Baby Saved From Abortion is Baptized

Catholic News Service ^ | 2/2/05

[marshmallow]

NEW ORLEANS (CNS) -- Serena was three months pregnant and in turmoil. The young Panamanian-born mother of two was suffering from diabetes, and personnel at the Causeway Medical Clinic in Metairie, Louisiana's largest abortion clinic, told her the disease could cause severe birth defects in her unborn child if she went ahead and had the baby.

The ambivalence Serena felt after her first consultation at the abortion clinic intensified overnight. As she was driven to the facility for her scheduled abortion on April 10, 2004 -- Holy Saturday -- she saw a group of people walking and praying on the sidewalk in front of the clinic. Serena -- who asked that her last name not be used in print -- got out of the car just a few feet from the clinic entrance, and then decided to make a U-turn.

She walked over to Pam Richard, who along with her husband, John, coordinates the New Orleans Archdiocesan Sidewalk and Prayer Ministry, and to Jesuit Father Richard C. Hermes, who was keeping vigil with a group of students from the Pro-Life Club at Jesuit High School in New Orleans. Serena's story has an ending -- actually a beginning -- that Richard says still gives her goose bumps.

On Nov. 23 Serena gave birth to her third son, 8-pound, 7-ounce Jaykob Angel, healthy in every way. On Jan. 16 pro-life supporters and the students at Jesuit High School gathered at the student chapel as Father Hermes baptized the baby who had been saved from death. The Richards served as Jaykob's godparents.

[cpforlife.org]

Jesuit Father Richard C. Hermes pours holy water on the forehead of Jaykob Angel Myers, whose mother Serena decided to continue her pregnancy after seriously considering an abortion last April.

By PETER FINNEY Jr.

Serena was three months pregnant and in turmoil. The young Panamanian mother of two sons, ages 7 and 5, was suffering from diabetes, a condition that personnel at the Causeway Medical Clinic in Metairie, the state's largest abortion clinic, told her could cause severe birth defects if she went ahead and had her baby.

The ambivalence Serena felt after her first consultation at the abortion clinic intensified overnight. As she was driven to the facility for her scheduled abortion on April 10, 2004 - Holy Saturday - she saw a group of people walking and praying on the sidewalk in front of the clinic.

Serena got out of the car, just a few feet from the clinic entrance, and then decided to make a U-turn. She walked over to Pam Richard, who along with her husband John coordinates the Archdiocesan Sidewalk and Prayer Ministry, and to Jesuit Father Richard C. Hermes, who was keeping vigil with a group of students from the Pro-Life Club at Jesuit High School.

Father Hermes and Richard were soon joined by Josephite Father Joseph Campion, pastor of St. David Church, and they began to counsel Serena privately.

Serena's story has an ending - actually a beginning - that Richard says still gives her goose bumps. On Nov. 23, 2004 - two days before Thanksgiving - Serena gave birth to 8-pound, 7-ounce Jaykob Angel Myers, healthy in every way. On Jan. 16, Jesuit students and pro-life supporters gathered at the student chapel, where Father Hermes baptized the baby who had been saved from death. The Richards served as Jaykob's godparents.

"I AM very, very excited, and so happy and joyful," Serena said after the baptism. "I am just happy that this is a special day."

"Jaykob is already richly blessed," Father Hermes told the gathering. "He is surrounded by many people who have prayed for him. His pictures were sent out in innumerable e-mails. Now we desire to see him grow up as a young man in the Lord. Today Jaykob becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. Our responsibilities as brothers and sisters in the Lord do not end here."

Richard said someone at the clinic had counseled Serena that because she was taking insulin, "the baby would be deformed. They said it would be safer for her to abort."

Serena went home and wrestled with her emotions. "I didn't want to do it," she said. "The night before, I prayed to God - I was in his hands. The next day when I went to the clinic I saw a lot of people. When I was parking the car, to me I saw lights, like angels, coming toward me. This is when I found the answer."

Serena wanted to see a doctor, and Father Hermes was able to get in touch with Dr. Richard Marino, the parent of one of Father Hermes' former students, who offered to see Serena at his office on the Monday after Easter. He oversaw Serena's prenatal care in the ensuing months.

Other "angels" arrived in the form of parishioners at Our Lady of Divine Providence Church in Metairie. They raised money and collected baby items for Serena. Others sent donations.

