Students for Life were able to personally meet with keynote speaker for the 29th Annual Fundraiser Banquet for Restoration
House Abby Johnson. The organization was able to ask questions they had before Abby Johnson
spoke in front of a full ballroom. 

Prolife activist Abby Johnson made an appearance on campus to speak of her involvement with and the truth about Planned Parenthood, leaving attendees with the charge of actively standing up for the prolife movement.

On Thursday evening, Johnson was invited to speak at the 29th Annual Fundraiser Banquet for Restoration House hosted by Southeastern Students for Life. The banquet was hosted in the Student Union Ballroom with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

Before the doors opened, the student organization Students for Life had the opportunity to sit down with Johnson and ask her personal questions about her life, involvement with Planned Parenthood, as well as the way in which students can further the cause for prolife activism. This was a chance for the members of the organization to have the privilege of hearing a story from a prolife activist who has a different background than most, as well as have a boost of confidence in continuing their efforts to further prolife efforts.

“It was an honor to have Abby come to Southeastern,” said senior occupational safety, health and environment major and former president of Southeastern Students for Life Keaton Northington. “She has a unique background with going around to different universities and different locations; getting to meet other people outside the prolife movement as well as her experience with Planned Parenthood and conversion into the prolife movement. I think getting her view and her mindset is very beneficial. I know for me personally after a while you’re tabling, you’re a part of the organization, it’s sometimes hard to see any changes get done and then to have someone else come through and say, ‘Look, this is my experience. This is what happened. It does make a change.’ It’s very encouraging now to stay and work with the organization and the movement.”

The evening began with a gourmet dinner served by Campus Dining, followed by an opening prayer, sponsor recognition and welcome and introduction to Restoration House before Johnson took the stage.

Students for Life were excited to have the opportunity to hear the keynote speaker for the night.

“It is something we looked forward to. We have talked about getting Abby to our campus before,” said Northington.

Johnson spoke of the background of her family as well as how she was “pulled” into Planned Parenthood. Some of the accomplishments Johnson had received a few months prior to Johnson leaving Planned Parenthood was receiving Employee of the Year as well as attending a Gala Banquet in which she had the opportunity to sit at the same table as current presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

In having have a banquet dinner with Clinton, Johnson would accept performing an aborrtion during the third trimester. Johnson would then leave Planned Parenthood and become a prolife activist after helping a guest physician at her place of employment perform an abortion using an ultrasound. The abortion was performed on a 13 week old baby.

Johnson explained that they never referred to those being aborted as a person, baby or fetus. Johnson further told that one of the jobs of those working through the abortion was to be a Product of Children (POC) Technician.

The job of the POC was to ensure that once a fetus had been aborted, to put the pieces back together and make sure no part was left in the woman due to the harm it could cause to the woman’s health if any part of the fetus was left in the womb.

According to Johnson, one of the most common questions asked before an abortion was, “Will my baby feel this?”

Johnson had an answer ready for the most common question, but when helping the technician with the ultrasound, she said she could see the baby jump when the suction touched the baby’s side as well as remembering the physician saying, “Beam me up Scotty” before the start of the procedure. The worst part for Johnson was how she failed to intervene. But she believes that one of the reasons abortions are still legal today is due to apathy, even among those coming from prolife backgrounds. This apathy is why she did nothing for so long.

One audience member was extremely pleased to hear the background information of Planned Parenthood and hopes to utilize this information in future discussion.

“I did learn more about the perception in the establishment of Planned Parenthood and its association of why they do what they do, it is a business focused on their gains, their profits, regardless of the cost to the students and I wish they were aware of that,” said junior management major Daniel Gruner. “I feel that I’m better educated to speak with those people and understand where they are coming from and that the conversation will be more productive afterwards.”

After the abortion using the ultrasound, Johnson knew that it was time to leave Planned Parenthood as well as admit something she did not want to admit, “That I was wrong, and the [prolifers] were right.”

For eight years, two elderly women had continuously told Johnson they would be there for her and she had a way out. Johnson had treated them horribly, but from the seat of her car she called them asking to speak to them and enter through the backdoor.

According to Johnson, they nervously opened the door and brought her to a room to speak. At the end of the conversation, they were not judgmental and told her, “It’s over.” She put in her resignation about five minutes before quitting and left the iron gates for the last time. In the rearview mirror, she could see someone that was in the parking lot there if she needed support in leaving falling to his knees and raising his arms to the heavens.

Johnson wanted the audience to know that saving only one life, even if no other life is saved, one life is worth it. Her goal is to see a day in which every life is cared for, from conception to death.

Some attendees went to see Johnson in support of Restoration House because of the choices their mother had at a time when they could have been aborted.

“I have been a supporter of Restoration House for a while now and I have a personal attachment to it because my mom was a teenage pregnancy and was faced with the option of abortion and chose not to go that route,” said Ponchatoula resident Dawn Forshag-Cazedessus. “I celebrate life through the Restoration House and being one that is there. It is just an annual thing I do.”

Students for Life also wish to let the university know that options are available no matter life’s circumstances.

“We are here for them,” said Northington. “The university doesn’t come across as being very open to those in certain types of situations, which I believe is an issue. I believe that benefiting this organization, promotiong prolife to the women who are in certain crisis pregnancies, to be able to help them and provide resources, I think the faculty promoting that would be very helpful.”

Restoration House is one of the local providers that Northington speaks of being available for the university students, and to learn more about Restoration House, visit resthse.org.

Though Restoration House is one place college students can seek guidance, Johnson left the attendees of the benefit banquet with a charge to be active in which those who heard the message plan to follow.

“I loved how she charged us with specifically not just being prolife on paper, to not just check that box that says, ‘I’m prolife,’ but to become an activist because there is a difference,” said Forshag-Cazedessus. “When asked if we are prolife, we say, ‘Yes.’ But when asked, ‘Have you done anything about it?’ most of us stay silent. Abby did a great job of handing out the challenge and charging us, and encouraging us not to just say we are prolife but to protect life. I think Abby said it very wisely at the beginning of her talk tonight that she didn’t know what she didn’t know. And I think for so many people, even though they have grown up in a prolife home, they really don’t know what it is like to face that until you’re in it. And when you’re in a desperate situation, that is where we sometimes make our worst mistakes.”

Along with Students for Life, other attendees hope that those who may currently be struggling with the choice of aborting a baby or not, will seek support that Johnson talked about or what Restoration House may provide.

“Seek out support and know that you are not alone. There is help out there,” said Forshag-Cazedessus. “I think most people think prolife people and Christians are judgmental and they are condemning. [I want] to let these women and boys know that there is a place to go and there are people who won’t judge, that are willing to pray and give guidance for their situation.”