{"id":256801,"date":"2021-11-09T08:52:46","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T14:52:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=256801"},"modified":"2021-11-12T15:59:45","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T21:59:45","slug":"pressured-abort-rape-amy-chose-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/pressured-abort-rape-amy-chose-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Pressured to abort after rape, Amy chose life for her son with no regrets"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Just three years ago, Amy Walker* was a 19 year-old young woman who had dreams of attaining an education that would lead to a fulfilling career. Amy navigated through her share of challenges as she chartered her path. But underneath, she struggled silently with the weight of guilt, depression, and anxiety \u2014 because unlike most women, Amy had been gang-raped just a year earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n

Seeking help for rape trauma, Amy was urged to abort<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amy told Live Action News, \u201cI was attending summer school in North Carolina after my high school graduation and was at a gathering with friends when it happened. It\u2019s too horrible to talk about, even today four years later. But after the rape, I suffered from anxiety and depression. I couldn\u2019t form healthy relationships. I wasn\u2019t on good terms with my parents. At that point, I just wanted the pain to stop. I took a drug overdose hoping to end my life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Amy\u2019s family stepped in and got her into a rehabilitation facility to put her on a path toward healing and self-forgiveness. It was during her stay there that she started feeling unwell and sought medical treatment. Blood tests revealed she was pregnant. A nurse practitioner who was involved with her care, urged her to seek an abortion.<\/span><\/p>\n

She had no financial resources and thought the man she\u2019d been casually dating \u2013 who later died of a drug overdose \u2013 was the father of her child. She later determined through a DNA test that he was not. She knew she\u2019d be solely responsible for parenting her baby. Yet, she couldn\u2019t consider terminating her pregnancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI had gone to an all-girls high school where I had been exposed to a very liberal environment,\u201d Amy said. \u201cPro-life issues were something I never thought about. But as soon as I learned I was pregnant, my maternal instincts turned on and I just knew abortion wasn\u2019t an option. I thought of acquaintances who had abortions and the emotional anguish they subsequently suffered as a result.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But she faced mounting criticism and pressure from her family and those in the rehab facility because of her decision. It seemed as if the world was against her.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cMy grandmother wrote me a letter stating that I should \u2018get rid of the baby,\u2019 because she was concerned about the \u2018stain\u2019 on our family\u2019s image,” Amy said. “That was very hurtful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Gang raped at 14, she chose life for her son despite doctor and family coercion<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

“My baby gave me a reason to keep fighting”<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was during this time, when she was grappling with lack of emotional and financial support, that she briefly considered placing her baby with an adoptive family. And she wanted to ensure her child had a great start \u2014\u00a0something she was unable to provide. Yet deep inside, she felt a determination take hold.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amy told Live Action News, \u201cI know it\u2019s not easy to parent a child under the best circumstances, but I felt in my heart that I was going to be fine. My baby gave me a reason to keep fighting.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>She focused on taking care of her health and moved to a women\u2019s home in Mississippi to prepare for her child\u2019s birth. There, she became involved in the Embrace Grace<\/a> program, surrounding herself with other single, pregnant women who were enduring similar life challenges.<\/span><\/p>\n

When her son was born, it was a turning point in her life in many ways. She was now a single mother but after moving back to Ohio to live with her parents, she also became a passionate pro-life activist.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was looking for a pro-life organization where I could help make a difference,\u201d she said, \u201cAnd after meeting Allie with the Ohio Right to Life, she got me involved with Students for Life at Columbus State University. We participated in sidewalk counseling, and it was gratifying to help spread the pro-life message and to possibly change someone\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Busy juggling motherhood and work, Amy still finds time to reach out to other women who are in similar circumstances, to stay connected and to provide support. As schedules permit, she hosts get-togethers. She has a newfound confidence earned from overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTaking care of myself as well as my son is very important,\u201d she says. \u201cBecause I was a former high school athlete, I try to stay healthy by working out when I can and have even starting painting as therapy. I love snuggling with my son and enjoy reading to him during our bonding time. It\u2019s the simple things in life that often bring much joy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

*Not her real name.<\/span><\/h5>\n

\u201cLike\u201d Live Action News on Facebook<\/a> for more pro-life news and commentary!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just three years ago, Amy Walker* was a 19 year-old young woman who had dreams of attaining an education that would lead to a fulfilling career. Amy navigated through her share of challenges as she chartered her path. But underneath, she struggled silently with the weight of guilt, depression, and anxiety \u2014 because unlike most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":798,"featured_media":256887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[9455,9459],"tags":[1628,10244,3056,13996],"yoast_head":"\nPressured to abort after rape, Amy chose life for her son with no regrets<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Amy, the survivor of a gang rape, told Live Action News, \u201cI felt in my heart that I was going to be fine. 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