In Peoria, Illinois a woman by the name of Reneizha Morris filed a lawsuit against UnityPoint Health-Methodist hospital claiming they pressured her into getting an abortion. According to a recent report the hospital mistakenly injected her with a drug that could cause birth defects.
When hospital staff disclosed this to her they recommended an abortion. Per her doctor’s order she received an abortion on Dec 15, 2017 only one month after finding out she was pregnant. After the abortion, the hospital gave her two-thousand dollars for a consultation at a Chicago Planned Parenthood.
Unfortunately, this is not the first or last time that individuals and institutions have persuaded women to have an abortion. This happens far too often. Here are some common reasons people are told to get an abortion.
Boyfriend or Husband: “C’mon! If you have that kid, our fun ends. We won’t be able to go out, we can’t spend time with our friends, we can’t do all the things that we want to do anymore!”
Women who are devoted to their husband or boyfriend often feel pressured to obtain an abortion if the men in their life will not support their decision to keep the baby. Let’s be clear: If he does not want to be a father to his baby, the relationship is not worth saving at the price of your preborn child’s life. A man who avoids responsibility is unfortunately all too common in this day and age. There are many avenues of support which will help women who choose life. He may end up loving the child and surprising you by devoting his life and marrying you if you are not already married to him. It has happened. If he decides to leave, then you have dodged a bullet. Read here on how this mom coped with a similar situation.
Doctor: “We have detected a positive result for Down Syndrome from amniocentesis. We recommend aborting.”
I know what the pro-abortion side is thinking already: “This kid will have a tough life…” or “raising a disabled child is expensive…” etc. Life has many challenges, but hardship does not justify homicide. Disability does not take away a child’s right to life. If you are still not sure about raising a baby with a disability, then adoption is always an option. Give the baby a chance. People with Down syndrome have thrived in their adult lives. Your baby can thrive, too.
Friends: “How will you have a career with a baby? Like, you’ll never get to the top! Getting an abortion is your right! I’ll go with you…”
A lie that has been sold by abortion providers is that pregnancy prevents women from having success. We are told we need abortion to be successful and equal to men. This is a false narrative. Our success as women does not depend on us killing our own offspring. Careers can succeed with an unplanned pregnancy. It just requires hard work and determination. It may be hard, frustrating, unbearable, and even sometimes seemingly impossible but women have done it, rich and poor. You can do it, too!
Activists: “Ho-Ho, Hey-Hey Women’s rights are here to stay!! Women’s rights under attack, what do we do? STAND UP, FIGHT BACK!! Keep your rosaries off our ovaries!! Not the church, not the state, Women must decide their fate!! (repeat ad nauseum)”
Abortion activism has increased since Alabama and Georgia passed anti-abortion laws in their states. Some women will tell you we are living in The Handmaid’s Tale, implying we are oppressed. Meanwhile, at protests, women dress up as reproductive parts claiming access to abortion and birth control is difficult. They ignore the plethora of resources for preventing pregnancy which are readily available to them. They also ignore and scoff at the idea of abstinence. Do not try to fit in with the crowd. It is hard to be shunned by those who disagree with you, and I personally struggle with this. Stand up for your convictions. Have the baby despite activists telling you that you are making a decision which is not in your best interests.
Today, women are told abortions are protected by the constitution and no man can tell a woman what she can do with her body. This is incorrect. The Roe v. Wade decision was based on the false assumption the preborn were not human beings and therefore, were not protected by the 14th amendment. Matt Christiansen perfectly breaks down why abortions are not protected by the constitution by going into more detail about the false assumption they have on pre-born humans.
Yourself: “Oh no! I’m not ready for a baby! I can’t take care of it. I don’t have any money to raise a kid I barely make enough to support myself! I don’t want my kid growing up in foster care if it is not adopted!”
Your biggest enemy is yourself, but don’t let those voices inside your head stop you from making the right decision. Unplanned pregnancies can be scary and intimidating. Those emotions may influence you to take a wrong course of action. The right choice is always to love the child and raise it as your own, or to give the baby to a couple who will raise the child. If there is an underlying medical condition (which is rare*) and the doctor encourages you to abort get a second opinion. Never assume the doctor is correct in their diagnosis. They can be wrong and it has happened before. Even if the diagnosis is correct, abortion is never the answer.
If the pregnancy is a result of a rape, there are organizations and pregnancy centers which can provide the support needed to make a decision for life in that difficult and painful circumstance. Women who have made the decision to carry a child conceived in rape are brave and fearless. With everything mentioned above, your own thoughts will be your biggest obstacle. Raising a baby has it’s challenges, but many women will tell you the positives outweigh the negatives even in the hard times.
The hospital gave Reneizha Morris a false sense of choice by trying to cover up their mistake. To be manipulated by an institution like a major hospital really puts in perspective that even well-known and trusted organizations will sometimes not have your best interests at heart. No woman should ever be pressured to have an abortion. Not by your boyfriend or husband, your friends, your family, and definitely not a hospital that is supposed to keep your health as their top priority.
*The Guttmacher article only shows percentages for women who got an abortion who are concerned with their health. It does not indicate that they had a legitimate serious issue with their health (like ectopic pregnancies) if the baby was born.
Sondra "Sonni" is a pro-life Christian conserative who loves gaming, geek culture, makeup, and defending the preborn.
