Abortion interrupted: One woman’s story of abortion reversal

by Julie Filby

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A primary source for this story chose to remain anonymous to maintain her privacy. The Denver Catholic Register changed her name to “Kim” to accommodate her request.

Kim, 32, was frantic when she left the Planned Parenthood clinic in Fort Collins Saturday afternoon. As soon as she took the first dose of the abortion pill, she knew she’d made a mistake. She pulled over in a nearby church parking lot.

“I started trying to throw up right away,” she said, struggling to speak as she recalled the traumatic day last September when she was grappling with how to proceed with her pregnancy. “I just kept forcing myself to throw up until I couldn’t taste the pill anymore.”

At the same time, she searched the Internet for “abortion reversal” on her smartphone. That search landed her at www.abortionpillreversal.com and their 24-7 hotline. Her call ultimately connected her with Dr. Edwin Anselmi, a physician with Our Lady of Hope Medical Clinic in Centennial.

Anselmi advised her to come directly to the clinic. About two hours had elapsed from the time she took the pill when she arrived at his office. There he examined her, did an ultrasound—including listening to the baby’s heartbeat—and immediately began a protocol to reverse the effects of the drug.

How it works
Kim had taken mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill. It has been available in the United States as an oral tablet since 2000 and is also referred to as RU-486 and the brand name Mifiprex. According to the Food and Drug Administration, it can be used to terminate a pregnancy up to 49 days after the first day of the last menstrual period.

Kim was about nine weeks along when she took it. The drug is administered under supervision in a medical facility, in her case at Planned Parenthood; and it induces abortion by counteracting the hormone progesterone needed to maintain a pregnancy. Without progesterone, placenta—a structure that develops in the uterus during pregnancy—fails, cutting off oxygen and nutrition to an embryo.

“When I went in they were still giving me the option of the pill or the machine,” she said. “They were really pushing the machine saying ‘We all agree we’d do the machine, it’s less emotional.’”

“The machine” is a suction device that empties the uterus, commonly called aspiration or vacuum aspiration. Planned Parenthood personnel recommended it as a way to “get it over-with,” “get it done fast,” she said.

However Kim chose the pill, rationalizing that it wasn’t really an abortion.

“It will just look like a miscarriage,” she told herself. “I knew in my heart it was wrong. … I was praying the whole time.”

Dr. Edwin Anselmi at his Centennial clinic, Our Lady of Hope.

Just in time
God answered her prayers by connecting her with Anselmi before she continued to the next step of the abortion pill process. Following mifepristone, a second drug, misoprostol, is taken 36 to 72 hours later. Misoprostol causes contractions to expel the fetus, a process that can range from a few hours to a few days.

To block the effects of mifepristone, Anselmi launched a protocol developed by Doctors George Delgado and Mary Davenport described in their case study “Progesterone Use to Reverse the Effects of Mifepristone” published in “The Annals of Pharmacotherapy” December 2012. It involves progesterone injec

tions for three consecutive days, followed by an injection every other day for two weeks, then continued progesterone twice a week until the end of the first trimester.

“He was amazing,” Kim said of Anselmi. “He was so kind and loving and gentle. He’s really an exceptional person.”

Anslemi, a parishioner of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Latin Rite Church in Littleton, has been practicing pro-life family medicine for 20 years since graduating from Columbia University in New York in 1994. He is currently the only doctor in the Denver-metro area providing the progesterone protocol to reverse the abortion pill, though he would like to see more join the network started by Delgado that currently stands at 140 doctors across the country.

“If you’re pro-life,” he said. “Here’s something you can do directly. I don’t know what the outcome would’ve been (with Kim) if we didn’t give her progesterone.”

What the future holds
Kim, now 32 weeks pregnant, is excited to welcome her son in early May, along with his father. The couple plans to marry next summer. When facing the reality of an unexpected pregnancy last August, she was between jobs, had no health insurance, and was considering moving from Denver. Today she is employed full-time, secure in her relationship and “at peace.”

“I’ve had a lot of anxiety,” she said. “But at the same time I know God is the one with the ultimate say here. So far, he’s done nothing but carry me and carry the baby. … It took me a while to get here, but now I’m really excited, I’m really happy.”

Anselmi has been contacted by two other women: in one case he successfully reversed the abortion pill two days after the patient ingested mifepristone; and the other woman called with questions but in the end, did not receive treatment.

Since the website was established in January 2013, 330 women have called the hotline seeking abortion reversal counseling, 100 of them received the progesterone protocol, and 60 of those pregnancies continued.

“We have 18 living babies and 42 pregnant moms right now,” according to Debbie Bradel, coordinator of the program.

