From Tragedy to Triumph: Stories That Shaped My Perspective at the National Right to Life Conference

By Abigail McGillis

Hello all,

I learned so much at the National Right to Life Conference held June 27-30, 2024, and I am very thankful for this opportunity. I was aware that children with genetic disorders are particularly discriminated against in the pro-abortion community, but I had no idea how deep these roots of hatred went. Throughout the Conference, it was reiterated that countries such as Iceland and Denmark claim they have "eliminated Down’s Syndrome," but in reality, they target babies with Down’s Syndrome in the womb and kill them. I learned at the Conference that the persecution does not end when the baby is born.

One of the breakout sessions featured speeches by Brandon Bosma and his mother, as well as Mary Kellet. The Bosma family's story was one of hope. Brandon's mother was repeatedly told that her son would soon die because he was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Several doctors informed Mrs. Bosma that Brandon would not live to see his second birthday. However, he did. She was also told that Brandon would never learn to talk, but he gave a speech at the Conference. Mrs. Bosma told the crowd that doctors were shocked that Brandon is still alive — he is twenty-seven years old. In medical school, students are taught that children with Trisomy 18 almost always die in infancy. The idea that people with Trisomy 18 can live long and fulfilling lives is almost never discussed with medical students.

Video courtesy of Brandon Bosma Trisomy Speaker

Mary Kellet’s story was one of tragedy. Her youngest son was diagnosed with Trisomy 18 in the womb. She faced significant pressure to abort him, but she remained steadfast in her faith and kept her baby. Peter lived until he was six years old, and his mother describes him as a happy boy. From the pictures, he was precious. However, I was shocked to learn that Peter was placed on a Do Not Resuscitate list several times without his mother’s consent. The doctors assumed that, because Peter was disabled, his life was not worth saving. Peter died after undergoing an appendectomy. The doctors were not honest about the cause of Peter's death, and it took a private autopsy for the family to learn that their precious boy died from internal bleeding. The hospital allowed Peter to die because they deemed him unworthy of life. People, especially those who are supposed to save lives, should not be allowed to decide whose lives are worth living and whose are not.

I am unabashedly pro-life and against any form of abortion, but I did not think of abortions as being necessarily unsafe. My opinion on the safety of abortions has completely shifted after attending Dr. Randall O’Bannon’s breakout session about the abortion pill. Dr. O’Bannon, who has his doctorate in philosophy (ethics) is the director of education and research for the National Right to Life Committee. He told us how abortionists are present for the ingestion of the first of the two pills, but they have the woman take the second pill at home. He further explained the process of the abortion pill duo.  The first pill cuts off the baby’s supply of nutrients, which starves the baby to death. The second pill induces labor to expel the corpse, which is extremely painful. This method leaves the woman vulnerable to many complications because she is alone. To compound matters, we further learned how abortionists instruct these same women not to disclose to emergency room doctors that they have taken the abortion pill if they require emergency care. As a result, complications related to the abortion pill are not properly documented.

Fortunately, Dr. O’Bannon shared how the effects of the abortion pill can be reversed by giving the mother a dose of progesterone. Several pregnancy resource centers, including those in South Carolina, offer abortion pill reversals. I strongly encourage the readers of this article to support pregnancy resource centers in any way possible. These centers are on the front lines of saving babies.

This Conference has underscored for me the importance of pro-life doctors for children both inside and outside of the womb. I pray that doctors in our country and our state uphold what is good and advocate for the lives of all, born and unborn. I pray that they see people in God’s image, not just for what they can contribute later in life.