My story begins in the winter of 1981, in a small town in Ohio. A 19 year old boy who had just found out his girlfriend was pregnant had convinced her to go have an abortion. As they drove 40 miles south to Columbus Ohio (nearest abortion clinic) the emotion in the car was overwhelming. The 16 year old teenage mother held her stomach and felt confused, lost, hopeless, sad, scared, upset and many other stages of grief and remorse about the callous act she was convinced to partake in. Meanwhile, in the drivers seat the teenage boy felt relief and nary a moment of remorse for the cruel path he was leading his girlfriend down. As they got to the clinic and filled out the paperwork a nurse lead the young girl to a backroom with strange machines, medical table and stir ups. She was asked to remove her clothes and don a medical gown and a nurse would be in to speak with her soon. As the young girl laid upon the table her life and the life growing inside her, flashed before her eyes. She wasn’t a murderer or a cruel person, she didn’t want to destroy the life growing inside of her but she didn’t want to upset her boyfriend. She remembers the terrified look in his eyes when she announced she was pregnant. All of his hopes, dreams and visions for the future drowned beneath the onslaught of oncoming responsibility.
As she thought deeply, tears formed in her eyes and she began to cry. A nurse passing in the hallway stepped in and asked her if she was ok. The young mother wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded. The nurse walked over to her and held her hand and asked her “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” The girl who was distraught with emotions uttered the redeeming words “I don’t know, I’m confused.” A deeply concerned look crossed the nurses face as she gazed down at the the teenage child beneath her. “Based on the regulations of the state of Ohio I can’t allow you to have an abortion today due to the fact your confused. If your still wanting to pursue your option for abortion you have to come back in a week.”
And thus…..my life exists, on a mere technicality.
Life is very precious and it’s a powerful thing in deed to help save one. Like many of you, I have strong beliefs against the reckless and barbarous act of abortion. I don’t think I’ve ever said it until recently but I’m Pro Life. This is not a political statement, nor a religious or spiritual one. It’s a belief, that every life, big or small, deserves the equal right to thrive outside of the womb. Many of you have felt the dismal side of the argument and like me, your life has been affected in great or tragic ways. I stand before you all now, 31 years old, a college graduate, father of 3 and dedicated husband and I feel strongly in saying “I’m an abortion survivor!”
-Nicholas Marquis — Develop Dreams, CEO