“If there’s any way to help a woman that wants to keep her pregnancy, I want to do it,” said Anselmi, who provides the progesterone at no charge. “Babies are so precious.”

For more information, visit www.abortionpillreversal.com or call 877-558-0333.

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Pope Francis, Classically Catholic on Abortion

It has been a big first year for Pope Francis; folks from all strokes are paying attention to him, especially on abortion. Some liberal Catholics think he is their man; some conservatives are worried, especially with the out-of-context media explosion regarding a few of his remarks in an America Magazine interview. But Pope Francis is the Pope, Catholic through and through. He understands the authority of the Magisterium. And much to the chagrin of some who hoped or feared otherwise, he hasn’t changed anything that can not change, and he never will. Francis’s statements regarding abortion present a clear picture of the importance and unchanging character of its qualification as a mortal sin, while in the process leaving plenty of space for lay and clerical activists to take up the charge against abortion.

Many people misunderstood the Pope’s statement in an America Magazine interview in August 2013:

“We cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage and the use of contraceptive methods. This is not possible….But when we speak about these issues, we have to talk about them in a context. The teaching of the church, for that matter, is clear and I am a son of the church, but it is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time.”

The line that everyone who wanted to misunderstand misunderstood was “we cannot insist only on issues related to abortion, gay marriage” etc. But the key word in that sentence is “only,” meaning that we have to talk about the Gospel and Christ and salvation too. No Catholic should find anything controversial about the call to preach the Gospel in addition to the Church’s moral teaching. Francis is correct that the moral teachings are based in the Gospel and in Revelation, which remain primary.

In the second part of the “controversial” statement, Pope Francis defends himself and makes plain that he isn’t adding anything new or taking away anything either. “The teaching of the church,” he says, “is clear.” The church has taught consistently for millennia that abortion is a grave moral evil. The Catechism itself reads:

“Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable.” (CCC 2271).

Pope Francis knows this well, of course.

Second, he declares himself a “son of the church.” This again is unsurprising given that he is the pope. Yet it also demonstrates that he understands himself and his office exactly as he should, as an inheritor of the tradition and chair of Peter. Reading the full paragraph reveals a very self-aware Francis who seeks to ensure that the Church is oriented around Christ, first and foremost. Many writers have spoken of Francis marking a “shift in tone” as opposed to a shift in doctrine or teaching. In a way, these writers are right. Pope Francis simply says things in a way that catches people’s attention–and that can actually be very beneficial!

Significantly, abortion receives some paragraphs of specific commentary in Francis’s longest, most-serious writing yet, the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. In expressing the concern the Church should have for the vulnerable, he brings up abortion and the sanctity of life as the foundation for human rights.

Among the vulnerable for whom the Church wishes to care with particular love and concern are unborn children, the most defenceless and innocent among us. Nowadays efforts are made to deny them their human dignity and to do with them whatever one pleases….

This defence of unborn life is closely linked to the defence of each and every other human right. It involves the conviction that a human being is always sacred and inviolable, in any situation and at every stage of development (EG 213).

Francis beautifully expresses sanctity and value of human life at its most vulnerable stage: in utero. There is no more classically Catholic stance than this.

He also does not leave a shadow of a doubt that the Church’s teaching on abortion can not change:

Precisely because this involves the internal consistency of our message about the value of the human person, the Church cannot be expected to change her position on this question. I want to be completely honest in this regard. This is not something subject to alleged reforms or “modernizations” (EG 214).

Understanding the human person as created in the image of God is a doctrine that serves as the basis for much of the Church’s moral teaching, including abortion. As such, the teaching on abortion cannot change any more than the opening chapter of Genesis can change, wherein human creation in the image of God is first proclaimed.

Pope Francis then takes a jab at “progressive” abortion supporters:

It is not “progressive” to try to resolve problems by eliminating a human life (EG 214).

For those who would don the mantle of moral superiority in the title “progressive,” Francis offers a sharp rebuke. Killing others, including babies, is not forward-thinking or truly helpful.

Despite this severity, he closes with his characteristic compassion and demonstrates just how deeply he understands the pain that leads people to into such grave evil:

It is also true that we have done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations, where abortion appears as a quick solution to their profound anguish, especially when the life developing within them is the result of rape or a situation of extreme poverty. Who can remain unmoved before such painful situations (EG 214)?

While condemning abortion in no uncertain terms, Francis is nevertheless intimately aware of and sympathetic to those in pain who seek the “solutions” that are touted by our culture. Abortion is one such “solution” that is illusory and performs an unacceptable evil. The true solution is found in Christ alone, and it is the task of the members of His Body to help be part of the solution in compassion and grace.

