All posts tagged: unwanted pregnancy

Two Victims or Two Gifts

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My children have terribly picky eating habits. “Man cannot live on honey sandwiches alone!” I’ve often said to my five-year-old, who laughs and parrots back, “I can, mummy!” A rare breakthrough in the consumption of greens came when a friend bought said child a gardening kit complete with terra-cotta pot, paint and paintbrush for decorating, and a packet of watercress seeds. He painted a face on the pot, planted the seeds and in no time at all “Cresstopher” had grown a crop of lush green hair. The part for motherly rejoicing came when he gobbled down his cress and mayo sandwich – and asked for more. So, you will understand why there is a tray of cress perpetually on our kitchen windowsill and, though I’m no green thumb, it is diligently watered daily. These fine fronds of green line the innards of my son’s sandwiches (along with lashings of mayo), because spinach leaves, lettuce, cucumber or any other green filling is, “YUCK!” I quite enjoy the process. We lay out a bed of cotton wool before …

Thank You to the Abortionist Who Had a Plane to Catch

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You walk into the clinic and take a seat beside your boyfriend.
Three other women are seated in the cramped waiting room, one with her mother.
A stack of magazines sits untouched.
There is no music.

The four women waiting for an abortion that day are deathly silent. They look at the floor, at their hands, at the walls. The hush amplifies the voice of the receptionist as she makes phone calls. When a doctor strides in and tells her that appointments must be cancelled that day, his voice is as clear as a heartbeat. Those waiting lean in.

You Won’t Believe What the No. 1 Aussie Killer Is…

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In a gobsmacking analysis of Australian causes of death, Emily’s Voice CEO Paul O’Rourke has revealed that abortion claims the lives of more Australians than cancer, heart disease, drowning, suicide, homicide and motor vehicle accidents put together. “Each year in Australia, an estimated 96,000 children are lost as a result of surgical and chemical abortions. That’s 263 Aussie kids a day; an average-sized primary school,” he said. The breakdown is 80,000 surgical abortions and 16,000 chemical* abortions, which equates to around 3,000 more than the combined annual deaths of what is usually reported as our nation’s biggest killers: Homicides:   250 Drowning:   300 Motor vehicle accidents:   1,193 Suicide:   2,535 Cancer:   42,844 Heart disease:   45,600 Total:   92,722 Sadly, the government has not seen the importance of collecting abortion figures.  South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory are the only jurisdictions that count abortions.  These figures, combined with Medicare claims for first and second trimester abortions, and hospital records, are where we land at a figure for surgical abortions in Australia. …

Having an Abortion in Launceston is “Like Going to the Dentist”

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When it comes to facing an unwanted pregnancy in Australia, choice is apparently what women want. But is that what they get? When a vulnerable young woman books an appointment with her GP or walks into a youth support service – is she presented with the full gamut of options out there? Or is she given the option that the professional thinks is ‘most appropriate’ to her situation?  Recently I had the opportunity to ask these questions of a woman who had an abortion in Launceston when she was 19. While the laws have since changed, making abortion more accessible, her answers give an interesting snapshot of how our society handles abortion and the mental health repercussions. This Q & A makes up a part of Sandra’s story (not her real name). When did you have your abortion and how old were you? 2007; I was 19. How far along were you when you had the abortion? Nearly 11 weeks. Where did you go first when you realised you had an unwanted pregnancy? The Corner*. …

Love, Life & Liberty Seminar

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I’d like to invite you to a very special conference that promises to be educational, inspirational, practical – and a lot of fun! For the first time… ever… Emily’s Voice is hosting the LOVE, LIFE & LIBERTY seminar in Brisbane (March 22), Launceston (April 5) and Hobart (May 31).  It’s for anyone (female OR male) who wants to change culture, support women facing an unexpected or crisis pregnancy, or help those who are suffering as a result of pregnancy loss. The speakers (for the Launceston event) are: Anne Lastman. Founder, Victims of Abortion.  Anne has assisted more than 1500 women who have suffered post-abortion grief.  She is eminently qualified to speak, having personally experienced the trauma of two abortions and with professional qualifications in counselling, psychology and theology. Paul O’Rourke. CEO, Emily’s Voice.  Former CEO of Compassion Australia, Paul has a Master’s Degree in child development and a genuine desire to help Australians fall in love with the unborn.  He has a long history in print journalism as an editor and has authored five books …

Permission to Grieve

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The outpouring of grief following the death last week of television personality Charlotte Dawson has been immense.  The media has lamented the glamorous blonde’s tragic end, naming the causes of her death as depression stemming from a marriage breakdown, financial troubles and her well-documented battle with cyber bullies.  But few have named the root of Charlotte’s tragic struggle with depression. Truth is, she pinpointed it herself. In Charlotte’s 2012 memoir titled Air Kiss And Tell, she revealed that her depression began after she and then-husband and troubled Olympic swimmer Scott Miller chose to have an abortion. “I felt a shift,” she wrote. “Maybe it was hormonal, but I felt the early tinges of what I can now identify as my first experience with depression.” The circumstances around the couple’s decision were not unlike those faced by most women who will choose to terminate a pregnancy; the timing was all wrong.  Charlotte was thrilled, but Scott hesitated because baby was due at the same time as the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. “Everything Scott had done was …