This article was originally posted on Secular Pro-Life Perspectives and was written by Feleica Langdon.
Today I turn 30! At 3:30 AM on June 2, 1987, I made my grand entrance into the outside world.
Upon birth, the doctors knew something was wrong with me. My mom said all she could hear was the doctors saying, “Your baby is very sick.” I was having seizures, my lungs almost collapsed, and I had fluid on the brain.
Through genetic testing, the doctors presented my parents with the diagnosis of Turner Syndrome. Given the statistics surrounding this diagnosis, the odds that people with Turners would make it to see outside of the womb is stacked against us.
99% of babies with my condition die in utero, and 76% of those diagnosed prenatally are aborted—but thankfully, my parents didn’t know until I was born that something was wrong. The doctors didn’t know I would even survive the night, and gave a grim outlook on my life if I did.
But here I am, 30 years old, healthy and thriving. I am a honour roll college graduate, a valued Home Care Worker, a wife of 6 years and counting, a writer, a fur mom to 4 furry blessings, a hiker, a challenger of popular thought, etc.
I have proven doctors wrong on countless occasions.
If my parents had known I had Turners—and like many others, had chosen abortion—I would have missed out on the wonderful life I am enjoying today.
Instead of turning 30 reminding me that I’m getting old, it reminds me I’m living—and it’s a wonderful feeling. I will wear every grey hair and every wrinkle as a badge of honour. I get to enjoy a life that’s all too often left to “choice” and deemed “not worth living”—without even being given a chance.
My mom is “pro-choice” and believes it should have been up to her whether or not to abort me if she had known. I’m so thankful that my diagnosis was safe with me in the womb and that I’m alive—instead of my life being reduced to a statistic.
I am here and I get to join in the fight for the lives of the preborn. The pro-life community fought for me, now I get to pay it forward. I am an active member of the pro-life community with a strong social media presence.
I have founded a page called Life Defenders. Life Defenders is an activist support page that focuses on: unity within the movement, responding in love, finding your place within the movement, tough issues such as the “exceptions” (i.e: rape, fetal abnormalities, etc), ways you can get connected to and engage with your community, etc.
Through my social networking I have connect to and become friends with some amazing people from all over the world. We have encouraged, challenged and helped grow one another. The unique perspectives we bring to the movement as individuals is so beautiful and to be celebrated.
One of my niches is creating thought provoking memes. In our fast-paced society these memes allow for hard-hitting messages and information without having to take the time to read long articles. I like giving people thoughts to chew on.
I am also active in my province being involved with Campaign Life Coalition and it is such a pleasure to play a role in speeding up the momentum of LIFE in Newfoundland,Canada. My husband and I have gotten to meet some passionate people for life in our province and it’s an honour to stand beside them in bringing the life message to our province.
Life is such a precious gift and should not be treated as disposable. I call upon non-vocal pro-lifers—stop pressing the snooze button and get out of bed. Now is not the time to crumble under the pressure. Now is not the time to say “I’m too old for this” or “I’m too young for this.” Now is not the time to say “I don’t have time for this.”
The time to break your silence is now.
Feleica Langdon is a provincial pro-life speaker in Newfoundland and the regional coordinator in NL of Campaign Life Coalition working alongside the provincial coordinator, Margaret Hynes.
