"I had just turned 15 when I was 26-1/2 weeks pregnant and walking into the abortion clinic. I aborted my son Luke in Feb 1979. I didn’t realize at the time that the abortion was what they called a partial birth abortion. When I asked to see “it”, they placed the bloodied, decapitated, broken from limb-to-limb child in my arms. Luke was a fully developed little boy weighing about 2 pounds with a fully developed body, and not the blob of tissue they told me he was. The shock and deep anger I felt at being lied to and the horror of knowing that I killed a little baby was more than I could bear. Luke was my only son that I would never have the chance to know.

"I knew in my heart that what I was doing was wrong though; I didn’t feel like I had any other choice. No adult in my family or at school stepped up to the plate to offer an alternative solution, they pretended to see nothing. Almost immediately I was spiritually attacked by Satan, telling me what awful thing I had just done and that from this point on there was no going back I was going to hell.

"I acquired an eating disorder that left me weighing only 90 pounds at 5’8. I became addicted to drugs and alcohol, I engaged in very dangerous activities not caring if my life ended, I became involved with cult activity, I had several different sexually partners; I was a thief and a liar. I was an extremely angry person who often had explosive fits of rages; at one point I even planned on how I was going to kill a schoolmate. 2 years after the abortion I unsuccessfully attempted suicide. Life meant nothing. I merely existed. As the years went by I denied I ever had an abortion and I became pro-choice to try and justify what I had done. Misery truly loves company.

"Then there was a time in my life when I called out to God, and he answered. Although I had given up on me, he never did. I never told any one that I had an abortion until I attended a Women’s retreat in April 2002. At that point I thought that I had already dealt with the pain. I was wrong. When I first came to Rich in Mercy in August 2003, I was surprised to see how much pain and denial I had over the abortion. There were a lot of issues to work out. One of the scariest was to admit to my family that I had an abortion and to tell my daughter that she was not an only child, but that she had a brother named Luke who would have been 5 years her senior.
Through the ministry that God gave to Denise and Brian I have been set free. I am a living example of what God meant when he said, “Those that he sets free, are free indeed.” Praise God!! God has done a miracle in my life by restoring my sanity, taking away the pain and the shame and giving dignity to my son, Luke.

"I am thankful to Denise, and Brain, Linda, Lori and Julie for sharing their stories, showing support and for holding me up in prayer. I am also thankful for those of you who have been praying for us all these weeks and for each of you being here. I am most thankful for the calling that God has placed on Denise and Brian’s life, for the desire they have to see others set free and to receive healing. My Son Luke was a very important part in God’s perfect plan. Although my actions created a change in that plan, I believe that God still has a plan to use Luke’s short life to communicate the importance of sexual purity, to expose the truth of torment and devastation abortions create in a person’s soul, to bring healing to the hurting, and to honor to the other children that have been aborted.

"Today March 25th I give honor to my son Luke Raphael.
I love you Luke.
Love, mom"

"Though abortion seemed to be the best solution at the time, in reality it is just a matter of time until the effects of abortion actually produce itself.

"My family has been directly affected by the abortion choice. My parents specifically struggled with the choices they made twenty years prior. I have always remembered a tension between my parents when I was younger. I could not understand or explain it. I often remember my mom yelling at my dad for stupid reasons. These types of shouting matches escalated over the years. My mom did not seem to have much respect or love for my dad. And I wondered as a child, what had he done that was so bad that he deserved the verbal abuse? My siblings and I were constantly on edge, as we never knew what mood our folks might be in that particular day and we contemplated how much longer our parents could stand each other. I remember a day in which my sister and I were deciding who we would like to live with when our parents got divorced. I hated thinking about that and being really scared.

"Come to find out, it was not what my father had done, but what they had done together. Three abortions had taken its toll on my parents. Anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and relentless guilt had damaged their relationship with each other. There was no peace or joy; only an atmosphere electrified with pain and hopelessness. It was unbearable.

"If my mom and dad had not received healing from all the emotional scars they endured, I am positive that I would be another number one might read in the headlines. We would be a broken home instead of one filled with love, laughter, joy and peace. Because my parents are whole, our household is whole.

"These wonderful attributes can be achieved only when truth is told and healing is accomplished. I encourage anyone and everyone who has either made the abortion choice or is experiencing the effects of it, to find help as soon as possible. The sooner it is found, the easier it will be to unwrap the layers and begin a life of complete freedom."