"In the end, what she needed was people to surround her with support and love and the confidence she could get the medical care she needed," Father Hermes said. "The people out in front of the clinic all of the time are the real warriors. If that presence had not been maintained over the years, this never would have happened. It was a beautiful moment, and it came on Holy Saturday. What a gift."

"So many people helped out," Richard said. "So many people told me they've heard of so many dreadful things, and they know this was a victory. This was an answer to prayer. I don't think that this was a coincidence that it was Holy Saturday. This was Jesus coming to deliver us from darkness."

Serena said Jaykob's middle name - Angel - sums up her emotions. "To me he's a little angel that came down from the sky," she said.

http://www.clarionherald.org/20050126/art004.htm

[shot_gun_r]

We need to push the Republican party to outlaw abortion now. Why are we celebrating a single woman who changed her mind when we could stop abortion in its tracks by making it illegal.

Are we serious about stopping abortion or not? If not now, when?

[shot_gun_r]

I'm starting to think that all this pro-life positioning is just lip service by the right-wing.

Let's do it.

[firebrand]

I know someone who was asked to do sidewalk intervention and prayer as penance. He was praying but did not feel able to intervene. Then a nun who was with them told him to go approach a young woman who was heading for the mill. She said she would pray for him.

When he walked up to the young woman, he didn't have to say a word. She said, "I prayed last night that if I was supposed to have this baby, someone would walk up to me today outside this place."

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

Great story, thanks!

[eastsider]

This story made me weep for joy. Thanks for posting it.

[eastsider]

Thanks for posting this, marshmallow.

[Saundra Duffy]

Thank God!

[mombonn]

May God continue to bless each and every one!

[Salvation]

Maybe the Jesuits are getting better -- At least that is the unofficial rumor. LOL!

[Salvation]

Storieis like this and closing clinics happens because of prayer! Keep praying everyone!

Lawrence (KS) abortion clinic closes because of funding woes

Eugene abortion clinic closes; surprising many (Hooray !!!)

Prayer credited for closing of abortion clinic [Eugene, OR]

Planned Parenthood will shut down 3 clinics [Indiana]

Persevering Students Help Close Abortion Clinic [Santa Paula, CA--Thomas Aquinas College]

Abortion Clinic Managers Quit After Being Outed by Operation Rescue [Wichita, Kansas]

One Man's God Squad: Troy Newman's plan to stop abortions in Wichita, Kansas

Baby Saved From Abortion is Baptized [New Orleans]

[Salvation]

**When he walked up to the young woman, he didn't have to say a word. She said, "I prayed last night that if I was supposed to have this baby, someone would walk up to me today outside this place."**

Oh! MY goodness -- that's a two-fer too!

[Salvation]

OK, everyone, get out the tissues! (Smile)

Angel in the Waters -- New Pro-Life book for children [Tissue Alert]

[birddog]

I was pregnant with twins - one developed normal and the other had sever deformity and doctors told me he had no chance to live and would probably die before birth. I was given the option to abort him, because there was a slight change his problems would hurt the other baby.

I said no and delivered two babys, one is a beautiful 2 1/2 year old boy and the other is our angel. Matthew lived for 20 minutes after birth and died in his daddy's arms then went straight home to Jesus.

Matthew means "gift of God" and he was even though I only had him for such a short time.

Children are a gift from God - I don't understand how any one could purposely end a pregnancy.

[Rubber_Duckie_27]

There are a handful of conditions where the child simply cannot survive pregnancy. Ectopic or similar non-uterine pregnancies are the most common - and they will kill the mother, sometimes with little warning. Actually, if doctors operate quickly enough to remove an ectopic (technically an abortion) they may be able to save the Fallopian tube and preserve the mother's future fertility.

Also, if something like HELLP syndrome or a serious placental abruption develops before the child is viable, and the child is NOT delivered anyways, both mother and baby will die.

[Labyrinthos]

...that gives me tears of joy!

Me too... literally.

[MHGinTN]

Consider the irony in the name juxtaposed with what they push ... abortion kills an already 'produced human being', ends a produced being. [Embryo harvesting will also, but that's grist for another grin.] Planned? Parenthood? ... it's legalized serial killing, nothing more. And that is why we must end this farcical evil that is literally destroying our posterity and in the process our ability to stand against the secular degeneracy of our individual as well as collective moral fiber.

[pollywog]

what a peaceful look on the precious baby's face. God certainly intervened and this is a great testimony to what postive activism against abortion can do...

[murphE]

Good story! The grace of Our Lord is awesome.

[SCarolinian]

bump!!