In a program for those who regretted having an abortion, one exercise was to write a letter to the aborted baby. One woman made her letter public. This is what she wrote:
“Dear Jennifer,
I knew the moment you were conceived, although I tried hard to ignore it. Since you were the result of rape, I felt so lonely and confused. In the beginning I wanted only to destroy you. However, when I began to experience your movements within, I found myself accepting your existence. You were 22 weeks old by the time permission for my legal abortion was granted, and I had decided to keep you. I had grown to love you, but under pressure from those around me, I went ahead with the abortion. For years afterwards your cries echoed in endless dreams until healing finally took place. Then I named you and allowed myself to grieve over your death. I also was a victim as a result of making my decision based on a few scraps of misinformation. Part of me died with you. As you look down from Heaven, I know you forgive me as even I have learned to forgive myself. Now, I press on to help others not to make the mistake I did.”
“Raped and Pregnant: Three Women Tell Their Stories” 1986
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