Maria Goldstein of Northwest Families for Life stands outside the now closed Forest View abortion clinic in Des Plaines, IL
Earlier this year the notorious Chicago area abortionists Vinod and Vijay Goyal had recently sent a cold-call mailing [PDF] to local physicians inviting them to consider working at one of the husband-and-wife team's six abortion clinics.
The letter also tried to drum up business for the financially troubled Goyals. Their business has been down in recent years — which means their abortions have been down, reflecting a statewide trend across Illinois — and just this morning, we heard some great news: one of the Goyals' abortion clinics, Forest View Medical Center in northwest suburban Des Plaines, is now permanently closed!
Grassroots Pro-Life Activism Closed This Abortion Clinic
The closing of the Forest View abortion clinic is a textbook example that proves grassroots pro-life activism works.
Four years ago, two young, energetic, faith filled sisters, Maria Goldstein and Laura Vandercar, dove into pro-life activism when they decided to spearhead a local effort against the Goyals, who at that time owned seven abortion facilities in and around Chicago.
Maria and Laura had heard rumors that the Goyals were planning to open another abortion clinic in northwest suburban Arlington Heights, near where they live, and where the Goyals have a medical practice focused on other services. In response, they organized a regular prayer presence outside that office.
(left to right) League staffers Matt Yonke, Eric Scheidler, Laura Vandercar, Maria Goldstein and Ann and Joe Scheidler, May 2010
Along with other local parish Respect Life coordinators, they called for a meeting at St. Theresa Parish in Palatine on May 26, 2010 and invited Pro-Life Action League staffers Joe, Ann, and Eric Scheidler to share their expertise on how to mount an effective campaign against the Goyals' abortion empire.
A few weeks later in May 2010, Maria and Laura officially launched Northwest Families for Life, which organized sidewalk counselors and prayer partners to maintain a weekly presence outside Forest View, where abortions were being performed on Thursdays. As with many abortion clinics, the position of the Forest View made access to abortion-bound clients difficult. Nonetheless, with a tireless prayer effort and the outreach of compassionate sidewalk counselors, over 80 babies were saved there.
Last week, while Maria was praying outside Forest View, she spotted several men in business suits looking over the property. As one gentleman was leaving, she asked him what was going on over there. He told her he was a Roman Catholic and that he was there to "fix this place." "That's what I'm doing here," he said. He then told her he was running late and had to get to O'Hare Airport.
That's all we knew at that point. Freedom of Information Act requests will surely yield more information, though, so watch this space.
Four years ago, the Goyals owned seven abortion clinics. Now, with the closing of Forest View, along with the previous closing of the Dimensions facility (also in Des Plaines) in 2011, they're down to five. Praise God and to Him alone be the glory!
Every time an abortion clinic closes, it's cause for rejoicing. What a glorious beginning to Holy Week!
And special thanks and blessings to Maria and Laura and everyone from Northwest Families for Life who showed us what can happen when a couple of rank-and-file churchgoers take up the mantle of pro-life activism in their local community.
Posted by John Jansen, Pro-Life Action League
