Abortion Survivor Gianna Jessen

"What a man thinks about the most vulnerable among us says everything about him.
It will determine all of his other decisions."
— Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor

by Kim Trobee, digital producer
'It fires me up to be like Esther and to live in this time, for such a time as this.'
Thirty-one years ago, Gianna Jessen's mom aborted her.
After being burned alive for about 18 hours by the saline solution, Gianna was delivered alive in a Los Angeles County abortion clinic. She weighed just 2 pounds at birth, and doctors said she would never crawl or walk.
Today, Gianna walks with a slight limp — and runs marathons. She's also taking on Sen. Barack Obama on abortion.
She recently visited Focus on the Family and spoke with Dr. James Dobson and Kim Trobee:
1. We know so much of your story from the very early part of your life, but what have you been doing recently?
I ran the Boston Marathon and the London Marathon. It’s kind of adventurous for a girl with CP (cerebral palsy). Also, I’ve had the honor of meeting the president and speaking before Congress. And I’ve just returned from Australia, where I was speaking in the Parliament and House. Every year that I think (God) must be finished, He seems to open up the doors wider. My life is so much bigger than just an issue. I’m not consumed by the abortion issue, which I think is healthy. I have a beautiful life.
It has been an honor to fight for the most vulnerable among us — and for the true empowerment of women and men around the world. When people are exposed to the facts, (they) cannot help (but) be changed. Either they become harder, or they change in favor of life. And I find that the latter is mostly true, and that is so beautiful to me — especially with young people. They are very pro-life these days. I think because they see the result in our culture of not valuing life on so many levels.