Father in Distress
Dear Steve,
About a month ago when I started my “shift” doing sidewalk counseling in front of Planned Parenthood’s clinic in the Highland Park area of St. Paul, a young Chinese man came out of the clinic for a cigarette break.
This was my “in” to strike up a conversation with him. I said I smoked for 50 years, and quit two years ago. As we chatted on, I asked him if his wife was inside for an abortion. Here is briefly what he said, “No. she was just in there for a test.” (They always say that.) He was an exchange scholar studying at the University of Minnesota — he said he was in “chemistry.”
He and his wife already had a child; I believe it was a boy. He said they could not go back to Beijing with another child. If they did they would be arrested. He explained that if they had lived in a rural area, they would be allowed another child, but not in the big cities.
He asked me what would become of his aborted baby. First, he asked how big it was. I pointed to our poster which showed the “baby in the bubble.” I think that one is about eight weeks. Then he wanted to know what would happen to his baby’s body. I told him that under state law the clinic should cremate the baby’s body, but I didn’t know if that would actually happen. He seemed to be totally ignorant of why his wife was actually there, or what “abortion” really meant.
I begged him to let me (Pro Life Action Ministries) help them. I said I would do my best to find an attorney who might be able to help them get political asylum. He said, “You really do care about us, don’t you?” I said, “Of course I care about you, or I wouldn’t be out here getting yelled at. I care about you and your wife and your baby.”
I was saddened when his wife and another Chinese woman, perhaps a relative or an interpreter, came out of the clinic. She indicated she had had her abortion.
I looked up at the man, and he took his wife’s hand, looked back at me with dismay in his eyes, and then all three of them hurried away. Perhaps they lied to him, too, as he didn’t seem to think she was there for an abortion.
I was deeply saddened, Steve, and for the first time, China’s one-child policy became a first-hand experience for me. Thought you’d like to know.
God bless,
Nancy Creger
Thanks and Prayers
Dear Sir:
Greetings in the Lord from Iloilo City, Philippines.
I thanked the Holy Spirit for inspiring PRI to launch this never-before attempted project in China. The explanation in your letter is very clear, your appeal for monetary assistance and prayers.
Since we are not capable of sending monetary assistance (those who live in Mere Monique are old and sick sisters) we can assure you of our prayers for the success of this project.
However, I am giving you the name of my sister in Vallejo, California, to whom you can send the same appeal. Although a retiree, she is generous to share the little that she receives as retirement pay.
May God for the sake of the unborn babies bless the PRI project with great success.
Truly yours,
Sr. Anastasie de Jesus Dongallo, Spc
Norplant Proponent
How can you say that Norplant should be discontinued in the US? Here we are already overpopulated, and complaining about teen pregnancy and unfit parents and child abuse at an all time high, and you want to get rid of the best form of birth control that has come along. Now perhaps they need to have a series of tests in place that can be performed on a potential patient, to see what their bodies [sic] acceptance rate is going to be to this new hormone introduction, but it is entirely unfair to say that the Norplant itself is where the problem lies. I have two children and have been on Norplant since soon after my son was born. Any side effects I may have experienced has [sic] certainly not been severe … certainly nothing compared to having another child.
Nicole Helmadollar
Via email
There is no “series of tests” that will determine who will have side effects from Norplant. While we are glad that Ms. Helmadollar has not suffered side effects from her Norplant, many other women have not been so fortunate, including the women in Haiti and Bangladesh who were used as human guinea pigs for the testing of this dangerous drug delivery system.
Some side effects from Norplant use are change in the menstrual cycle, severe headaches, blindness, change in appetite, weight gain or loss, depression, dizziness, nervousness, sore breasts, nausea, acne, skin irritations, gain or loss of facial hair, discolored skin over the implants, enlarged ovaries, or ovarian cysts.
