Today’s story comes from Bethany Collins, a sophomore at Loyola. Bethany is very involved in the Service Committee with Loyola Students for Life. She tells us about her friend Erika’s choice for life.

Enter Bethany…

Erika was only 16 when she found out she was pregnant.

Her friends immediately scheduled an abortion for her at the nearest clinic. She was, after all, only a Junior in high school. She had so much against her in this situation and her whole life ahead of her.

But, when she told her parents, they told her that they would never want her to abort her child, and that they would help her raise him.

With this support, she chose not to have an abortion.

She chose life.

As a 16 year old junior in high school, Erika gave up so much for her baby, but she courageously chose to stand up to anyone who said she could not or should not take care of a baby.

Leading up to my trip to the March for Life, I found myself thinking about Erika and her baby in the womb constantly. She was due on January 23, so all day on January 22 I kept thinking, “Wouldn’t it be cool if he was born on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade?”

The day passed with no news, but I still couldn’t get them off my mind.

On Friday morning, as we drove into DC, I found out that Erika was in labor. This was my third March, but for the first time, there was a real, individual face – a young mother – in my life who I was marching for.

Walking in the cold, I couldn’t think about anything or anyone else. I was there for one young girl from my hometown who chose life.

The next day, during the SFLA conference, I was able to access facebook, where I was finally able to see pictures of Erika’s baby Steven. He was born on Friday, January 25 at 2:37 pm, during the 40th March for Life.

Having the names and faces of Erika and Steven, real examples of the people we fight for, made the experience of the March for Life and the pro-life movement so much more powerful for me.

In choosing life for her baby boy, one 17 year old girl changed my life.

—

Thank you, Bethany, for sharing this story!

Today’s post comes from Warren D’Souza of University of Illinois. Warren is a freshman and is the treasurer for his pro-life group, Illini Collegians for Life (ICFL).

ICFL is growing to have a greater influence on campus and we are looking forward to great things from Warren! Here is his story from this year’s March for Life trip.

Enter Warren…

We!
Are!
The Pro-Life Generation!

The thunderous chant began in front of the Supreme Court building and echoed all the way down First Street. Thousands of young people from across the country marched together peacefully just days after the 40th anniversary of legalized abortion in our country.

We bore only smiles and optimistic cheers proclaiming the glory of life; not a single mournful or enraged face could be seen in the crowd despite this being the week that marked the death of 55 million unborn children in our generation.

From the beginning of the rally we were told that all of us were survivors: These 55 million could have grown up to be our friends, spouses, siblings, coworkers… many of them should even have been marching alongside us. But though we mourned our lost brothers and sisters, we could not keep from celebrating the beauty of life that we were given, and our desire to defend that gift for every human being.

When I told my dorm friends I was heading to Washington, D.C. for the weekend with fellow pro-life students of the University of Illinois, the response I seemed to get most often was, “What’s the point of marching? It won’t make abortion illegal.” It’s a fair question. I pondered it myself on the 14-hour bus ride to D.C. with all my pro-life friends.

But then I arrived at the March for Life, and the answer immediately became clear to me.

The word of the day was solidarity.

We were not marching merely to garner attention from the Supreme Court justices or the pro-choice politicians. We were marching for ourselves, for our mothers, for our sisters who are targeted by the abortion machines of today, for those who were taken by abortion too soon to be marching at our sides, for all those who say they are pro-life but don’t yet have the courage to march with us.

It’s true; simply walking down the streets of D.C. will not be enough to end abortion. But the March for Life is an absolutely necessary element in building solidarity among the pro-life movement – solidarity between the generations, between the genders, between the social classes, between the living and dead.

It’s hard not to be proud and vocal about your pro-life stance when you are surrounded by over 400,000 passionate, screaming young adults around your age who are all fighting for the injustice to end.

Returning from the March, I am more confident than ever that we will see the end to abortion in our lifetime. I refuse to believe that such a nationally united movement will ever collapse, and no matter how long of a fight we must endure, we will persevere together. After an entire 40-year generation has suffered through abortion before us, it is time for the pro-life generation to arise.

—

Thank you Warren for your insight and your commitment to life!

To everyone reading, how can you foster solidarity among the pro-lifers around you?

