Several leading pro-life groups are banding together with former Planned Parenthood director Abby Johnson for a webcast next week to benefit the work of the thousands of pregnancy centers across the country that provide help for pregnant women considering abortion.
Focus on the Family, Care Net, Heartbeat International and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) will co-host the live Unite for Life webcast event. The free event to be held May 17 at 8 p.m. in each U.S. time zone, will feature former Planned Parenthood Director Abby Johnson as she describes her dramatic journey from Planned Parenthood director to pro-life advocate.
Johnson’s change of heart happened after she participated in an ultrasound-assisted abortion procedure that opened her eyes to the reality of abortion.
“I worked in a terrible industry for eight years, but my life was changed after I witnessed a child die in the womb from an abortion,” Johnson said. “By the grace of God I am forgiven. I am so thankful that my story can now help equip pro-lifers to come alongside women and save lives. My hope is that, through this webcast, many more will be loved into truth as well.”
During the program, pro-life leaders in the pregnancy care movement, including Melinda Delahoyde, president of Care Net; Dr. Peggy Hartshorn, president of Heartbeat International; and Tom Glessner, founder and president of NIFLA, will join Johnson to discuss how webcast viewers can help local pregnancy resource centers and medical clinics serve women and save lives.
“Thousands of babies have been saved because their mothers had access to ultrasound services, enabling them to see the life forming inside of them when they were deciding whether or not to have an abortion,” said Kelly Rosati, vice president of Community Outreach for Focus on the Family and UNITEforLIFE host. “If you’ve ever felt God’s calling to stand up for children who cannot speak for themselves, this webcast will help to inform and equip you to do just that. We believe this is a don’t-miss event.”
Glessner touted the event in an email he sent to NIFLA associates.
“Like many who work for Planned Parenthood, Abby Johnson wanted to help women in crisis,” he said. “But one day, as she assisted with an abortion procedure, she found herself face to face with a disturbing reality: where she had once seen only one person, she now saw two. As she watched on the ultrasound monitor, she saw one of those lives end.”
“But on that same day, a new life began: Abby made the courageous decision to leave Planned Parenthood and, instead, offer women life-affirming alternatives to abortion,” he said. “On May 17 at 8 p.m. in each time zone, Abby will share her story, along with clips from her recently published documentary, unPLANNED. Focus is donating the proceeds from the webcast to national pro-life pregnancy care organizations. We pray that the end result will be more women choosing LIFE for their babies. And with your help, that’s just what will happen.”
The webcast, which is part of Heartbeat International’s 40th Anniversary Conference, is free to attend, and participants may register at www.UniteForLifeWebcast.org. Donations and proceeds from the sale of Johnson’s documentary and book, unPLANNED, will benefit pro-life pregnancy care organizations across the U.S. and Canada.
