Georgia Nurse Adopts Autistic Homeless Man to Help him Get Treatment

Lori Wood and Jonathan Pinkard

27-year-old Jonathan Pinkard spent four months in the hospital as a result of medical difficulties related to his need for a heart transplant. Pinkard has autism, so his grandmother had recently served as his guardian. However, she passed away recently, and Pinkard's mother was in a rehab facility. As a result, Pinkard's nurse decided that she would help.

Lori Wood offered Pinkard a place to stay and serves as his guardian now, which was necessary for him to be able to undergo the heart transplant. Without a support system to make sure he was taking the necessary medication, the transplant would fail.

“At some point, God places people in situations in your life, and you have a choice to do something about it,” Wood said to the Washington Post. “For me, there was no choice. I’m a nurse; I had an extra room. It was not something I struggled with. He had to come home with me.”

Wood and the Georgia medical system did not devalue Pinkard because of his disability like so many medical systems in other countries might. We hope that Pinkard continues to be successful in his recovery and can eventually find the independence he deserves.

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FOX Sports Announcer Shares Story of College Football Star's Mother on National Television. "...she was thinking about aborting the baby, but changed her mind."

Ohio Running Back J.K Dobbins (left)
Credit: Maize & Blue Nation / Flickr
License

On November 30, the Ohio State Buckeyes played the Michigan Wolves in a televised football game. The Buckeyes won 56-27 over the wolves, due in no small part to their running back, J.K. Dobbins. During the game, a sports commentator shared a short anecdote about Dobbins's family that surprised many.

After Dobbins crossed the goal line, making his career-high of 211 yards carried and 4 touchdowns,  FOX Sports commentator Gus Johnson shared a wonderful fact about Dobbins's upbringing on live television:

Wow! A @CFBONFOX football announcer just shared that the mother of star @OhioState player, @Jkdobbins22, walked out of an abortion facility & rejected abortion after becoming pregnant at 18.

"The baby turned out to be that young man... who she calls her 'miracle baby.'"

RT! pic.twitter.com/ShLyHgHw1E

— Live Action (@LiveAction) December 1, 2019

"J.K. Dobbins' mom Mya became pregnant when she was 18 years old," Johnson said. "She went to the doctor because she was thinking about aborting the baby, but changed her mind. That baby turned out to be that young man, J.K. Dobbins, who she calls her miracle baby."

It's wonderful that Dobbins's mother chose life for her child, and it's especially wonderful that Dobbins's story can be an inspiration to women anywhere that even if they don't think they are ready to be mothers, it is still possible for their children to thrive if they are willing to choose life.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

The Illinois Federation for Right to Life hopes you travel safely and have a wonderful time celebrating life with your family this Thanksgiving!

Michael Bloomberg: Another Drop in the Sea of Pro-Abortion Candidates

Michael Bloomberg

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is yet another pro-abortion Democratic Presidential candidate whose record reflects a lack of respect for unborn life.

When he ran for the office of mayor in New York City, he promised that he would make every person training to become an obstetrician or a gynecologist in a New York City hospital learn how to perform an abortion. This was a complete violation of conscience for many, and Bloomberg's eventual executive order was walked back with room for moral or religious exemptions.

He personally donated $250,000 to Planned Parenthood in response to the Susan G. Komen Foundation's decision to stop funding the abortion corporation in 2012. He even appropriated city funds to help renovate a Planned Parenthood building in the same year.

This candidate does not differentiate himself from the other candidates on the issue of abortion in any way whatsoever. It is shameful that there isn't a single candidate who values life in the Democratic primary.

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Planned Parenthood Asks Journalists to Sign Non-Disclosure Agreements When they Attend Events

Credit: airpix / Flickr

Vice reporter Carter Sherman recently wrote about Planned Parenthood's requirement that event attendees sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), even if they are a member of the press.

