My name is Meg Perez. I was one of six women profiled in The Enquirer’s story on abortion (“Abortion: The most important decision of her life” Dec. 13). There were key elements missing in my story that would have offered Enquirer readers so much more perspective and information on the topics of abortion and unplanned pregnancies, but, most importantly, powerful information for the tens of thousands of post-abortive women and men in the Cincinnati area who may feel regret as I do. These are people who are hurting. Gravely hurting.
There’s help available. I am currently participating in an abortion healing program through SaveOne.org. There are one-on-one and group options that can help both women and men who regret, to find the forgiveness and peace they deserve, confidentially. There are many abortion recovery organizations in the United States, as well locally. These programs are open to anyone hurt by abortion.
Also integral to my healing was naming my daughter, whom I aborted. She was a person. And I miss her. I took that one step further by placing her name, Gabriella, and the date she returned to God on a brass plaque which resides on the “Wall of Names” at the National Memorial for the Unborn in Chattanooga, Tennessee (www.memorialfortheunborn.org). I hope to go there in person one day. She is remembered in my heart every day.
In addition to being faced with an unplanned pregnancy in 2007, 23 years prior I was faced with the same, but with different results. In 1985 I chose life for my son and lovingly made adoption plans for him. The few sentences given to this in the original story do not represent the joy, or the pain, that comes from giving the gift of life to a family.
In this limited space I cannot do justice to my son’s adoption, the positive aspects of the process for both the child and the mother, as well as the adoptive parents, so I will leave it at this: The adoption of my son is the most painful thing I have ever endured next to the death of my daughter through abortion, and the loss of four more children through miscarriage. But I wouldn’t change one thing. Why? Because my son is alive! And he is such a beautiful soul! This world is a better place because he is in it.
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The pain I suffer every day having lost him 30 years ago is a redemptive pain I can live with. I know I chose to give him life and a family that offered more than I was able to provide at the time, all while denying the deepest, gut-wrenching desires of my heart to be his mother.
Abortion is quite the opposite. It’s a pain that is unbearable most days, knowing I took my daughter’s life, a gift from God. I cannot find the bright side to her death. Healing is available to those who wish to dig deep into the pain of their abortion, as I have; face it head-on covered by the might and mercy of Jesus Christ; and move forward unafraid, knowing they are forgiven and set free.
I am praying for all post-abortive women and men who regret. Every day. And I am sharing my pro-life testimony by speaking to groups, organizations, churches and schools in and outside of the Cincinnati area, as well as on social media.
LifeNews Note: Madisonville resident Meg Perez is on Facebook at Meg’s Story: Redemption after Adoption and Abortion and on Twitter at @AbortionStory.
