Women
everywhere are speaking out against injustice. I am a woman who was unjustly
coerced and lied to.
At
the age of 17 I had a six month old baby and I was pregnant. I felt
overwhelmed with the thought of having another child to care for. The
night before the abortion I dreamed of a little girl running in a field of
flowers. She came to me and said, “Mommy, don’t kill me.” I told my
husband I did not want to go through with the abortion. He felt he was
doing what was best for me.
During
the abortion procedure I was told that a suction hose would be used- like those
used in dentist offices. The sound of the suction hose placed such a fear
into my subconscious that I had panic attacks visiting the dentist.
I
buried the events of the abortion. The guilt, shame, pain, and grief was very
alive within me.
I
stand before you a woman who by the grace of God is able to speak out against
the lies that were told to me. Lie number 1: What was extracted
from my body was just a blob of tissue. Truth: It was developing
baby with a heartbeat and her name was Jenene Renee Hall. Lie number
2: The abortion was what was best for me. Truth: Things that
are good for me are not done in secret, and they do not leave me with emotional
and physical scars.
I
attended a Surrendering the Secret class and a Rachel's Vineyard Retreat where
I accepted forgiveness for my actions. I allowed Jesus to tenderized my
heart toward my husband who had unjustly coerced me into the abortion.
Today
I encourage all women who have experienced an abortion to stand up against
injustice and be silenced no more. This is why I serve as the Central
Missouri Regional Coordinator for the Silent No More Awareness Campaign.