Exploitation

On June 25, 2013, Wendy Davis held an eleven hour filibuster for abortion rights in Texas. This filibuster would uphold four new standards in for abortion clinics in Texas. They would have to have the same standards as a surgical center. A physician would have to administer RU-486 (also known as the abortion pill). Doctor’s would have to have admittance privileges to a hospital within thirty miles of their clinic and no abortions could be performed after twenty weeks gestation.

That last one, was the most crucial to me. During the one year anniversary of Davis’ filibuster, I decided to look at my daughter’s sonogram pictures. And yes, I do have a favorite. Camilla, my daughter, has her hands near her head and you can distinctly see her nose, closed eyes, fingers, elbows, lips, tummy, and even a glimpse of one ear. She looks, very much, human. There on top it said how far along I was. Seventeen weeks. Five days.

It startled me. I have always loved that picture of Camilla. It was always my “favorite,” but I don’t know if I had ever paid attention to the tiny, barely legible time frame below my name. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. In 1973, when Roe vs. Wade was decided, they didn’t have this 4D, fetal technology. I can almost understand why so many women were naively following the lies and deception that those babies were just blobs of tissue. Not human. Disposable. But today? Science has debunked those lies. Why is this happening today?

On that basis alone, I cannot understand how countless people labeled Davis as “brave.”  Yes, yes. I know. “But what about a woman’s health?!” This is a question many pro-choicers raise, and quite frankly exploit. I decided to do some research myself. Ireland, which is extremely pro-life, has better maternal health than pro-abortion Great Britain. In fact, many doctors agree that they have not seen any situation where an abortion must occur to save the life of the mother. However, there was one condition I kept coming across that pro-choicers used over and over again to further their “health of the mother” argument. Ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancy is a condition where the pregnancy occurs outside the womb, typically in the fallopian tube. As hard as it is for me to say, I have had an ectopic pregnancy. It was the most difficult thing I have ever endured: Physically and emotionally. I had no idea what an ectopic pregnancy was when I went to the emergency room. As the doctors prepared me for emergency surgery, they told me they would either have to remove the baby or my whole left fallopian tube.  Before the procedure, I talked to a doctor and asked if that was considered an abortion. She said no. That it was not an abortion and she would never condone that. I also talked with a priest and some pro-life friends who were familiar with ectopic pregnancies. Not one person condemned me for having the procedure done. The pro-life community does not consider treating ectopic pregnancies as abortions. However, the pro-choice community proudly does. That is what they need to do to make women think they are compassionate and caring. Although it was difficult to hear, I learned that my baby’s life was already fading away. Had I not had the procedure, I would not have survived, and neither would my baby.  

I have a living baby and a baby who has passed. Abortion advocates exploit both of them. As if that isn’t enough, they also exploit me. I wasn’t even a month along with my ectopic pregnancy, and I mourn that loss. I still cry for the baby who is not here to play with my sweet Camilla. And just the other night, I had a dream of that baby. She was a beautiful girl with light hair. She took Camilla’s hand, and they played as sisters do. That brought me a deep sense of comfort. The dream of my baby’s life brings me solace. I cannot understand how the thought of a child’s death could bring the same consolation to any woman. We deserve so, so much better.