Abortion survivors, for obvious reasons, have incredibly testimonies. Many pro-lifers, including me, are more familiar with Melissa Ohden and Gianna Jessen, who both miraculously survived saline abortions. However they are not the only ones to have bested the abortionist’s best efforts to kill them.
Claire Culwell’s story is the most remarkable of all. We’re writing about her because a Donegal Now, an Irish newspaper reported today that she will share her story at a ‘Stand Up for Life” rally next week in Donegal.
As NRL News Today readers are well aware, there will be a referendum in the Republic of Ireland in May or June whether to repeal the 8th Amendment to the Constitution, which affords the mother and the unborn child equal rights, and give Parliament authority to pass abortion legislation.
A few years back LiveActionNews provided this wonderful overview of Claire’s incredible story:
Claire’s mom had grown up in a broken home and found herself pregnant at the young age of thirteen. When Claire’s grandmother found out, she brought her to the abortion clinic, where a surgical abortion was performed while Claire’s mom was five months pregnant.
Four week later, a friend encouraged her to go back to the doctor, as there appeared to be complications. She went back to the abortion clinic, where it was discovered that she was still pregnant. Claire’s twin had been aborted, but she had survived. With the amniotic sac broken, Claire was born just two weeks later. At 3 pounds, 2 ounces, little Claire struggled to live, spending the first two and a half months of her life in the hospital.
Claire is not angry at her birth mom; rather, she finds her to be one of her biggest heroes. The courage it took to tell Claire the story surrounding her birth has resulted in people’s lives being impacted.
Indeed since that story was published, Claire and her birth mother have reconciled but Claire is also very clear that she was blessed by the parents who adopted her. That LiveActionNews story included a beautiful testimony from her adoptive mother.
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In the interview with Donegal Now, Claire recalled how “One of us was aborted, one of us survived,” adding, “I’m a survivor of abortion. My life is a testimony that there are wonderful alternatives to abortion, such as adoption in my case.”
“An accidental or unwanted child still deserves life, even a child with disabilities. I was born two and half months early, weighed 3 lbs 2oz, had dislocated hips and club feet. I had to wear casts on my feet, a harness and eventually a body cast. The abortion still affects me today.”
Ahead of her Donegal visit, Culwell –who was put up for adoption by her mother shortly after she was born–explained why she wanted to visit Ireland: “I want to encourage women to seek alternatives to abortion because I would never want any woman to go through the grief and the pain that my birth mother went through simply because she didn’t know she had any other option.”
She now travels the world sharing her story, urging people to choose life instead of abortion.
Culwell says she can’t imagine not sharing her story with others. “My life is a miracle and I would be selfish to keep this gift of life to myself,” she says.
LifeNews.com Note: Dave Andrusko is the editor of National Right to Life News and an author and editor of several books on abortion topics. This post originally appeared in at National Right to Life News Today —- an online column on pro-life issues.
