(Rehumanize International) The mother in this story knew abortion was wrong but attempted it anyway because she felt desperate. Then she regretted it and sought the Abortion Pill Reversal (APR). The APR protocol failed to save her baby but never harmed her, contrary to what many people today assume based on false claimsthat the APR protocolis unsafe.
A fair-minded reader will realize that APR is just as safe as treatment to prevent natural miscarriage because they are the same treatment: a high dose of progesterone. So what is the difference between treating a natural miscarriage and a mifepristone- and misopristol-induced miscarriage? None. The only real difference is moral not medical: whether the woman chooses to end the child’s life, which is always the difference in the abortion debate.
Tweet This: A fair-minded reader will realize that APR is just as safe as treatment to prevent natural miscarriage because they are the same treatment.
There is debate about APR’s effectiveness, and indeed in this story Sr. [Deirdre]Byrne was not able to save the mother’s baby. But the option to try to reverse her medication abortion became an essential part of this mother’s reconciliation, healing, and growth after the distress of an unexpected pregnancy and the loss of her child.
Here is Sr. Byrne’s story in her own words.
The convent and the clinic
I'm a general surgeon and a member of a Catholic religious community called the Little Workers of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. By both personal conviction and religious service, I do free surgery for the poor. I'm also a family doctor and provide APR. Our community cares for the social needs of the poor, so I have seen the problems of pregnant mothers from every angle.
About three years ago, our community set up an APR clinic in the basement of our convent. Our success rate is about 78%, significantly higher than the national success rate of about 60%. We have a highly skilled, compassionate, volunteer ultrasonographer who makes herself available to us on very short notice. We also provide food and financial help to pregnant women who need it.
Our community had been witnessing outside a Planned Parenthood clinic on Thursdays. One day I saw a mom coming out of this clinic and had a feeling I should let her know about the APR protocol. So I walked up to her and said, “I just want to let you know I'm a physician, and I do the reversal. If you took the abortion pill and then decide you do not want to go through with it, I can reverse it within three days.” She stopped, looked at me, and said, “I really appreciate that Sister.”
Clinic to Confession
Later on that night, I received a call from the Abortion Pill Reversal Hotline asking if I could help someone. I said yes and instructed the Hotline to have her come to our clinic the next morning so that we could get an ultrasound as soon as possible. When she arrived, I did not recognize her until she reminded me “You're the one that told me about the Abortion Pill Reversal in front of the Planned Parenthood clinic.”
We performed the ultrasound, and it looked like APR would work, but she was very distraught. She began to cry as she went through her story. She had a really good upscale job, was a Catholic, and supported the pro-life movement. She said “I know that I shouldn’t have done this, and now here I am, a person who has made a mistake. Now I can understand why women do what they do. Will God ever forgive me?”
I said “God already knows you are sorry and has already forgiven you but you have to learn to forgive yourself.” She asked, “How can I do that?” I said, “Well, that's the beauty of confession.” And she said “Sister, I haven't been to confession since I was nine years old.” I said, “Do you have a little time?” and she said yes. I ran upstairs to one of our sisters and a friend visiting from out of town and asked, “Do you have time to take one of our moms to the Basilica for confession and then to lunch?”
Reconciliation
Our convent and clinic is just a few minutes drive from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. There is confession offered every day at the Basilica. The woman had to wait at the Basilica for confessions to start but spent the hour just talking to the sisters who were accompanying her. After confession, they continued the conversation at lunch.
In the end, this mom lost her child. No medical treatment works 100% of the time. But this woman had the experience of forgiveness and started her journey of reconciliation and healing.
Editor's note: Grattan Brown, STD, is an independent scholar. Sister Deirdre "Dede" Byrne a Roman Catholic religious sister, missionary, surgeon, and retired U.S. Army Colonel. Sister Dede is a medical provider with the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN). Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News. Heartbeat is currenty the subject of two individual lawsuits brought by state Attorney's General regarding sharing information on Abortion Pill Reversal. This article was published by Rehumanize International and is reprinted with permission.