Post your suggestions below!

Kaja is a student at DePaul University and although she is very committed to advancing the pro-life message, her study abroad experience distracted her from this passion. Her trip to the March for Life reignited that passion!

Here is her story:

Enter Kaja…

Before going to the March for Life this year, I spent four months studying abroad in Bonn, Germany where my previous pro-life involvement at DePaul was forgotten and pushed aside.

At least to my knowledge, the Bonn campus did not address the issue, which made me question whether abortion actually existed in the “ultra-tolerant” and “democratic” country of Germany. However, my temporary carefree and almost indifferent attitude towards the issue cannot in any way be excused by my preoccupation with the ‘study abroad experience’. Even when I came back to Chicago, I felt disconnected from the Respect for Life group at DePaul, and it was not until the March for Life that I became re-inspired for real.

It would be a huge mistake to try to pinpoint a single event during the march and the conference that caused the major change in my attitude. However, I do remember a few moments that always stick out when I recall my experience there.

The two events occurred during the march itself: seeing the brutal and painful images projected on a screen on one of the sidewalks through which we marched and later experiencing pro-choice protestors’ aggressive signs and shouts in our direction.

The images stirred in me a strong feeling of disbelief at the enormous violence inflicted upon innocent babies, and although these images were awful and gruesome, I could not pull my eyes away. I wanted to imprint those images upon my heart so as to never stop fighting for life and human dignity.

The confrontation with pro-choice protestors also shook me, especially when a pro-choice female with a sign that called women bitches approached our group. In response to her terribly vulgar and sad poster, all of the girls in our group (Loyola, DePaul, Dominican, Northwestern, and UIC) began to chant “Women deserve better”. Guys in the group joined in right away, however that moment became particularly significant to me as a woman fighting for better choices and conditions for young mothers (and all women in general).

The conference the next day also proved to be amazing and extremely insightful. All throughout the conference, inspired and touched by speakers and activists, I often could not hold back tears. It was a beautiful environment in which I became acutely ashamed of my previous indifference. It was an environment which exposed everything I ignored in Germany and then pushed it to another level. I realized I wanted to fight for the pro-life cause for good this time.

And so after coming back to DePaul, I have rejoined the group as a board member with a position of Outreach Coordinator. So far I have contacted several groups on campus which might express interest in supporting our main goal for this school year: installing changing tables in women’s bathrooms on campus. In addition to that, all of the board members, including myself, coordinate bi-weekly meetings where education and conversation regarding the topic of life and especially abortion take place.

On a more personal note, I work hard to establish my own pro-life identity by educating myself on the topic from different perspectives, by speaking up (although that is by far the hardest!) when the question of life is being trivialized and misunderstood by some of my friends, and by seeking aid from helpful and much stronger people than myself in times of crises and feelings of hopelessness, such as Kevin (SFLI’s Campus Mentor).

Everyday I make sure my passion for abolishing abortion and spreading the message of life does not die down, and as of now I am fully dedicated to this beautiful cause.

Love Life,
Kaja :)

–
Thanks Kaja!

I think it’s impressive that Kaja is able to see that she really needs to establish her own pro-life identity. This is an important realization. If you do not invest in your own knowledge and passion, you will not be much help in advancing our cause.

Kaja knows this. Do you?

What are you doing to invest in YOUR pro-life identity?

This week’s story is from Joe Paolelli of Loyola Students for Life.

Joe’s story can inspire many of us who are pro-life but have had our passion wane. There are a lot of pro-lifers out there who need to be inspired just like Joe was at this year’s March for Life!

Enter Joe…

Raised in a pro-life household and inspired by the example of my mother, who runs a pro-life ministry at our church, I was always an unwavering supporter of life. Seeing the film Silent Scream in high school particularly galvanized my commitment to the pro-life cause. However, this commitment was essentially limited to voting for pro-life politicians and wearing a pro-life button on my backpack.

I must confess that in the back of my mind, I viewed the fight against abortion as a losing battle; the die had been cast in 1973, and it didn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. My commitment would always remain, but I wondered if justice would ever truly be restored for the unborn.

Going on the March turned my dismal thoughts upside down.

