Madison woman helps fund abortions

Wisconsin State Journal ^ | 8/22/10 | Doug Erickson

[wagglebee]

MADISON — At all hours, strangers phone Anne Nicol Gaylor's Madison home, always desperate.

The caller one recent morning was a middle-aged woman with a 14-year-old pregnant daughter.

"What clinic will she be using?" asked Gaylor, 83, jotting down the response and the cost of a second-trimester abortion ($875).

"If we helped with $300, do you think you could find the rest?" Gaylor asked.

After the call, Gaylor opened a checkbook for the Women's Medical Fund, a Madison nonprofit that has helped pay for abortions for 34 years. Gaylor has written every check for every abortion.

This was No. 18,986.

Controversial figure

Gaylor is well-known for leading the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Madison for decades. Less known is her work with the Women's Medical Fund, which she co-founded in 1976, the same year she helped start the foundation.

The fund's sole purpose is to pay for abortions. Last year, it paid out $162,202, about 75 percent of which came from individual donors, the rest from foundations.

There is no office and no paid staff. Gaylor, whose title is administrator, takes all of the calls — some 800 a year — at her dining room table on her home phone, the same one her four children and two granddaughters reach her on. There is no answering machine.

"It would burden anyone else to deal with all those calls," said her husband, Paul Gaylor, 84, a former vice president for a building maintenance company. "But she listens to every woman and cares for every single one of them."

The phone number isn't widely circulated. Women get referred from clinics, doctors and nurses.

"When you give money away, people find you," said Anne Nicol Gaylor, a petite woman with grayish-white hair and a soft voice.

'All about the child'

The Supreme Court legalized abortion three years before the fund began, but many women simply couldn't afford the procedure, said Bob West, 82, of Madison, a professor emeritus of chemistry and co-founder of the fund with his wife, Margaret West, now deceased, and Gaylor. The three had become friends through the Madison chapter of the group Zero Population Growth.

"For me, it was all about the child," he said. "In the kind of world I want to live in, all children would be wanted."

Gaylor said her motivation came from a doctor who told her about a girl who was raped by her father and had to drop out of high school to raise the child. "Those kind of stories are so numerous and so tragic," Gaylor said.

She sends out fundraising letters at least once a year, often tying the appeal to a significant event, such as Mother's Day.

"Of the 632 women the fund has helped so far this year, 147 were teenagers," Gaylor wrote to donors last Thanksgiving. "Of these, nine were only 13 years old, and one, not yet a teen, was just 12!"

Gaylor used the occasion of her 80th birthday to hold a fundraising party for the fund at the Madison home of Dr. Dennis Christensen, an abortion provider who has since retired. Gaylor sent invitations far afield, including one to a well-to-do woman in California she'd never met but who had donated to the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The woman sent her regrets and a $20,000 check.

The other side

Anti-abortion activists have long been aware of the fund.

"It's a stark example of misguided compassion that serves as discrimination of the worst kind," said Peggy Hamill, state director of Pro-Life Wisconsin. "To finance extermination of pre-born children because those children would have been brought up poor is deplorable."

Gaylor said no one is chasing down low-income pregnant woman. They're simply the ones who come to her. "If that's discrimination, so be it," she said. She thinks critics would view the fund differently if they heard the calls.

"We get calls, too," counters Sue Armacost, legislative director for Wisconsin Right to Life. "We understand how heartbreaking some situations are, but the answer is not urging and assisting a woman to destroy her child."

Others call Gaylor a hero.

"She's been on the front lines of two of the most contentious issues in our society, what I call the two A's - abortion and atheism," said Nora Cusack of Madison, a retired business owner and board treasurer of the Women's Medical Fund. "It's astonishing how fearless she is."

A way with language

Gaylor may look like Betty White, but her words still carry the socko punch that once led an audience member at the taping of a Philadelphia talk show to rush her from behind and put her in a chokehold.

On large families: "How presumptuous of someone to think the world is interested in a half-dozen or eight or 10 of their kids."

On anti-abortion activists: "They're religiously motivated, not intellectually motivated."

On abortion: "A blessing."

Gaylor said she has never had an abortion but once witnessed the procedure when a woman asked her to be in the room for support. It did not change her views, she said.

On the phone with strangers, Gaylor is gentle but pointed in her questioning.

"The guy who got you pregnant, is he helping you pay?" she asked a 19-year-old woman from Sheboygan with two children and a third on the way.

"What will you do next time so this doesn't happen again?" she asked a 25-year-old woman from Madison.

