Imagine someone who had a surgical or chemical abortion standing up in front of a crowd of thousands of people, and sharing the details of their abortion, and what life was like after the procedure. Most people would find the idea frightening, absurd, or impossible to contemplate.
Now consider that this public sharing about such an intimate, and painful loss, turned out to be the greatest blessing. How is this even possible?
On Friday, Jan. 23, members of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign will once again walk together at the March for Life in Washington D.C., and the following day, at the Walk for Life West Coast in San Francisco.
Mothers and fathers, grandparents, and others directly impacted by abortion loss will be seen carrying the campaign’s iconic signs of abortion regret. Some will publicly share their personal testimonies of abortion loss, and the blessed journey to healing. (All who offer public testimony have participated in an abortion healing program.)
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Kathy Hill is part of the Silent No More chapter in Massachusetts. After her own healing journey, Kathy felt called to serve as a regional coordinator with the campaign and equip and empower women and men to publicly share their abortion stories.
Kathy points out that while many women and men naturally feel anxious before the first time sharing their stories, after their testimonies they report the experience as a great blessing.
“They find this most unexpected,” she said. “They feel more confident in themselves afterward as well. They have surrendered the secret, and a heavy burden has been lifted, leaving them feeling lighter and renewed.”
Kathy adds that abortion stories put a human face on abortion. These stories help educate the public about the lived reality of that abortion decision, and how it not only hurts women and men personally but impacts their relationships and future marriage and family life.
Even some pro-life Christians can struggle to understand how a mother, father, or grandparent could participate in the death of their preborn child or grandchild:
“The question that many Christian folks ask is, ‘How could any women EVER abort her own child?’ But when they hear a woman's personal story of fear, loneliness, abandonment, coercion - or a man’s story of his profound grief, shame, and regret for his role in an abortion, the veil begins to lift.”
Priests for Life Executive Director Janet Morana and Anglicans for Life President Georgette Forney were moved to launch Silent No More in November 2002. They had a vision, inspired by the Holy Spirit and founded on the conviction that there was a dire need to make the public aware of the devastation abortion brings to women and men.
Kathy’s personal testimony is unique, and expands our understanding to see a wider impact from an abortion decision. Kathy never experienced a personal abortion, yet she was closely involved with a college friend’s decision to end her pregnancy:
“During college, a friend came to me and told me she was pregnant. We sought the help of a college administrator that we both trusted. She presented us with details about how and where to get an abortion.
“My friend looked me in the eye and asked me what I thought she should do. Both of us were ‘cradle Catholics’ attending a Catholic college. I knew abortion was wrong and a grave sin.
“But I said what our culture had brainwashed me to say, ‘You should do what you think is right. I will support you.’ At that instant, a voice inside of me screamed ‘No!’ but I didn’t have the courage or the words to say what I really felt.
After the abortion, I drove her back to school. We spoke briefly about what happened for the next few days. Even though we remained good friends and have seen one another over the years since graduation, we did not speak about her abortion again for 28 years.”
After participating in the abortion healing program, Surrendering the Secret, Kathy contacted her friend. They were able to talk about the abortion. Kathy shared her own healing journey and asked her friend’s forgiveness for her role in the loss of her child.
Thankfully, her friend is now healed, forgiven, and spiritually connected to her son. Kathy adds, “She is happy knowing that I am Silent No More and reaching out to help free other women and men from their isolation and pain after abortion.”
While God never wills that we experience abortion, the choices and situations we may regret can become moments of opportunity for defining our depth and courage, to gain a new perspective from which to make sense of our pain.
Tweet This: While God never wills that we experience abortion, the choices we may regret can become an opportunity for defining our depth and courage.
This is the fruit of reconciliation and healing, which frees us of the shackles of the past by reawakening awareness that we are beloved daughters and sons of our Heavenly Father.
Make sure to gather with Silent No More and listen to the testimony at the close of the March for Life in Washington and before the Walk for Life in San Francisco. Get details at ProLifeMarch.org.
Editor's note: This article is a Pregnancy Help News original. As of October 2025, the Silent No More Awareness Campaign has held 2,384 Gatherings in 17 countries and all 50 states with 7,137 women and men sharing their abortion testimonies. Testimonies have also been shared at 176 high schools and universities in the last 12 years. The campaign’s website features thousands of written and video testimonies. Currently there are 21,361 people registered with the Campaign, representing 77 countries.
