Melissa Ohden - Survivor of a Saline Abortion

Over the years, DBQ  Co. Right to Life has has some excellent speakers for their annual L.I.F.E. Dinner. Some have been people who work to end abortion, others have been people who were involved in abortions but came over to the Pro-life side. Those past speakers have included Jim Sedlak, Abby Johnson & Jill Stanek. This year's speaker however, had a story that was different from any of those in the past.

Melissa Ohden is an abortion survivor. Yes, you read that right, she is alive today despite the fact that her mother had a saline abortion to end the pregnancy where she was carrying Melissa. She is a real live October Baby. In fact she is 1 of about 44,000 survivors* of a failed abortion in the USA alone.

Melissa shared her story last night along with some of what she is doing to get the word out about what abortion really is & does to a real human being, not an "it" or a "blob of tissue" as the abortion industry tries to portray the babies.

Melissa's story begins in 1977 across the state in Sioux City, IA where her mother was a 19 year old college student. She ended up pregnant & went to St. Luke's hospital in Sioux City to have the abortion. At the time the doctors thought the mother was about 18 weeks pregnant. They began the saline abortion which normally takes 3 days. However this abortion proceedure lasted 5 days. The mother delivered Melissa in the hospital bed. At 1st they thought she was dead, until they heard some weak cries from Melissa. The hospital began treating her.# She was eventually taken to Iowa City to University Hospitals. (You can read the full medical report as well as see her birth certificate here on page 2 of Melissa's photos.) She had several medical problems at 1st, but unlike most saline abortion survivors she miraculously had no permanant health poblems.

From there she was adopted & raised by a loving family in NW Iowa. While she grew up knowing she was adopted, she never knew the details of her birth until she was 14 years old. At that time her 18 year old sister (also adopted) became pregnant out of wedlock, She was told the circumstances on Melissa's birth to help her understand why abortion was not an option. 1 day they got into a sibling arguement & her sister said  “You know what? At least my parents wanted me.” Melissa couldn't understand why her sister told her that. So when her mom got home that night, she asked about the comment & found out the whole story.

At age 19 she began looking for her biological parents. It took her 10 years to get her medical records. The copy she got included the names of her parents, something that HIPPA laws don't allow, but somehow it slipped through. So she did a google search. She found out her biological father was living in Sioux City & she sent him a letter to his office. She never heard from him. & it wasn't until later she found out why. At the time her father was dying. His parents found the letter after his death & contacted her to tell them he was dead.

She has never been able to find her biological mother. She did find her maternal grandparents. It was then she found out they mother was pressured into the aboprtion, she didn't have a "choice". The mother had married & was estranged from her parents. Most of the family has not had contact with Melissa though they are aware of the story now.

Melissa has forgiven her parents & grandparents for their roles. She is also accepting of the situation & lack of relationship with them. She has turned it over to God & leaving it up to him as to what may or may not come about.

The medical records showed that she weighed 2 lbs, 14 oz when she was born. That means she was likely 30 weeks along at the time of the abortion, not 18.

Melissa shared some other things surrounding her birth that she says shows God has a purpose for her life. A couple years ago, she met a priest who told her that 1977, he made it a habit to pray in front of St. Luke’s hospital for God to spare a child targeted to be aborted. She later met several other people who used to pray & protest at St. Luke's as well.

Melissa is married. 4 years ago she had her daughter, Olivia. Olivia was born at St. Luke's in Sioux City.

Mellisa belives that God has called her to share her message with others so they can see what an abortion is really about, that it takes a human life. But she also talks about the additional consequences. In her case, the fact that Olivia wouldn't be here other. Her story is a reminder of how an abortion has long range consequences.

She also shares a message that God can heal those hurt by an abortion.

This is only a part of Melissa's story. These days she is travelling arround the nation sharing the message God has called her to share. She has appeaered on the 700 Club, EWTN"s Life on the Rock & even on secular news media shows.

After the talk I had a chance to meet with Melissa & talk a bit. Some of it was sharing my experiences with a friend from Sioux City who has an adopted son. But some of it was also joking a bit about Iowa, the Sioux City airport & its 3 letter symbol (SUX).

Melissa is working on a book with her story. There is also a DVD, Born Alive, available with her story.

As I said, Melissa's story is 1 the pro-aborts don't want out. She is proof that it is a child that is killed in an abortion. Thank God she survived. I pray that her efforts will be greatly blessed.

______

*I had heard of the occasional survivor over the years, but I didn't realize how many there actually were. For more information on the stories the abortion industry don't want you to know you can go to The Abortion Survivors Network. Also the fact that so many babies had survived saline abortions is part of why they were discontinued as the primary way of doing an abortion.

# Unlike many other states, Iowa law required treatnment to try & save an aborted child's life.

Note: In 2010 Melissa Ohden spoke at Loras College. I wasn't able to attend, but you can read about that talk here.