Looking ahead

The last three years have been tough on Gaylor's health. A blood clot took the vision in her left eye, and she has an inflammatory disorder that causes muscle soreness and stiffness.

She retired from the presidency of the Freedom From Religion Foundation in 2004. It is now run by her daughter and son-in-law, Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker.

The board of directors of the Women's Medical Fund has not discussed a succession plan, said West, who has been board president since its start. "It's something I probably need to talk to her about," he said, adding that he would defer to her wishes.

Gaylor does not mention slowing down. "My regret is that we don't have $1 million a year to give away so that we could help more women," she said.

[SatinDoll]

I like what you have to say.

But neither of us walk in the shoes of another. It is their choice, not ours. God gave humans free will for a reason.

No woman should be forced to carry the child resulting from a brutal assault. It is my opinion she should be free to choose whether to do so or not.

What you and I think doesn’t really matter.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

“If not, you have no right to be upset if your cousin has 50 unneccesary abortions.”

That should say “your relative” not “your cousin”. Sorry!

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

“No woman should be forced to carry the child resulting from a brutal assault. It is my opinion she should be free to choose whether to do so or not.”

Is an unborn child a human? Do human beings have the inalienable right to life? Should any woman be able to deny a child the right to life?

Why should a rape victim be able to deny the child a right to life?

It shouldn’t be a choice. The government is supposed to secure our liberties. They have failed to secure the rights of this child.

[SatinDoll]

“...my stand on abortion always has been the same; that it should be treated much like homocide.”

I said that on post #55 and firmly believe the only justification for abortion is to save the life of a woman so she can have a future pregnancy.

But I also believe abortion should be an option, a choice for rape victims, mostly to prevent them from committing suicide. Once again, the aim is to save a woman’s life so she can bear a child in the future.

[christianhomeschoolmommaof3]

I read that in your earlier post.

A person can take the life of another in self defense. If a pregnancy is threatening the life of the mother then abortion is justifiable.

In the case of rape, the pregnancy itself does not present a threat to the life of the mother. If her mental state, poses a threat to her life, she should seek professional help. An abortion is only going to add to her emotional problems. It will not help them.

The woman is still ending the life of a person that is not threat to her life.

[TigersEye]

Abortion is not about saving women’s lives!

49,551,703

Total Abortions since 1973

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why the drop after 1960? (in deaths of women from illegal abortions)

The reasons were new and better antibiotics, better surgery and the establishment of intensive care units in hospitals. This was in the face of a rising population. Between 1967 and 1970 sixteen states legalized abortion. In most it was limited, only for rape, incest and severe fetal handicap (life of mother was legal in all states). There were two big exceptions — California in 1967, and New York in 1970 allowed abortion on demand. Now look at the chart carefully.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Abortion Statistics - Decision to Have an Abortion (U.S.)

· 25.5% of women deciding to have an abortion want to postpone childbearing

· 21.3% of women cannot afford a baby

· 14.1% of women have a relationship issue or their partner does not want a child

· 12.2% of women are too young (their parents or others object to the pregnancy)

· 10.8% of women feel a child will disrupt their education or career

· 7.9% of women want no (more) children

· 3.3% of women have an abortion due to a risk to fetal health

2.8% of women have an abortion due to a risk to maternal health

----------------------------------------------------------------------

So how many women’s lives have been saved by abortion?

Less than 3% of abortions since 1972 were reported to be “due to a risk to maternal health.” A reasonable person would recognize that not all of those cases represent a lethal risk. But let’s say they did. That means that nearly 45 million fetuses were butchered to save the lives of about 1.3 million women. Or put another way; 35 babies are killed to save each woman.

Abortion was legal in all 50 states prior to Roe v. Wade in cases of danger to the life of the woman.

Roe v Wade: FULL Text (The Decision that wiped out an entire Generation 33 years ago today)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chosen Child

Studies Find Abortions Have Long-Term Effects

An Unexpected Correlation: The Legacy of Abortion

Study: Previous Abortions Linked With Pre-Term Birth and Cerebral Palsy

American Psychological Association Ignores Abortion-Depression Link

Study finds depression suffered by 80% of women who abort

Post-Abortion Counselor Confirms Abortions Cause Women Mental Health Issues

Abortion and Premature Birth Link Confirmed in New Study

Spanish Medical Expert: Damage to Women Caused by Abortion is Scientifically Proven

Science Catches Up with Religion Researchers prove fetuses have memories, know mothers’ voices..

