By Emily Drooby
Melissa Ohden defied the odds. She explained, “I was actually aborted and I survived.”
41 years ago, doctors performed a failed saline infusion abortion on her birth mother.
Ohden said, “Of course they believed that when I was delivered in the final step of the abortion procedure that it had been successful, but I was accidentally born alive.”
Ohden lived, and now she dedicates her life to fighting for those who might never have a chance at life.
Ohden and hundreds of other pro-life activists, including many Knights of Columbus and members of the Diocese of Brooklyn, gathering in Downtown Manhattan, Monday for the annual International Gift of Life Walk, a powerful march focused on preserving life from conception to natural death.
New York has long been known as the abortion capital of America. Abort 73, a Christian organization that collects data on abortions, estimates that 239 children are killed every single day in the state.
Pro-life activists are heartbroken by the high rates and by new state laws that severely limit restrictions on abortions. Activists, like Catherine Donohoe, now doing everything possible to push back. Donohoe says events like this walk, send a strong message.
She explained, “To let people know, that all of NY doesn’t follow suit with our Mayor and our Governor who signed into bill RHA [Reproductive Health Act] that allows abortion up until the day of the baby’s birthday so now we are praying to save the babies, unborn and newly born.”
Event organizer, Dawn Eskew adding the walk is a way to empower those with anti-abortion views who might be afraid to speak out.
Eskew, said, “This is one way to encourage New Yorkers you need to speak. If you can’t speak about pro-life issues in the public or try to educate people in the public than we will never advance.”
The walk was held on a Monday in an effort to reach more people.