Escape from Abortion: A Review of unPlanned by Abby Johnson

CatholicExchange.com ^ | 01-12-11 | Steve Mosher

[Salvation]

Escape from Abortion: A Review of unPlanned by Abby Johnson

January 12th, 2011 by Steven W. Mosher

I know something about dramatic conversions to the pro-life cause. I experienced one myself some years ago in a Chinese abortion clinic. I had never really thought about what an abortion entailed until I witnessed one with my own eyes. But I could not ignore the result — a dead baby and a mother deeply wounded in both body and spirit — and I turned away in horror.

Abby Johnson’s epiphany occurred in similar circumstances, although she was not, as I had been, an innocent bystander to this crime against humanity. Rather she was the long-time director of a Planned Parenthood clinic which, over the course of her tenure, had done thousands of abortions. Abby, in fact, had scheduled the abortion that changed her life.

She had joined Planned Parenthood as a college student because she had been led to believe that the organization was dedicated to helping women in crisis. She believed them when they told her that they wanted to make abortion rare. She repeated their lies when she told naive young women that what was growing in their wombs was not a baby, but just a fetus, little more than a clump of cells, or a ball of tissue.

But as she went from being a volunteer to full-time employee, she learned that a key goal of the organization was to make as much money as possible by performing as many abortions as possible. Instead of helping to make abortions rare, as she had believed, she realized to her dismay that she was helping to make them more common.

Then came the day when she herself was asked to assist with an abortion, holding an ultrasound probe to allow the abortionist a clear view of his tiny target. What came up on the screen was an entire, perfect profile of a baby at 13 weeks. As the doctor inserted the suction cannula, she saw the baby began struggling to turn and twist away. But there was no escape. As she writes, “For the briefest moment it looked like the baby was being wrung like a dishcloth, twirled and squeezed. And then the little body crumpled and began disappearing into the cannula before my eyes. The last thing I saw was the tiny, perfectly formed backbone sucked into the tube, and then everything was gone.”

Abby was devastated by what she had seen. And she swore to herself that she would never again support abortion.

Perhaps her story would have ended there, were it not for the friendships she had formed with the pro-lifers who had long held prayer vigils outside her clinic. These compassionate prayer warriors had long interceded not just for the women who visited the clinic and their unborn children, but for the clinic personnel as well. It is thus no accident that when Abby walked out of her Planned Parenthood office she went directly over to the office of the local 40 Days for Life director, Shawn Carney, and that he and other pro-lifers helped her transition from abortion advocate to helping women and saving lives.

The story of Abby’s conversion, which was years in the making, is nothing short of miraculous. I was reminded in the telling of how Father Paul Marx befriended abortion pioneer Bernard Nathanson, a friendship which greatly aided Dr. Nathanson in his long spiritual journey from the atheism of his youth to his final confirmation in the Catholic faith. (I understand that Abby and her husband have left the Episcopal Church over its pro-abortion stance, and are receiving instruction in the Catholic Church.)

If you are tempted to despair over America’s continuing embrace of abortion, consider the moral courage of Abby Johnson and those who stood with her, and be reminded that all things are possible with God. unPlanned is a story of God’s grace and redemption that should be read by every one determined to build a Culture of Life.

 

Steve Mosher is the president of Population Research Institute.

[Salvation]

From Shawn Carney: Last night 21,613 people jammed onto the "Unplanned" webcast to hear former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson reveal what she experienced inside the abortion business -- and why she resigned her job and joined the pro-life movement.

[Salvation]

[skr]

Praise be to God for His mercy—it is simply amazing that He hasn’t already wiped us off the face of the earth for allowing such evil to happen.

[Salvation]

First Chapter of Abby Johnson's book unPLANNED

CHERYL POKED HER HEAD INTO MY OFFICE. “Abby, they need an extra person back in the exam room. Are you free?”

I looked up from my paperwork, surprised. “Sure.”

Though I’d been with Planned Parenthood for eight years, I had never been called into the exam room to help the medical team during an abortion, and I had no idea why I was needed now. Nurse-practitioners were the ones who assisted in abortions, not the other clinic staff. As director of this clinic in Bryan, Texas, I was able to fill in for any position in a pinch, except, of course, for doctors or nurses performing medical procedures. I had, on a few occasions, agreed at a patient’s request to stay with her and even hold her hand during the procedure, but only when I’d been the counselor who’d worked with her during intake and counseling. That was not the case today. So why did they need me?

[Salvation]

Abby Johnson’s unPLANNED ping!

[Salvation]

We still need to pray and pray to save America!

[fatima]

I have a friend who had 2 abortions.She went on to do radio and TV pro-life.Can never have a child now because of the abortions.Alveda King had 2 abortions.Went on to be a leader in the pro-life movement.

[Salvation]

So sad about your friend not beig able to have children now. I think all the women (and men) who seek abortions of their babies regret it in one way or another.

[LetMarch]

Thank You for this most informative post!

May we, as a nation continue to “Choose Life.”

[Inclines to the Right]

Fatima, I also have a friend who had 2 abortions and she is also unable to have any children. Another friend of mine who had one abortion also had a miscarriage due to the scarring that took place in her uterus from the abortion. While she was able to carry children later on, she said that she needed constant reassurance that she was worthy to have even one child.

