15 Years Later Samuel Armas Sees Amazing Photo Confirming Abortion Wrong

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 6, 2009   |   9:00AM   |   Washington, DC

For veteran advocates within the pro-life community, it is hard to believe it has been fifteen years since little Samuel Armas grabbed the hand of a surgeon while in the womb. Now an active 15-year-old teen, Armas is a pro-life advocate who says the picture of him shows abortion is wrong.

samuelarmas2Armas was in the womb when Dr. Joseph Bruner performed a surgery on him to help correct some of the potential effects of spina bifida before his birth,

The operation made Armas’ life a little easier and now he is an active young boy who faces few effects and additional surgeries than other children with the condition.

Armas loves to swim and proudly holds his ribbons from events he’s won and he likes to collect bugs — but he is a little boy with an understanding and appreciation of the value of human life that far surpasses some adults.

“When I see that picture, the first thing I think of is how special and lucky I am to have God use me that way,” Samuel told Fox News. “I feel very thankful that I was in that picture.”

Armas said he understands that the photo of him has likely resulted in the birth of unborn children who may have otherwise died from abortions had their mothers not changed their mind after seeing him reach up from the womb.

samuelarmas“It’s very important to me,” Samuel told Fox News. “A lot of babies would’ve lost their lives if that didn’t happen.”

Julie Armas, Samuel’s mother, tod the news outlet that Armas definitely associates the pictures with the pro-life message and that he has a “very strong sense of right and wrong.”

“He identifies it more in terms of a pro-life message more than anything,” she said. “This photo happened and God used it to show people that this baby in mom’s tummy is alive. He’s pleased that his photo conveyed that message.”

Michael Clancy, the photographer who took the now-famous picture, told Fox News he supported legal abortion before the picture and now he makes a living sharing the story with pro-life groups.

“And that’s what I’m going to do, keep telling this story,” he said. “It can change people’s hearts. What started off as an assignment turned into a responsibility to keep telling the story behind it.”