In 1980, I was born with no arms and shortened legs. Many find it easy to believe that my life would have been thrown away in a third world country. There are nations on this planet that believe that my lack of arms is reason enough to kill me at birth.
But the United States is a civilized nation, and we don’t practice such barbaric ideas as murdering because someone looks different than everyone else. We don’t abort babies because they will be handicapped. I wish I could say that with pride about my country.
My parents had no idea I was going to be born handicapped. Had it not been for a skilled doctor in the delivery room, neither my mom nor I would have made it. But, even after I was born, the doctor decided that if my body was as mangled on the inside as it was on the outside, that it would be better for me to be “given a chance to die.”
How dare any of us presume to know the value of someone else’s life based purely on the way they look. How dare any of us decide that anyone’s life not be worth living. That doctor had no idea that I would have a family and live a life in service to God.
The question of abortion has come up in my life as my parents have been asked if they would have chosen abortion had they known about my lack of arms prior to me being born. I’m proud to say that they have answered many times that abortion would have never been considered. Even they could not have guessed how great my life would be.
I fought through the early hours of my life and proved that doctor wrong. My life is worth living. My life is so valuable, that I now have an opportunity to teach others how to be happy. My life’s goal is to tell the world how to be happy and why would should be happy. Life is amazing!
When I get to speak at a pro-life function, I conclude my presentation, after many stories and life lessons, by issuing a challenge to live a happy, positive life. If I can do it, so you can you, I tell crowds. And, if I can live a wonderful life with no arms, then abortion simply has no place in our society. You can not know how incredible a life will be lived, until it is lived.
Watch my story as told at one of the many pro-life events I have been apart of: [youtube:8TrwkTPfkG4;[link:Pro Life Speakers Chet and Jim McDoniel];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TrwkTPfkG4&feature=related]