In perhaps the most surprising case, Planned Parenthood organized a media happy hour that will take place today, but the abortion business still sent an email stating that each journalist would be required to sign an NDA first. These agreements would limit the ability of journalists to legally share what was said at the event, and therefore limit their ability to perform their job.

After stating that she would write an article about Planned Parenthood's use of NDAs, Planned Parenthood sent an email to all invited journalists stating that the email including the NDA was sent in error by a new employee.

Erica Sackin, senior director of communications for Planned Parenthood Federation of America further responded to VICE in an email:

"Planned Parenthood is proud of the work we do to ensure that journalists and editors have access to the incredible staff, patients, services, and education that we provide. We pride ourselves on our transparency, and our support for freedom of the press as a pillar of our democracy.”

No doubt Planned Parenthood started this practice in response to undercover journalists like David Daleiden, who exposed the organization's practice of selling a child's body parts after aborting them.

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Challengers File Opening Brief in Supreme Court Against Louisiana Law Requiring Abortionists to have Admitting Privileges at a Local Hospital

Opponents to Louisiana's Unsafe Abortion Protection Act have appealed to the Supreme Court and have now filed their opening brief. The law requires that abortionists maintain admitting privileges at a local hospital in order to continue practicing abortion legally. The legislation is designed to keep women safe in cases of medical emergencies that occur during the abortion process. It does not limit the access or scope of abortion in any way, but pro-choice advocates won't even accept patient safety as an excuse to apply any regulation to the abortion industry.

In their brief, the Center for Reproductive Rights compared the Unsafe Abortion Protection Act to a Texas law that took similar actions. The courts ruled in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt that the Texas law was unconstitutional because it limited access to abortion significantly. Context is key, however, and there are reasons why this case has made it all the way to the supreme court.

“Women deserve better than incompetent providers that put profits over people.” Louisiana Solicitor General Liz Murrill said. “Louisiana isn’t Texas, and our case is distinguishable from Hellerstedt; our facts, our evidence, and our generally applicable medical standards are all different.”

In the majority opinion from 5th Circuit Appeals Court, Judge Jerry Smith argued that Louisiana's context made all the difference (excerpt):

"...Here, unlike in Texas, the Act does not impose a substantial burden on a large fraction of women under WWH and other controlling Supreme Court authority. Careful review of the record reveals stark differences between the record before us and that which the Court considered in WWH. 

Almost all Texas hospitals required that for a doctor to maintain privileges there, he or she had to admit a minimum number of patients annually. Few Louisiana hospitals make that demand. Because Texas doctors could not gain privileges, all but 8 of 40 clinics closed. Here, only one doctor at one clinic is currently unable to obtain privileges; there is no evidence that any of the clinics will close as a result of the Act. In Texas, the number of women forced to drive over 150 miles increased by 350%. Driving distances will not increase in Louisiana. Unlike the record in Louisiana, the record in Texas reflected no benefits from the legislation."

While this legislation does not limit abortion, the Supreme Court's acceptance of this legislation will ensure the safety of any Louisiana woman who falls prey to the abortion industry.

Click here to read more. 

National Right to Life Urges President and Congress to Reject Funding Abortion Overseas

National Right to Life President Carol Tobias

The National Right to Life Coalition sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to urge Congress not to pass the Senate’s State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill.

A "poison pill" amendment was added to the bill by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) which would increase taxpayer funding of abortions overseas by giving money to U.S.-based NGOs that promote abortions. Furthermore, it creates a "blacklist" for pro-life organizations; making it harder for them to receive the same funding.

“The Shaheen amendment would weaken the Trump Administration’s Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy as well as other administration initiatives protecting life,” stated Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life. “This amendment is anti-life and would jeopardize this administration’s efforts to protect life both here and abroad.”

