Story from Claire Culwell

Thoughts From An Abortion Survivor On The Gosnell Case “Kermit Gosnell was convicted of murder and given a life sentence for the murder of three babies who were born alive in his clinic along with involuntary manslaughter for the overdose of a woman undergoing a late term abortion.”

These words keep ringing in my ears. Many have linked his practice to the “aftermath of Tiller.” Tiller was a late term abortionist in Kansas who changed abortion in our country. He made abortion, specifically late term abortions, gruesome yet easily obtainable, somewhat affordable and not nearly as frowned upon in our country today!

For those who are not familiar with my story, I am a late-term abortion survivor. My 13 year old birth mother had an abortion while she was pregnant with me and my twin in the 5th month of her pregnancy. The abortion was successful for my twin, but not for me.

When my birth mother returned to the abortion clinic still pregnant, the clinic she had originally been to referred her to a “late term abortion clinic in Kansas.” Since the abortion was performed in 1988, we can assume that the abortion clinic she went to obtain her second abortion was Tiller’s late-term clinic. After examining my birth mother’s condition, the abortionist was unable to do the second abortion because the risks were fatal.

Had my birth mother been pregnant these days, she surely would have found someone similar to Gosnell, who mimicked Tillers practices, to “finish the job.” Surely, I wouldn’t be here and neither would my beautiful three month old daughter, and possibly even my birth mother.

This past week I was studying Romans with my dad as he prepared for a missions trip. One of the verses read “Christ died for the ungodly.” That means me. That means you. It struck me, that also means Tiller AND Gosnell!

I have always wanted to go meet the man or woman who performed my birth mothers abortion, the person that took my twins life. I want to tell that person that they are forgiven, not only by me, but by the one true God, who died to save them.

I want to show them pictures of my childhood and my daughter, the amazing pieces of my life that would not have happened if abortion had been safe and successful. I want to tell them about my birth mother, a beautiful woman who was robbed of her childhood at 13 because of abortion. I want to tell them of the joys of a life, love, and happiness that is available for their life too!

I won’t get this chance with Tiller, but there are still many doctors modeling Tiller’s abortion practices. These are the doctors I pray for. These are the doctors I will have forgiveness for and these are the doctors that I hope one day have joy, love, a conviction to protect all life, and accept the forgiveness of The Lord.

Please join me in prayer. Instead of praying for them to get what they “deserve”, pray for Kermit Gosnell and others to get what they don’t deserve. After all, we were given the ultimate gift that we don’t deserve, freedom and forgiveness in Christ.

For more information about Claire and her story or to have her speak, visit her website.