Survivors: 10 True Stories of Children Born After Attempted Abortion

Melissa was born in 1977 when her mother attempted to terminate her pregnancy at seven months with saline solution.

During a saline abortion, some of the amniotic fluid is pumped out of the amniotic sac and replaced with a concentrated saline solution. The child dies painfully within hours of chemical burns, poisoning and dehydration. After that, the woman artificially causes contractions.

Melissa survived. Deeming her dead, medical staff threw the girl into a trash can, where the crying baby was found and rescued by a nurse. Despite the horrific procedure she was subjected to, she was not seriously injured. In 2008, Melissa gave birth to a daughter – in the same hospital where her own mother tried to get rid of her.

Gianna and Melissa’s stories are similar, although in Gianna’s case the effects of exposure to saline were much more severe. The girl’s biological mother – a 17-year-old teenager – tried to get rid of the child in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Gianna spent over 18 hours in the caustic solution and survived.

The baby, born weighing around one kilogram, was placed in the care of foster parents. Due to chemical burns, the girl developed cerebral palsy – doctors weren’t sure if she would ever be able to walk and talk. But the terrible diagnosis did not stop Gianna – all her life she struggled with muscle weakness, played sports and even participated in the London Marathon.

Sarah’s birth mother carried her almost to the end of her term, but at the 36th week of pregnancy she decided to get rid of her. She sought the help of Dr. George Tiller of Kansas, who performed this type of procedure.

Later it became known that the doctor had the most “oldest” and primitive methods of abortion in his arsenal – this was evidenced by entries in his journals. However, no woman died during the procedure.

They tried to kill Sarah with a lethal injection of potassium chloride. But instead of a heart, the doctor injected the substance into the child’s brain.

The girl was born blind, but alive. She had a stroke when she was six months old. And at the age of five, she died of acute kidney failure. People who knew her said that, despite all the health issues, she looked like a happy and completely normal child.

A few years later, Dr. Tiller, the man who performed the procedure, was murdered by an anti-abortion activist.

Josiah Presley of Oklahoma is a member of the anti-slavery abolitionist movement. Today, the community is also fighting for the abolition of abortion. Josiah has every reason to support this movement – the boy was born in Korea as a result of an illegal abortion, during the procedure his hand was paralyzed. Baby Josiah was adopted by a family in Oklahoma and is now healthy and happy.

Brandi’s biological mother underwent a saline abortion procedure during four months of pregnancy. After the removal of the fetus, the girl was considered dead and was about to be thrown in the trash, but suddenly she raised her hand, as if in protest.

At 27, Brandi learned that her real mother decided to have an abortion for a reason – the fetus was conceived through abuse. She herself faced a difficult choice when she was sexually assaulted and pregnant in 2003.

Today, Brandi is an anti-abortion activist. She works tirelessly, speaking at churches, gatherings and educational institutions. Sometimes on the picket line, she has to spend days or even weeks on the streets with like-minded people.

Imre Teglasi’s story is unique – he survived an attempted abortion at a time when the procedures were not yet legally performed. His parents were deported from their native country. The mother learned that she was expecting a child and, despite the father’s protests, tried to terminate the pregnancy on her own. She did not succeed. Having carried the fetus until the end of the term, the woman gave birth to a healthy boy.

According to Teglasi himself, he had a strained relationship with his mother all his life – and it all started before his father even told him the story of his birth. Today, Imre holds a doctorate and provides assistance to women in pregnancy crisis through a hotline.

Claire’s biological mother became pregnant when she was 13 and decided to have an abortion. The procedure was successful and she returned home. A few weeks later, she noticed that her stomach was slightly enlarged and again turned to the hospital for help.

The girl was informed that she was still pregnant – during the abortion, the specialist removed one of the twins, and the second fetus was not noticed.

A few weeks later, premature and weakened, Claire was born. The lower part of his body was in poor condition. It took several years of constant therapy for her hips, legs and feet to grow to normal size. Claire has a good relationship with her mother. She is happy that she did not decide on a second abortion.

Throughout her childhood, due to her unusual appearance, Carrie was bullied by her peers and teachers. She grew up thinking that due to her physical disabilities, she would never be able to lead a normal life and have children.

Once, unable to bear it, Carrie attempted suicide by drinking a bottle of wine and swallowing pills. The girl was rescued and dedicated her life to helping bullied women.

As an adult, Carrie learned the cause of her misfortunes. His biological mother tried to have an abortion – as a result of the manipulations of the doctor, the child’s face and internal organs were damaged.

Now Carrie is happily married. She found her husband through the internet and he accepted her as she is.

When Kira’s 16-year-old mother found out she was pregnant, she immediately decided to have an abortion. At the tenth week of pregnancy, she underwent the procedure. Time passed, but she still suffered from toxicosis and ailments. Five months later, Chelsea decided to visit the doctor again, who explained to the girl that the abortion had failed – she was still pregnant.

The expectant mother considered this a sign from above and decided to inform the child.

Although the attempted abortion caused some disruption in the development of the fetal arms, Kira was born a healthy baby girl. Despite this incident, she maintains a good relationship with her mother.

The Finlay family has a complicated history. The boy’s mother, Jody Percival, carries a gene that causes kidney defects in children while they are still in the womb. Her first child died for this reason, not having lived even 20 minutes. The second child also had kidney problems, but survived.

Finley was conceived while Jodie was taking birth control pills. The woman decided it was better for her to have an abortion in the eighth week than to experience the death of a newborn.

However, a few months after the procedure, Jody’s belly started to grow. Doctors confirmed that the fetus survived the abortion.

Finley was born with congenital kidney disease, like Jody’s first two children. But his predictions are not bad – a child who is born, despite contraception and an attempted abortion, is ready to fight for life.

Photo: Getty images, social networks