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Pa. Down Syndrome Protection Act Sponsor Speaks Against Governor's Veto

Pennsylvania State Rep. Kate Klunk

Pennsylvania's Democrat Governor Tom Wolf recently vetoed a bill that would have made aborting a child solely because of a diagnosis with Down syndrome illegal. The bill passed both the Senate and House with comfortable, bipartisan majorities. Now the sponsor, Rep. Kate Klunk, has released a statement in response to Gov. Wolf's veto.

“I am incredibly disheartened by Gov. Wolf’s veto of the Down Syndrome Protection bill. With the stroke of a pen, he not only vetoed an important piece of legislation, but also continued to allow for the termination of unborn babies strictly because they have a Down syndrome diagnosis. 

“In his veto message, Wolf said, ‘There is no evidence that this bill is needed in Pennsylvania.’ I beg to differ. When I looked at all the people with Down syndrome who advocated for this bill, I saw the evidence of why this bill should be law in our Commonwealth. I saw the love and value they add to their families and to the fabric of our communities. And, I saw the need to protect these individuals from needless death simply because they have an extra chromosome.”

This legislation would have saved the lives of babies in Pennsylvania who are killed simply because they have a genetic disorder. Instead, it was vetoed with great fanfare. Governor Wolf made a production of the whole affair. He announced his plans as soon as the legislation passed and posted a video of himself vetoing the bill the next day.

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Texas Attorney General Renounces Rule Threatening take Ventilator from 9-Month-Old Baby

Texas AG Kenneth Paxton

Tinslee Lewis, a 9-month-old baby at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth was issued a 10-day warning by the hospital on October 31st. Under Texas law, the hospital can deny a patient further treatment as long as they give a 10-day warning. Unless her family could find another hospital willing to offer her treatment and keep her hooked up to a ventilator, then she would have died on November 10th. The family found legal help to delay this deadline, and now the Texas Attorney General has stepped in as well.

“One of the core principles provided by the United States Constitution is that no person should be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law,” Texas Attorney General Paxton said. “This unconstitutional statute infringes on patients’ right to life and does not allow patients and their families sufficient notice and the opportunity to be heard before physicians override the rights of their patients. Patients must be heard and justly represented when determining their own medical treatment, especially when the decision to end treatment could end their life.”

A hearing will take place early in December to decide whether Tinslee's care at Cook Children’s Medical Center will be allowed to continue past December 10th.

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Memorial for Abortion Victims Sparks Anger from Feminists

In Belleville, Ontario, a Catholic group called The Knights of Columbus recently created a memorial in St. James Roman Catholic Cemetery for aborted children. After they posted pictures of the tombstone on Facebook, the pro-life group received a flurry of criticism from feminist groups and pro-abortion advocates across the internet.

In addition to being called "misogynists" and "crusty white boomers" by people on the internet, the men from this organization were criticized by Elissa Robertson, the coordinator of Warrior Women of Quinte. The Warrior Women held a demonstration against the memorial.

“[The memorial] ties into patriarchal values and this idea that women’s bodies are meant to be controlled by men. It’s a broader issue that ties into violence against women, it ties into health care, it ties into safety,” Robertson said.

These arguments are attacks against the character of pro-life advocates rather than defense of women. Accusing the pro-life community of wanting to control or harm women is a broad insult that we should not accept. We need to keep the conversation focused on the lives being lost and how they can be saved rather than make character attacks against those who are already born.

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Canadian Government to Expand Already Loose Euthanasia Law

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Credit: Alex Guibord / Flickr

A recent Canadian Press report stated that, under the pressure of pro-euthanasia lobbyists, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will comply with a court ruling that the government cannot restrict euthanasia people who are near death.

Furthermore, the lobby is urging the Canadian government to allow euthanasia to occur in cases when the patient is incapable of providing consent for lethal injection.

It is argued that the move to open euthanasia to those who are not dying is legislation from the courts since a liberal government chose not to appeal the decision. There are reports that the law was already abused, with three reports of euthanasia deaths related to hip fractures.