I just read about a woman named Norma who works at Heartbeat International who had had 6 abortions. She will be sharing her testimony to Congress soon. I hope people listen there. And I pray her recovery process will help others heal.
While I am not post-abortive myself, I have had plenty of exposure to women and men who have suffered from abortions. They share a very similar account.....”I thought it would be a quick fix”, “I was told my ‘problem’ would be solved”, “it’s just a blob of cells”, and “it’s not a baby”. Thirty-eight years of lies!

[Salvation]

**May we, as a nation continue to “Choose Life.”**

Amen!

[Salvation]

**Thirty-eight years of lies!**

And we need to change that trend and get the truth out there. I haven’t read this book yet, but have read some of her statements on last year’s 40 Days for Life threads.

Should be a great book.

[Salvation]

This is a healing ministry for those who have had abortions or cooperated in them.

[ArrogantBustard]

Those people do good work. God’s work; bringing the Gospel of repentance, forgiveness, eternal life through the unmerited Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ to those most in need of hearing it.

[Inclines to the Right]

I have referred this group to many who have suffered from their abortions as well as the healing ministry that our own cpc offers, which is Christian-based (the cpc and the healing ministry).

Yes, the truth DOES have to get out there. I am appalled at how many people of all ages who are completely clueless about basic prenatal development, STD info and abortion risks and procedures....and that’s not just with the cpc clients!! I think more people ARE finally getting a clue.

[Bigg Red]

Wow! Inspiring story.

[Salvation]

Former Planned Parenthood director releases book
Escape from Abortion: A Review of unPlanned by Abby Johnson

[wagglebee]

Pinged from Terri Dailies

[Salvation]

I got this in an email. Don’t know if there is an article about it.

YOU made “Unplanned” a TOP 10 national bestseller —
in two different ways. Let me explain ...

*** FIRST ***

On Monday night ... 21,613 people participated in the
“Unplanned” webcast, where Abby Johnson, former Planned
Parenthood clinic director, revealed the shocking details
of what she witnessed inside the abortion industry ...
and why she resigned and joined the pro-life movement.

You can still listen to or download the entire audio
recording of the webcast online at:

http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=16864185

The webcast was held on the eve of the launch of
“Unplanned” — Abby’s landmark book, published by
Tyndale House, Focus on the Family, and Ignatius Press
in an historic collaborative venture between Protestant,
Evangelical and Catholic organizations.

On Monday night and Tuesday, you were given the
opportunity to grab the very first copies of “Unplanned”
— to help get the book off to a BIG start. And you did!

On DAY ONE of the release of “Unplanned,” Ignatius Press
— which published a special edition of the book with
additional bonus content — e-mailed me:

“I can tell you this — we’ve NEVER had this many
orders in one day in our history!”

Sales were so strong that Ignatius’ entire first print
run of “Unplanned” SOLD OUT — and they’re now in the
process of getting it rapidly reprinted!

And, thanks to you, in the first 24 hours of release,
“Unplanned” shot up to the #8 bestseller on Amazon and
#3 at Barnes & Noble — UNBELIEVABLE!! You made it a
Top 10 national bestseller!

The book is still doing great, and has stayed in the
top 100 bestselling books in America since release.

As people are now reading “Unplanned,” amazing reviews
are pouring in from leaders, journalists, book reviewers,
and organizations.

As one example, I urge you to read the great review by
my good friend and top pro-life blogger, Jill Stanek,
which was featured on WorldNetDaily:

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=250077

Jill explains how “Unplanned” reveals the vital role
40 Days for Life played in Abby’s conversion, and Jill
kindly adds: “In my opinion, the 40 Days for Life
campaign has been the most successful pro-life
invention of the last decade, maybe more.”

That brings me to the second (and more important) way
YOU made a national bestseller.

*** SECOND ***

Your prayers — and the prayers of hundreds of thousands
of other faithful believers — are what made Abby’s
story a reality in the first place.

When Abby first walked out of her Planned Parenthood
facility — during the 40 Days for Life campaign with
a round-the-clock prayer vigil outside — she came to
my office next door in tears, expressing deep remorse
and her urgent desire to get out of the abortion
industry forever. Abby told me: “If you weren’t there,
I wouldn’t be here.”

Abby knows from personal experience the power of 40 days
of prayer, fasting, vigil, and outreach — the
components that make up a 40 Days for Life campaign.

And Abby understands why 40 Days for Life has generated
such profound results:

* 1,085 campaigns have been conducted in 337 cities
across America and six other countries

* More than 400,000 people have participated from
over 13,000 church congregations

* 3,599 lives have been spared from abortion — and
those are just the ones we know about

* 43 abortion workers have walked away from their
jobs in the abortion industry, including Abby

* Nine abortion facilities have completely shut down
following local 40 Days for Life campaigns outside

The next 40 Days for Life campaign will be held from
March 9 through April 17, and YOUR community has the
opportunity to experience transformational results
like these.

If God is stirring your heart to help bring 40 Days
for Life to your community — or to help make your
next local campaign the biggest and best ever — I
would encourage you to download our freshly-updated
“40 Days for Life Campaign Overview Report” as a PDF
document at:

http://40daysforlife.com/report

Applications for the spring 40 Days for Life open next
Monday, January 17.

While you’re waiting, enjoy reading the report — which
will help you find out what’s involved in conducting a
40 Days for Life campaign in your city, and determine
if it’s a fit.

We have no idea what God has in store for the next
40 Days for Life, but based on the miracles He has
accomplished during every other past campaign, we’re
expecting BIG things!

For Life,

Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life

[Faith]

Waiting for my copy to arrive. I have read the first chapter which was available for downloading. It was truly compelling. May God use this book to touch millions of hearts.