don’t know it could be done. But I knew it could be.”

Caylor said the time frame was small, only about six hours to remove the laminaria. After several “Nos,” Caylor got the First Choice folks together to pray because Stout hadn’t agreed to reverse the process.

“It was miraculous how God worked the whole thing out,” said Caylor. “The phone rang. Two different doctors said they would help — one would call the Emergency Room and explain what to do.”

Seconds later Cortopassi called to say Stout and her family decided against the abortion. They were off to St. Rose Dominican Hospital’s Sienna Campus in Henderson. So was Caylor, saying the first step was to pray over Stout and her baby. After all, the battle wasn’t over.

The doctor scanned the baby’s heart to make sure it was still beating since Stout didn’t know if the heart had been injected with medication to stop it. Yes, the baby’s heart was beating.

However, the attempt to remove the laminaria failed. The ER doctor thought it was too late. But then, over the phone, the ER doctor got another doctor’s direction for a second attempt.

It proved successful. The laminaria were out. Stout felt better, filled with hope and peace. Five hours had passed.
Next, Caylor found an ob-gyn willing to accept a high-risk mother. Two days later, the doctor was noticeably pleased the baby’s heartbeat was strong.
Baby Claire is due next month. And her mother?

“I feel totally excited and completely blessed now, given a second chance,” she said. “It was a big wake-up call not only for me but for my family, where we stand with our belief with God, faith and when life begins.”

Stout described how God healed the whole family — her mother, father and other young daughter they were raising for her — and pulled them together as a family. Stout added that with the grace of God, literally overnight, she lost all desire to get high and was freed from addiction.
Caylor called God’s restoration of this family a miracle.

“They went in 18 hours from thinking of taking this baby’s life to being thrilled and realizing what a gift this little baby is from God,” she said.

Stout remembered, “When I first met Pam at the ER that day reversing the abortion, she knew my history and still never judged me. The woman embraced me as just a pregnant mommy.”

Stout further explained that she didn’t know where to turn, nor was she aware of the brutality done to the baby in an abortion. She said the business lied to her about the high number of laminaria they used – 13 instead of the usual 3.

Now, as a mission, she wants to share her story with other women to encourage them to take an ultrasound instead of getting an abortion.
Both Caylor and Kathleen Miller, pro-life coordinator for the Diocese of Las Vegas, indicated that there are pro-life people and doctors who don’t realize some abortions, although started, can be reversed. As in the case with Stout, women generally make a choice to do late-term abortions out of desperation, feeling they have no other option.

“It took a little for Jamie to open her mind to the possibility it wasn’t too late,” said Miller. “But Marina had the courage to approach her neighbor, telling her there are other options, and we’re here and willing to help.”

She advised sidewalk counselors to offer help to noticeably pregnant women who walk in then walk back out of abortion centers still noticeably pregnant.
“It isn’t over till it’s over,” said Caylor, who finds this reversal exceptionally inspiring considering First Choice already saves well over 2,000 babies a year in Las Vegas.

“Be open to God speaking to you and intervening,” she advises. Tell the woman coming out of the facility it’s not too late: “We can reverse this. Don’t be afraid to fight those demons of death and murder till the last second.”

From left, Pam Caylor, Jamie Stout and Marina Cortopassi discuss the events that led up to Stout's daughter's rescue.

From left, Pam Caylor, Jamie Stout and Marina Cortopassi discuss the events that led up to Stout's daughter's rescue.


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23 FebWarning for patients on birth control shot Depo-Provera (helpful for sidewalk counselors to share)

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Predictors of Higher Bone Mineral Density Loss and Use of Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA), an article in the January 2010 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, can be a useful tool when presented to patrons of clinics that dispense birth control.  It was found that “of the initial 240 DMPA users, 95 completed 24 months of follow-up. Forty-five of the 95 DMPA users (47.4%) had at least 5% BMD loss at the lumbar spine or femoral neck by 24 months.”  And the conclusion reached was that “the risk of higher BMD loss associated with DMPA use may be reduced by quitting smoking and increasing calcium intake. Having had a child is also protective.”

In its overview of Depo-Provera (the DMPA birth control shot), Planned Parenthood lists the following side effects: “Irregular bleeding is the most common side effect, especially in the first 6 to 12 months of use. There are also some less common side effects:

  • change in sex drive
  • change in appetite or weight gain
  • depression
  • hair loss or increased hair on the face or body
  • headache
  • nausea
  • sore breasts

There is no way to stop the side effects of Depo-Provera — they may continue until the shot wears off, in 12 to 14 weeks.”

“Because the birth control shot is long lasting, it can take a long time to get pregnant after getting your last shot — anywhere from nine months to more than a year. So, Depo-Provera is not a good birth control method for you if you’re thinking of getting pregnant soon.”