I joined more than half a million people on a freezing hike through our nation’s capital and despite a bitter chill in the air, the enthusiasm was joyful and electric.

As we approached the Capitol building, I realized the true magnitude of our statement: we had come (in droves!) to call on our leaders to respect the rights of the voiceless. And seeing the enthusiasm and hope in others on the March inspired hope within me that someday abortion will be illegal, and unborn life— and pregnant mothers — will be given the respect and protection they deserve.

I found my pro-life voice on the March.

In a culture that is too shallow, distracted, and just plain afraid to talk about serious issues of right and wrong, I found my voice, and I will no longer be silent.

I will no longer be a passive member of this movement, but an active one—spreading the pro-life message with conviction, grace, and charm. As we chanted in Washington, “We are the pro-life generation!” And we have a voice!

[image credit, nytimes]

With all the students from Illinois who attended the March for Life, there are many moving stories of their experiences. So, I’m going to post these on a weekly basis so you can continue to be inspired by these amazing students!

Today, we have a reflection from Molly Dettmann of Dominican University who has already started making an impact on her campus. After being inspired by the March for Life she sought out the help of SFLI Campus Mentor, Kevin Grillot to learn how to turn that inspiration into meaningful action.

Enter Molly…

Ever since I was little, the issue of abortion has been very real to me. I grew up in a pro-life family and my parents taught me at a young age the importance of life and how sacred this special gift is.

However, the March for Life was always some giant exciting event that seemed very distant and far away. I would hear about it occasionally, but the opportunity to attend seemed more like a bucket list item than an actual reality. It wasn’t until I got older and started college that I became much more aware of the importance of being up to date with the current issues in our country.

I attend a small private liberal arts college and while I was sitting in seminar last semester, my professor started giving a litany of her political beliefs and views on abortion which radically differed with my pro-life values. Before I could even find the courage to voice my opinion, the whole class was agreeing with my professor and I soon realized the uphill battle I would be fighting in the tolerant world we are living in today. I was outnumbered, upset, and felt alone in my beliefs about life.

However, great moments are born from great opportunities. I soon saw an advertisement on campus for the March for Life!

Was it a risk?

Yes.

Was I nervous?

You bet.

But did I answer the call to attend the March? Yes I did and it was an experience that changed my life and inspired me in more ways than one.

From the moment I met up with the other students from the Archdiocese of Chicago for the March, there was an incredible sense of a family, love, and hope. Fear was replaced by courage, anxiety replaced by excitement, and loneliness in my beliefs replaced by the vibrant spirit of thousands of students my age who were coming together to stand for life!

At the actual march, I will never forget the moment when our group of about 60 students turned the corner on a street in D.C and the sight of over 500,000 people of all different ages, races, and backgrounds, guys and girls, babies and grandparents, children and students, moms and dads, completely filled the streets and all you could hear were chants and cheers for life!

I will never forget that moment.

It was then were I realized that I wasn’t alone, I was supported beyond my belief and that I was apart of the largest social justice movement since the movement for Civil Rights. Now that’s awesome!

The next day at the Students for Life of America “Be Courageous” conference, I along with over 2,000 other students like me received the information, inspiration, and the tools we would need to be advocates for life on our campuses and to spread the message of life while encouraging others to be silent no more.

One of the speakers said, “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself”. This quote hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t be silent anymore while trying to not hurt anybody’s feelings about abortion or to not cause conflict; I have a duty to the 55 million who never got the chance to speak up because abortion silenced them forever. I would spread the message of life through words and works of love.

Today, I am proud to say that I am no longer afraid to spread the pro-life message to those around me.

Our pro-life group, Stars for Life, has many great events planned for this semester and I have already had multiple students approach me about learning more about what they can do for the pro-life cause and just wanting to learn the truth about abortion.

It is an unbelievable feeling to know that just through talking with others and standing up for what’s right, that I can play a role in saving the lives of innocent children. It is never easy to be a voice when everyone else is silent and fear is always knocking at the door, but courage is not the absence of fear; but the willingness to act in spite of fear.

–
Thank you, Molly for your willingness to act in spite of fear!

For those who want to keep up with the great work of the pro-life students at Dominican, go here:

Dominican Stars for Life Facebook Page.