Heartache and Hope

First blog ever! Daunting! First time in New York! Exciting! First time to witness abortion on demand enacted. Frightening! First time to sidewalk council. Hopeless! First time to see women just after having an abortion. Devastating!

I arrived here a week ago from Ireland. My name is Deirdre and I'm a teacher. We have been blessed not to have legalised abortion, that is until 2013 where abortion under certain circumstances was passed into law. We don't have abortion on demand like here in the States, like here in New York. After spending one week outside insanely profitable abortion clinics I never want to see another land inflicted with this wrath. I never want to see another woman so cut up, confused and crippled by this atrocity. 

This has been a hugely challenging week. It feels like I've been here much longer. It feels as though I've been doing this for a long time. Such is the weight of this work. Such is the weight of this struggle. I don't know the impact of my presence outside of the abortion clinics but I have to believe that we are making a diference. I know that these girls need us. This story demonstrates that....

On Friday morning I tried to stop a girl on her way into a major abortion clinic. She was with a friend. She was black. I add that because to date I have only seen one white girl enter a clinic and so I believe that colour in abortion here is relevant. She didn't want to talk to me but as she left the clinic she was willing to talk to me. She told me that she was 18 weeks pregnant and when I showed her images of a baby at that stage in the womb she ran into the subway crying. Saturday morning she was back at the clinic. She confided in me that she was actually in the middle of a laminaria abortion, and she was in pieces. She said she wished that she had listened to me the previous morning. She was so regretful and it was so apparant. She had gone too far and I couldn't change her mind. We spoke again when she left the clinic abortion completed. My heart ached for her. Her heart was broken and she knew that this pain would linger. She had wanted her baby. She had needed support, encouragement and love but instead, she got exploited. It made me angry that the abortion clinic had taken her money and her baby when what she needed was help. I let her know where we are if she needs to talk in the future. I don't think I will ever forget her face, her regret, her confusion, her fear, her loss. I will pray for her and her baby. 

I encountered another girl on Saturday morning who I'd like to write about in my next blog. We are still in contact and I'm hopeful that she will keep her baby. Pray for her and her boyfriend.

Having hope,

Deirdre 

Giving real choices outside an abortion clinic.