Gianna Jessen was aborted...almost... She lived to tell about it!

Constitutional Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee ^ | Gianna Jessen

[tame]

I have posted the following bio of Gianna Jessen's survival because, although it is not a "new" story, recent events indicated it is a crucial story to revisit...MAY WE NEVER FORGET!

Gianna Jessen

Testimony of abortion survivor Gianna Jessen before the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on April 22, 1996:

"My name is Gianna Jessen. I am 19 years of age. I am originally from California, but now reside in Franklin, Tennessee. I am adopted. I have cerebral palsy. My biological mother was 17 years old and seven and one-half months pregnant when she made the decision to have a saline abortion. I am the person she aborted. I lived instead of died.

Fortunately for me the abortionist was not in the clinic when I arrived alive, instead of dead, at 6:00 a.m. on the morning of April 6, 1977. I was early, my death was not expected to be seen until about 9 a.m., when he would probably be arriving for his office hours. I am sure I would not be here today if the abortionist would have been in the clinic as his job is to take life, not sustain it. Some have said I am a "botched abortion", a result of a job not well done.

There were many witnesses to my entry into this world. My biological mother and other young girls in the clinic, who also awaited the death of their babies, were the first to greet me. I am told this was a hysterical moment. Next was a staff nurse who apparently called emergency medical services and had me transferred to a hospital.

I remained in the hospital for almost three months. There was not much hope for me in the beginning. I weighed only two pounds. Today, babies smaller than I was have survived.

A doctor once said I had a great will to live and that I fought for my life. I eventually was able to leave the hospital and be placed in foster care. I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a result of the abortion.

My foster mother was told that it was doubtful that I would ever crawl or walk. I could not sit up independently. Through the prayers and dedication of my foster mother, and later many other people, I eventually learned to sit up, crawl, then stand. I walked with leg braces and a walker shortly before I turned age four. I was legally adopted by my foster mother's daughter, Diana De Paul, a few months after I began to walk. The Department of Social Services would not release me any earlier for adoption.

I have continued in physical therapy for my disability, and after a total of four surgeries, I can now walk without assistance. It is not always easy. Sometimes I fall, but I have learned how to fall gracefully after falling 19 years.

I am happy to be alive. I almost died. Every day I thank God for life. I do not consider myself a by-product of conception, a clump of tissue, or any other of the titles given to a child in the womb. I do not consider any person conceived to be any of those things.

I have met other survivors of abortion. They are all thankful for life. Only a few months ago I met another saline abortion survivor. Her name is Sarah. She is two years old. Sarah also has cerebral palsy, but her diagnosis is not good. She is blind and has severe seizures. The abortionist, besides injecting the mother with saline, also injects the baby victims. Sarah was injected in the head. I saw the place on her head where this was done. When I speak, I speak not only for myself, but for the other survivors, like Sarah, and also for those who cannot yet speak ...

Today, a baby is a baby when convenient. It is tissue or otherwise when the time is not right. A baby is a baby when miscarriage takes place at two, three, four months. A baby is called a tissue or clumps of cells when an abortion takes place at two, three, four months. Why is that? I see no difference. What are you seeing? Many close there eyes...

The best thing I can show you to defend life is my life. It has been a great gift. Killing is not the answer to any question or situation. Show me how it is the answer.

There is a quote which is etched into the high ceilings of one of our state's capitol buildings. The quote says, "Whatever is morally wrong, is not politically correct." Abortion is morally wrong. Our country is shedding the blood of the innocent. America is killing its future.

All life is valuable. All life is a gift from our Creator. We must receive and cherish the gifts we are given. We must honor the right to life."

[tame]

Bump to the early morning crowd.

Or, in my case, the late at "night" crowd :o)

[expatguy]

Years from now people will look back on our generation and think we were inhuman and barbaric.

STOP THE MADNESS!!!

[JudyB1938]

I see why you're up all night. BOOKS!

Just looked at your homepage. You are certainly well-read!

[kidd]

How can anyone read this and not be affected?

[tame]

Just looked at your homepage.

Wow, I was just looking at your home page, too, lol.

You are certainly well-read!

I wish it were so. I feel so humble around so many freepers who are obviously very well read. This is a very informed bunch here on FR!

[JudyB1938]

I think what got me most of all is the fact that the mother expressed no sorrow for what she had done.

I personally know two who were like this mother - they were never sorry. I don't know if that's evilness, selfishness, or perhaps a self-defense type of denial to avoid guilt.

[tame]

Years from now people will look back on our generation and think we were inhuman and barbaric.

Funny you should mention "barbaric". I was speaking to someone about abortion and I mentioned to him that I was watching the History channel's stuff on barbarians, and that we live in a culture were we have barbarianism right here, right now, then we act as if we're better people--strange.

[tame]

How can anyone read this and not be affected?

That is an important question to which I cannot understand the answer. People can be cold and callous.

[tame]

I don't know if that's evilness, selfishness, or perhaps a self-defense type of denial to avoid guilt.

Maybe all of the above in cases where they are fully informed, and have full knowledge of these sad stories.

[freeangel]

It would be nice if every congress person and judge in the country got a copy of this. For many of them, it is way to easy to distance that clump of cells,as they like to refer, from a human being like themselves.

[american colleen]

Bump for later reading. My teenaged daughter found Gianna's autobiography in a "free" book pile outside of someone's summer cottage last year while we were on vacation. She read it and she is now a champion of the right to life... and spreads it to her friends.

Gianna's story is one of the most moving stories I've ever read. May the grace of God continue to be with her.

[tame]

It would be nice if every congress person and judge in the country got a copy of this.

I'm sure there were leftist congressmen/women who heard every word she said when she testified, and still they voted against a partial birth abortion ban, and against the born infants alive act. They must be pretty cold blooded.

[tame]

Apparently, Gianna's book is sold used (and new?) for under .75 cents on amazon.com, too!

[JudyB1938]

May the grace of God continue to be with YOUR DAUGHTER, too!

[american colleen]

Thank you! She is a normal teenager whose conscience is being formed and as normal teenagers there are lots of situations she is unsure about and slow to take a stand on... but not abortion, particularly since reading Gianna's story. I find that the younger crowd (she's 15) are more inclined to listen to the fact that the aborted is indeed a baby and realize that they themselves could have easily have been aborted. Not true for my generation (I'm almost 45) as abortion wasn't an issue until we were of the age to have one.

I send her to a Catholic HS and although a lot of stuff there is "mushy" I am very grateful that the abortion question is not even a question - they sent busloads of kids to the March for Life today.

[JudyB1938]

I know you are proud of your daughter; but you need to pat yourself on the back once in a while for bringing her up right, too.

[Agnes Heep]

My brother had severe cerebral palsy, and my mother devoted a good part of her life to caring for him. He was loved by her every bit as much as a healthy child would have been, from the moment of his birth until that of his death from pneumonia, nearly thirty years later. His patience and acceptance were points of inspiration to everyone around him.

[exit82]

Tame--thank you for posting this. I've had the honor of meeting and talking with Gianna on two occassions, when she was the speaker at a fundraising banquet for a local crisi pregnancy center.

She is a well poised, delightful young woman.

[verity]

All life is valuable

Nonsense! There are many characters on the international scene who should not be breathing.

[buffyt]

What I really don't get is the Liberals' disapproval of Death Penalty... of serial murderers... yet their approval of the murder of millions of innocent children, waiting to be born.