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All Democratic Presidential Candidates Continue to Claim Abortion is a Human Right

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders
Credit: Gage Skidmore / Flickr

On the Democratic presidential primary debate stage Wednesday night, candidates for the most powerful political office on the planet once again affirmed their stance that abortion should be a human right.

“I believe that abortion rights are human rights,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. “I believe that they are also economic rights. And protecting the right of a woman to be able to make decisions about her own body is fundamentally what we do and what we stand for as a Democratic Party.”

“We should codify Roe v. Wade into law,” said Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders's answer to an abortion question included this statement, “I get very tired, very tired of hearing the hypocrisy from conservatives who say, ‘Get the government off our backs, we want small government.’ Well, if you want to get the government out of the backs of the American people, then understand that it is women who control their own bodies, not politicians.”

It is sad that the Democrat party neither has the morality to recognize unborn children as real people nor the intellectual diversity to include even a single candidate on the stage who contests that belief. Even Joe Biden has moved away from his previous support of the Hyde Amendment, which prevents Medicaid funds from being used for abortions except in cases of incest or rape.

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Wall Street Journal Report Exposes Google's Pro-Abortion Bias in Search Results

A report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) shows that when Google serves search results related to abortion, it isn't doing so in good faith.

Google's autocomplete results that appear in a drop-down menu when typing the words "abortion is" are wildly different than the results from other search engines, which contain words that negatively describe abortion. Instead, it includes only phrases that positively describe abortion, such as "abortion is healthcare" and "abortion is legal."

Additionally, searching the word abortion will cause Google to find nearby clinics on Google maps before showing any results at all. If a user scrolls down to the results, they will find that many of them come from Planned Parenthood, and none of the links are sponsored ads. According to the WSJ report, 39 percent of Google results for "abortion" comes from Planned Parenthood, while only about 15 percent of search results using other websites come from Planned Parenthood.

Click here to read more.

Pennsylvania Governor Vetoes Down Syndrome Protection Act

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf took to Twitter on the evening of November 21 to film himself vetoing the Down Syndrome Protection Act, as he had promised he would.

The legislation would have made it illegal to abort a child because they were diagnosed with Down syndrome. In his response, Gov. Wolf said that the bill would "interfere with the rights of women to make their own health care decisions."

This is of course untrue. This bill would not prevent women from receiving any form of healthcare. Pro-abortion advocates use the argument of healthcare because they have few arguments to stand on except to say that pregnant women are sick when they don't want to have a baby and healthy when they do. This makes no sense from a logical perspective, but the conveniences and monetary value provided by abortion are so great that abortion advocates are willing to forego logic.

Another attack on abortion: VETOED ✅ pic.twitter.com/xpV63KVVAV

— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) November 21, 2019

Click here to read more.

Pennsylvania State Representative Gives Emotional Defense for Protection of Miscarried/Aborted Bodies

Pennsylvania State Representative Frank Ryan defended HB 1890 on the floor or the House of Representatives this week; telling fellow legislators that he only feared one thing when he died.

“All I worry about is my son Eddie,” he said as his voice cracked.

Eddie died as a result of a miscarriage, and the subject is particularly emotional for Ryan because he was unable to retrieve his son's body. The hospital disposed of Eddie's remains on its own.

Ryan further explained that he was afraid his son would ask him in the afterlife, “Why weren’t you there to protect me, Dad?”

House Bill 1890 would require medical facilities and abortion centers to give families the opportunity to give respect to the lives of their children through burial or cremation.

PA House members passed the bill by a vote of 123-76

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Pro-Life Organizations Suing New York for Forcing them to Hire Pro-Abortion Employees

Three pro-life organizations have announced that they will be working with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to fight new legislation forcing New York employers to accept pro-abortion employees.

The newly-signed law forbids employers from hiring or firing employees based on their "reproductive health decision-making" and includes no religious exemptions.

The organizations teaming up with ADF include the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA), First Bible Baptist Church in Hilton, and the pro-life pregnancy care service CompassCare according to the Catholic News Agency.