Now, it is true that Francis has not spoken extensively about abortion, though his few statements have been ample. As Pope, it is his prerogative to speak about what he feels the Church and the world most need to hear. That Francis has not dwelt on abortion is not a criticism of pro-life activists. In fact, Lay Catholics are supposed to profess the Gospel in their particular situations, including the truth about abortion. Francis simply reminds us that our witness should always be Christ-centered, including when we condemn abortion. It is part of the beauty of the Church that the pope need not micro-manage all of the Faithful, and that the laity has a vital and active role in proclaiming the teachings of Christ and His Church as well.

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http://www.truthandcharityforum.org/pope-francis-classically-catholic-on-abortion

The Church cannot conform her ‘pastoral practice’ to the dictates of the world

Is Planned Parenthood Pushing its Sex-Ed and Abortion Agenda in Your Children’s School?

by Rita Diller | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 3/13/14 3:43 PM

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We hear almost weekly from anxious parents who want to know whether Planned Parenthood is in their children’s school. Some have already started making phone calls and sending letters to the school district to find out when they contact us. Others are at a loss where to start.

Here is a resource to help you find quick answers about the prevalence, source, and format of sex education in your geographical area.

Q. Where in the US have sex ed programs been implemented? Where in my state have sex ed programs been implemented?

A. Sometimes we need look no further than the website of the enemies of life and morality to find a wealth of information. After all, these entities receive obscene amounts of government and/or foundation funding in order to advance their agenda and track their progress.

The Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S.—a pro-abortion organization intricately intertwined with Planned Parenthood—maintains a website that it says “represents the most complete portrait ever assembled of sexuality education and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in the United States.”

It also tracks funding streams, grantees, and funded programs. It identifies “examples of model programs, policies, and best practices being implemented in public schools across the country that provide more comprehensive approaches to sex education in schools. The Fiscal Year 2010 edition undertakes the enormous task of creating a portrait of comprehensive sexuality education and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs happening across the country and provides an unparalleled amount of information and includes profiles for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the other U.S. territories,” according to the SIECUS website.

Keeping in mind that SIECUS is 100 percent behind repugnant “comprehensive” sex classes and vehemently fights abstinence until marriage, one may follow this link and click on any state to find a great deal of information about funding received and programs being taught in various school districts across the state. Keep in mind, also, that this information is current only as of 2010. However, it was in 2010 that huge streams of renewable funding opened up for “comprehensive sex education” through the federal government.

Be aware that the programs that are referenced here as viable abstinence programs are not strictly abstinence. They teach about contraception and most go far beyond that. The contraception portions of many contain demonstrations that would scandalize grown-ups. If a program leans more toward abstinence and traditional marriage, SIECUS will complain that it uses fear-mongering, information and statistics promoting the benefits of marriage, heterosexuality, and other such things that SIECUS considers dreadful, bigoted, hateful, and harmful.

At the college level, Planned Parenthood maintains a presence on college campuses through its VOX (Voices for Choice) clubs and programs. To find whether VOX is on your campus, simply search the Internet for the name of your university paired with “VOX.”

A word about SIECUS: SIECUS was launched in 1964 by the Kinsey Institute to teach the Kinsey philosophy of sex education in American schools. Dr. Mary Calderone, a former medical director at Planned Parenthood, was the first director of SIECUS.

Dr. Alfred Kinsey authored the “Kinsey Reports” in 1948 and 1953. These reports were the basis for a sexual revolution that promoted and sanctioned promiscuity, pornography, and homosexuality. Kinsey’s research was disproportionally based on surveys of prison inmates, sex offenders, and prostitutes.

Quoting Concerned Women of America’s report, A Nation Deceived:
“To obtain data about the sexual behavior of children, Dr. Kinsey worked with trained pedophiles who sexually abused hundreds of children (as young as two months) to prove to the world that infants, toddlers, and juveniles could enjoy sex pre-puberty with the help of an adult. Their sexual torture was recorded as pleasure.” Read more about SIECUS here.

Q. How does Planned Parenthood and its network get into schools?

A. Anti-abstinence, “sex positive” entities with a broad national reach, like SIECUS, Planned Parenthood, Advocates for Youth, Answer, ETR Associates, and the Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy are instrumental in laying the groundwork to facilitate implementation of what the Planned Parenthood network refers to as “comprehensive sex education.”

Entities targeting regional areas to implement sex classes in schools recently revealed by STOPP include SHARE in Arizona, and WISE, now reaching into nine states.

