Young mother never wanted an abortion, but didn’t know she could refuse until her phone alerted her to an incoming text message
[Note: The following story contains quotes from text messages that do not contain proper grammatical structure or punctuation, as is common practice in texting. We left the quotes unedited in the interest of accurately reporting on this incident.]
Albuquerque, NM – The seventeen-year-old teen sat nervously in the waiting room of the Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday, October 7, 2010. She was six weeks pregnant and did not want to have an abortion, but her mother had insisted.
Suddenly, her phone alerted her to an incoming text message.
“Jane, [not her real name] you are a mom! Please choose life for your baby, we want to help you! Tara”
That began a texting conversation that ultimately led to the young mother leaving the abortion clinic with the firm decision to keep her baby.
Tara Shaver, a pro-life activist and sidewalk counselor who is a former intern for Operation Rescue, had received a call from a woman named Gloria, who told Tara that her grandson’s girlfriend was being pressured into an abortion she did not want.
Gloria gave Tara the girlfriend’s mother cell phone number and asked her to intervene. Tara called the mother, who spoke rudely to Tara before hanging up on her.
Gloria then gave Tara Jane’s number. Tara answered Jane’s questions and even texted her a picture of a baby at 6 weeks gestation, the same age as Jane’s baby, and told her to ask to see her ultrasound images.
“Can i see an ultrasound an still tell them i dont want it done?” texted Jane in typical testing lingo.
“Yes you dont have to do anything you dont want…you can leave now and go next door they will
help you just leave now,” replied Tara.
“my parents wont let me,” responded Jane.
“This incident highlights the epidemic of coerced and forced abortions that occur with alarming frequency in this nation,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “Abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood are all too willing to exploit women in vulnerable circumstances in order to make a buck. More must be done to inform and protect women from being coerced into abortions they do not want. Thank God for a loving grandmother and Tara Shaver who were able to avert tragedy in this instance.”
Tara assured Jane that she did not have to do anything she did not want to do. She encouraged her by telling her that her grandparents and boyfriend did not want her to have the abortion and that they would be supportive of her and the new baby. Jane asked her if Tara could help with an adoption, and Tara assured her that she could. Tara encouraged Jane to come outside and talk to her.
“I am coming over there to meet u! Lets talk before u make your final decision, theres no hurry,” texted Tara.
Jane replied, “please come now.”
“Will be there in a few minutes go outside,” texted Tara.
Finally, Tara was able to meet with Jane and get her the help she needed. Jane’s father came to the clinic to pick up Jane and take her home. Tara will follow up with Jane to make sure she gets the support she needs.
Tara’s last text message to Jane was poignant.
“We are so proud of u! You are my hero, your baby is so proud too!”