CompassCare released a statement on its decision to pursue legal action against the state of New York.

“This law is a trifecta of constitutional violations, hindering freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of association. To be clear, obeying this law would force CompassCare to violate its mission and beliefs. CompassCare cannot in good conscience obey this law. We sue not because we want to but because it is needed to ensure pro-life Christians can continue expressing their convictions publicly and peaceably.”

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Pro-Life Activist Arrested Outside Planned Parenthood Clinic in Aurora Illinois

On November 16th, pro-life activist Mario Navarro was arrested outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Aurora, IL. Fellow activists criticized police officers and asked what the charges were, but police refused to answer. They further asked if they would be arrested for standing in the road where the arrested activist stood, and they would not answer that question either. The full exchange can be seen in the video above.

In an email to LifeSiteNews, Navarro stated, “There is a public easement which was decided in federal court to be accessible to sidewalk councilors. Part of that agreement was that those standing there would not be arrested for doing so. The citation after the arrest was for disobeying a lawful order of a police officer, however that order was in violation of a federal court decision.”



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The Illinois Federation for Right to Life... 

 - Sponsors educational seminars and conventions to train volunteers and educate the public on pro-life issues. 

 - Encourages the creation and strengthening of pro-life affiliates throughout Illinois.

 - Serves as a communications center for the exchange of ideas and news of interest to pro-life people in Illinois.

 - Provides knowledgeable individuals to participate in radio and television programs as well as public forums to discuss pro-life issues.

 - Promotes programs and activities which increase respect for the dignity and value of every human life. 

Effective Action is only possible through citizen-involvement! We Need Your Help! Please donate today! Please note, donations made are designated 501(c)(3) and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.

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The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our society. 

Spread news and action alerts that the IFRL publishes, and please support the IFRL with a very critical donation to keep the news and alerts coming, and keep us in Springfield fighting to protect lives.

 

Without your support lives will be lost. We need resources to educate our legislators. Many times members of the General Assembly do not have the time to read proposed laws before they vote. They do not know how destructive some of these laws can be to the families of Illinois. This is where the IFRL comes in. We alert you, so you can alert your legislators and work with us to hold back the forces that threaten innocent lives. We are in this together and we need your help! We need your prayers, your letters, your calls and your donations - now more than ever! Lives are at stake!  Donations made through the below link are designated 501(c)(3) and are tax-deductible as charitable contributions.

Stranger Makes Signs Telling Family to "Let the baby die."

A family was asking for donations to help pay for their four-month-old son's medical treatments by using signs posted around their hometown of Toledo, Ohio. They recently discovered signs reading "Stop asking for money. Let the baby die. It's called Darwinism. Happy Holidays," sitting near their calls for help.

The community has banded together in the past to help pay for genetic testing baby RJ needed to diagnose his conditions, and his family hopes they continue to do so in spite of these hateful outbursts.

Watch the video above or click here to learn more.

Democratic Attorneys General Association Criticized for Rejecting Pro-Life Democratic Candidates

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards

The Democratic Attorneys General Association now requires candidates to take a pro-abortion stance in order to receive endorsements, campaign assistance, data analysis, or any other services the organization provides to candidates and elected officials.

In a video posted on Nov 17th, New York Attorney General Letitia James spoke about the policy, saying, “Attorneys general are on the front lines of the fight for reproductive freedom. They have the power to protect your rights.”

Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life of America, responded by referencing the recent re-election of Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, who is a pro-life Democrat:

“Governor Edwards did not run from his pro-life position, he embraced it and was proud to promote a whole life agenda to protect and support life from womb to tomb. This was a source of strength for his campaign. An abortion-rights candidate would have lost. Imposing a litmus test on candidates would force one-third of Democrats, who oppose abortion, out of the party and lessen the opportunity for Democratic gains.”

Day further emphasized that supporting pro-life democrats was a matter of inclusion.

Click here to read more.