SHARE: The Sexual Health and Responsibility Education initiative is the vehicle created by Planned Parenthood of Arizona to push its sex education programs into schools. According to the Planned Parenthood of Arizona (PPAZ) website, the Sexual Health and Responsibility Education initiative, or SHARE, is actively working to provide:

• Assistance with the selection of a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum that aligns with National Sexuality Education Standards-Core Content and Skills, K-12 [Read more about the National Sexuality Standards created by Planned Parenthood and cohorts here.]

• Resource support for teacher training

• Technical support-coaching and curriculum mapping

• Parent workshops

In fact, the job description for Planned Parenthood’s new community organizer/regional health coordinator in Yuma, Arizona, says that person, under the guidance of the PPAZ director of education “identifies target school districts and works with school leadership to move toward adoption of a comprehensive sexual health curriculum policy in these districts to advance the Sexual Health and Responsibility Education (SHARE) initiative.”

WISE: The Working to Institutionalize Sex Education initiative, with the goal of institutionalizing, or normalizing, the Planned Parenthood network’s repugnant, hedonistic “comprehensive” sex education, targets geographical areas with “favorable policy climates” for the normalization of sustainable school-based sex education. Current locations targeted by WISE include Washington; Oregon; California; Colorado; Iowa; Georgia; North Carolina; West Virginia; and Rochester, New York.

WISE works from the top down, beginning at the state education board level. By working at the state level, it is much easier to bypass parents in implementing laws that require or promote “comprehensive” sex classes in schools.

The Wednesday STOPP Report has covered the WISE initiative extensively. Read more about the far-reaching impact of WISE here.

Q. Who funds these blanket organizations pushing classroom sex education and legislation to require it?

A. SIECUS thanks “Anonymous Foundation, The Brico Fund, The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, The Educational Foundation of America, and the WestWind Foundation” for funding its public policy and advocacy efforts, in its FY 2010 report.

According to the WISE initiative’s “method toolkit,” the initiative is “led by the Grove Foundation . . . [and] supported by a collaboration of funders including the Ford, William and Flora Hewlett, and David and Lucile Packard Foundations.”

SHARE is listed as an initiative of Planned Parenthood of Arizona. No funding source is identified.

Q. Who is teaching the PP curriculum? Teachers from districts or PP employees?

It varies from place to place. We know that Planned Parenthood of Arizona is training “facilitators to help teachers and other youth serving professionals develop the confidence they need to successfully deliver the curriculum to students.”

In Georgia, the lead WISE initiative partner GCAPP says,

The WISE Initiative services to school districts include: support in selecting sexual health curriculum, teacher training, parent workshops, and technical assistance as needed throughout the implementation process. Since 2009 GCAPP has trained 200 teachers in over 75 elementary, middle, and high schools to implement medically accurate, age appropriate curricula reaching over 17,000 students in the 2012-13 school year alone.

From the WISE toolkit website we learn:

In the first three years of the initiative, all of the WISE sites made significant progress toward their objectives. Collectively, over 100,000 students have been impacted due to WISE related activities; over 700 teachers have been trained; and 120 schools have implemented sex education where there was previously no sex education before or where it was significantly improved upon due to WISE.

Planned Parenthood keeps a low profile in the structure of WISE. However, looking down the ladder at the structure of the lead partners, Planned Parenthood comes clearly into focus. For instance, a WISE Iowa Project brochure lists Planned Parenthood as a partner. In Colorado, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains is an alliance member of Colorado Youth Matter, the organization that is leading the WISE initiative there. Similar connections between Planned Parenthood and WISE lead partners exist in other states receiving WISE initiative funding.

In Oregon, a list of WISE board members includes three Planned Parenthood employees. In California, one must dig a bit deeper to find Planned Parenthood’s involvement. There we find that ETR heads up the California WISE initiative. ETR began as the educational arm of Planned Parenthood of Santa Cruz. Former ETR marketing director Steve Bignell, editor of the Family Life Education curriculum and Family Life Educator magazine, served as education director at Planned Parenthood of Santa Cruz.

An educational venture presented by Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest and endorsed by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), Planned Parenthood University offers “nationally recognized professional certification in reproductive health and sexuality education.” It awards a “Sexuality Education Certificate for educators, trainers, and outreach staff of Planned Parenthood affiliates and related organizations, providing sexuality and reproductive health presentations to groups in their communities and in schools and other educational settings.” The list goes on and on.

The bottom line is that Planned Parenthood participates, whether directly or indirectly, in many settings in teaching classroom sex classes, or in teaching others to teach sex classes in our schools. It is necessary to examine each location, and sometimes to dig very deeply into the structure of the program to determine Planned Parenthood’s involvement.

LifeNews.com Note: Rita Diller is the national director of American Life League’s Stop Planned Parenthood Project.

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