Women Need More Mental Health Treatment After Abortion, New Study Finds

Teens Cope With Unwanted Pregnancies Better Than Abortions, Study Shows

New Study: Top Reason for Women's Abortions is No Supportive Partner, Father

New Study: Direct Link Between Abortion and Mental Health Problems

Researcher: Johns Hopkins Paper Biased on Abortion-Mental Health Issues

Abortion Linked to Higher Rates of Child Abuse, Study Finds

Women Want to Know of Abortion Risks Beforehand, New Survey Shows

Recent Poll Reveals Most Americans Think Abortion Hurts Women

Planned Parenthood Misleads Women on Abortion's Mental Health Risks

Study: Abortions Cause Future Relationship Problems, More Domestic Violence

[snowflake2428]

Anne Nicol Gaylor=Satan Incarnate.

She must also profit financially from her evil. How can they have a real job when they sit around the house glued to the telephone 24/7 waiting for it to ring?

[wagglebee]

Pregnancy can be risky and women do die in childbirth.

Have you got any actual data that suggests that rape victims are more likely to have complicated pregnancies than other women?

NOBODY is suggesting that women in actual life-threatening situations not be allowed to have any medical procedures necessary to save their lives and that includes abortions regardless of whether the pregnancy was the result of rape or not.

You are trying to create some sort of correlation between rape and high-risk pregnancies and such a correlation simply DOES NOT EXIST. You claim to be opposed to abortion, but all the while you are repeating NARAL talking points.

It should be the rape victim’s choice whether to have that child, not yours.

Funny you should use the term "choice."

Which is it, is your concern threat to the mother's life or do you just think it should be a "choice"?

[trisham]

Thank you for sharing your story, lj. It must have been very difficult, but it may keep someone else from making a wrong decision.

We all make mistakes. Hopefully, we learn from them and even more hopefully, others can learn from them too.

[trisham]

because I’ve been one.

*************************

I'm very sorry to hear that. From all that I have read and understood, it is an experience that alters a woman's life forever.

[little jeremiah]

I was thinking of having the mods delete it but what the heck.

Wag told it before from “anonymous”, in more detail.

Freepmail coming your way.

[reagan_fanatic]

A direct hand in the murder of 18,986 umborn children.

What a ‘legacy’.

[trisham]

I know that people can be influenced and that they can change their beliefs by what is posted here, because I have been. Even if no one knows who we are, not only does posting a story such as yours take courage, but our words can and do affect others.

[mlizzy]

But I also believe abortion should be an option, a choice for rape victims, mostly to prevent them from committing suicide. Once again, the aim is to save a woman’s life so she can bear a child in the future.

How can two brutal acts make a woman feel any better than one brutal act and the gift of a child (to someone)? If a woman feels she may commit suicide because she is pregnant from a rape, an invasive bloody scraping and vacuuming of her womb to empty its live contents (evil expensive "doctor" rape and murder) is not a way to cure an emotional issue.

To work on emotional issues, it is very beneficial to start by asking forgiveness for one's sins. I received forgiveness for my abortion through confession to a priest. Also there is Rachel's Vineyard (a very positive compassionate group; "healing the pain of abortion; one weekend at a time" founded by Dr. Theresa Burke) for post abortion help.

[little jeremiah]

People can change, and that is the wonder of life.

[wagglebee]

I’ve talked with a lot of women who have had abortions and a lot of women who have been raped.

With counseling, rape victims are generally able to recognize that they were victims of a violent crime that wasn’t their fault.

On the other hand, women who have had abortions eventually must face the reality that they were the perpetrators of an act of violence against an innocent baby. They have a much harder time coming to terms with this.

Women who abort children of rape have the hardest time of all because they eventually have to deal with the fact that they took their anger out on an innocent child. Many of these pregnancies come from date rapes where the woman chose not to pursue charges against the rapist and the guilt of that is incredibly difficult for them to deal with.

[little jeremiah]

That is beautifully and clearly said.

And what happened to me (actually twice) was a sort of form of date rape.

Freepmail coming your way.

[RnMomof7]

I wonder how she would like legalized euthanasia after 80 so the world has room and funds for those babies..

Would she willingly pay for her own?

[trisham]

On the other hand, women who have had abortions eventually must face the reality that they were the perpetrators of an act of violence against an innocent baby. They have a much harder time coming to terms with this.

Women who abort children of rape have the hardest time of all because they eventually have to deal with the fact that they took their anger out on an innocent child. Many of these pregnancies come from date rapes where the woman chose not to pursue charges against the rapist and the guilt of that is incredibly difficult for them to deal with.

************************

It makes sense that this would be the case in abortions following rape. It's very sad.

[trisham]

It certainly is.