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/birth-control/birth-control-shot-depo-provera-4242.htm

It is not as if Pfizer, the maker of Depo-Provera, is hiding the fact that the drug causes bone loss, it is just pertinent that the user reads it.  The package labeling of the Depo-Provera shot reads “Use of Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection may cause you to lose calcium stored in your bones. The longer you use Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection the more calcium you are likely to lose. The calcium may not return completely once you stop using Depo-Provera Contraceptive Injection.”

It also includes this warning about cancer: “However, women under 35 years of age whose first exposure to DEPO-PROVERA Contraceptive Injection was within the previous 4 to 5 years may have a slightly increased risk of developing breast cancer similar to that seen with oral contraceptives.”

http://media.pfizer.com/files/products/ppi_depo_provera_contraceptive.pdf

As a sidewalk counselor, it is a good idea to educate yourself on the risks and side effects of all types of birth control.  You may even want to print the list of side effects to give to the women that are interested in the birth control shot.  I find it best to give them sources such as this study from the Obstetrics & Gynecology journal or from the Planned Parenthood website itself. Honestly, if they see that it is a source from a pro-life organization, they may not trust it.  They obviously are putting a lot of trust in Planned Parenthood if they are entering the clinic to seek counseling.  It is information that PP has posted on their website but that they may not otherwise get once they enter the clinic.  It may even be a good idea to put a reminder at the bottom of any handout you give encouraging the reader to ask questions once they get inside.

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23 FebSummoned

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As you can see, it’s been a while since my last post.  There are a few reasons for this, but honestly, after the incident back in December, I certainly had a lot to pray about.  God has still placed this calling in my heart, so I will continue with the ministry.  Meanwhile, God has also put it in my heart to go ahead with this blog and sidewalkcounseling.com using it as a tool to equip sidewalk counselors and pro-life prayer warriors with information.  However, an equally important objective is to create a place where sidewalk counselors can come for fellowship and we can lift up one another in Christ.  So, feel free to comment and share with your friends as this journey has only just begun!

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18 DecSidewalk counseling – a vital ministry

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I would encourage all sidewalk counselors to continue their ministry and invite their friends, family, and church members to pray alongside them.  Sidewalk counseling is a vital ministry in the pro-life movement.  In many cases, we are the last voices a mother hears before she enters the abortion clinic.  Many babies’ lives have been saved and many women (and their loved ones) have been spared the regrettable abortion experience because of faithful sidewalk counselors and people praying outside of abortion clinics.  I sincerely tell moms walking into the clinic that I am there because I care about them, and I want to share important information with them.  We offer them choices that they may not have access to in the abortion clinic and refer them to people and services that are able to assist them throughout their pregnancies and also after the baby is born.  We are always peaceful, and I hope that anyone who reads these words (pro-life, pro-choice, or undecided) will go out to a local abortion clinic when a sidewalk counselor is present and observe the work being done.   People on all sides of the debate need to be open-minded about sidewalk counseling.  If a person is truly pro-choice, then he or she should have no problems with fully educating a woman considering abortion.  This education should include all alternatives and available assistance programs as well as materials on fetal development, an ultrasound, and a description of the abortion procedure.   Reducing the number of abortions in this country will begin with education, and sidewalk counselors across this great country provide this information on a daily basis.   So, please take 30 minutes or an hour out of your schedule in the next month to observe your local sidewalk counselors.  And if you are a pro-life Christian, consider praying at an abortion clinic when someone is sidewalk counseling for “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth”  Psalm 145:18.

Category(s): Thoughts on sidewalk counseling
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16 DecSidewalk counseling – difficult but necessary – part I

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I woke up this morning at about 7am preparing to sidewalk counsel at Planned Parenthood in Aurora.  It was about 4 degrees at that time (and that is not with the windchill), so I thought for sure that no prayer warriors would be out today.  However, it was important that I go just in case someone was out there praying so that I would be able to counsel.  When I arrived at Planned Parenthood, there were three prayer warriors out there in the freezing cold!  I thought, “Wow!  God must really want me out here today.”  So, I bundled up as best I could, and I counseled for about 40 minutes.  When I was just about frozen, I decided that I should probably go to the car to warm up.  It wasn’t an easy decision because I hated the fact that while I was in the car, I knew that women would be going into the clinic to have abortions, and that I would be in the car and not counseling.  On the other hand, my fingertips were frozen, and it was getting difficult to breathe in the sub zero temps, so I needed a quick break so that I could continue counseling.

I will update this blog with more details about the incident at a later date .  For now, you can read the news stories listed at the home page of sidewalkcounseling.com.

Category(s): Thoughts on sidewalk counseling