I read about the death of Celestine Harrington the other day with the deepest compassion and a nagging sense of shame.
You've probably never heard of Celestine, the 42-year-old victim of abortion whose life of courage and giving was ended last month in a traffic accident that never should have happened.
Victim of abortion, you ask? Had Celestine had an abortion? Had her family been racked by abortion in some other way?
No, Celestine was a victim of abortion in the truest sense. Her body was violently assaulted in an attempted abortion when she was just a baby in the womb of her teenage mother.
The abortion caused Celestine to be unable to use
her stunted arms or legs, but miraculously, she
survived. She proceeded to lead as inspiring a life as I've ever heard of.
She had a talent for music, but without arms to play an instrument, learned
to play an electric organ with her mouth and entertained tourists on the
boardwalk in Atlantic City, playing "Amazing Grace" and other
of her favorite songs.
She raised four children, two of them adopted. This woman who had so much taken away from her gave so much to others. But on February 25, her life was tragically cut short.
Celestine Harrington moved by means of a motorized
vehicle that was like an adapted hospital
gurney. She had to lay on her stomach, but could direct it from place to
place. Celestine lived, drove, and even played her music on the gurney.
On February 19, this lightweight vehicle was struck by a car on an Atlantic City street. Six days later, Celestine died. Had injuries from an abortion not forced her to use this improvised mode of transportation, this generous, giving person would still be among us today.
What happened to Celestine Harrington should never
happen to any member of the human
family. This is why I say we must never take this movement for granted -
- a movement most deserving of our support, even if that support is a fraction
of what Celestine Harrington and others have had to sacrifice because of
abortion.
Some would argue that the "botched" abortion that disabled Celestine happened when abortion was illegal - - today, they would coldly say, the abortion would have been "successful." In other words, Celestine would have been killed.
But we've all heard of unborn babies who were assaulted and painfully disabled in the era of legal abortion - - Gianna Jessen's cerebral palsy and Ana Rosa Rodriguez's severed arm are the results of just two such cases.
And there's so much that can be done today to help people like Celestine and her mother. Almost no crisis pregnancy centers existed then; they could have helped Celestine's mother with support, advice, and material needs. They could have helped her find a home for herself, if she needed one, and for Celestine.
National Right to Life-inspired parental involvement legislation might have led Celestine's teenage mother to find she had support from her parents to continue her pregnancy. Woman's right to know legislation, also sponsored by NRLC, might have guaranteed that she would be told of alternatives, assistance, fetal development, and the fact that the father owed her support. NRLC ads might have showed her what her baby looked like, and caused her to reconsider her decision.
In short, the attempted abortion of Celestine might never have occurred.
Today, these efforts have led to a dramatic drop in the annual number of abortions - - 219,000 fewer than in 1990, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More pregnant women are rejecting abortion and choosing to give their babies life. NRLC-supported laws and educational programs work.
I know this because I see in my work as treasurer and board member of National Right to Life the incredible dedication of a small (about 50 people) staff that makes a big difference in saving lives. These people are professionals who stay through the long hours and sometimes frustrating turns of events in our country because they know that this lifesaving movement will have to be here for the long haul if it's going to accomplish what the anti-slavery movement finally did - - return a fundamental, precious human right to every human being. This is our goal, and we will not stop until it is achieved.
Don't just take my word for it that National Right to Life's staff is the best. Fortune magazine rated us one of the top 10 most effective public policy organizations in Washington, D.C., even though our staff is a fraction the size of most of the other highly-rated groups who were rated highly. NRLC staffers have been offered big salary increases to go across town and work for other organizations. I thank God they stay.
Yes, we are doing God's work by saving these lives, and I hope and pray you'll stay with us in your support, as our loyal staff and volunteers have done.
And we truly need that support now more than ever. Pro-abortion forces have stepped up their attacks, challenging our new pro-life laws in court and even challenging our right to free speech. Each of these cases has to be defended with costly legal help.
Additionally, in our last accounting cycle we had to spend $850,000 on mail alone to build public support for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Nothing has galvanized public sentiment against abortion more since Roe v. Wade, and 18 states have passed the ban, so it has been worth every penny. But we remain deeply in debt.
We've come so far, saved so many lives, and have the potential to save so many more. I'd rather not have to make a special appeal, but to not do so would be to neglect my duty to this movement, my duty to these babies, and my duty to God.
In telling you the stories of Celestine Harrington, Gianna Jessen, and Ana Rosa Rodriguez, I'm not trying to take from their suffering, but to prevent others from similar suffering. For we can never let society forget that innocent people suffer in abortion, innocent people lead painful lives because of abortion, and innocent people die.
Please consider in your own heart if you can make an extra special sacrifice to help us eliminate our shortfall as our fiscal year ends next month. This, along with your prayers, would strengthen us tremendously as we enter the crucial life-and-death battles of the coming year.
Whenever I look to a miracle from God to alleviate
the horror of abortion, I am reminded of two things: First, that God will
do his part if we do ours; and second, that the miracle is occurring
for the hundreds of thousands of babies whose lives are being saved. Sometimes
it's the miracles that happen every day that we're the slowest to see. Please
do what you can to help us protect the
miracle of life for every single precious baby.