DEACON FOR LIFE

Were there to be no support in the whole history of ethical and moral thought, were there no acknowledged confirmation from medical science, were the history of legal opinion to the contrary, we would still have to conclude on the basis of God's Holy Word that the unborn child is a person in the sight of God. He is protected by the sanctity of life graciously given to each individual by the Creator, Who alone places His image upon man and grants them any right to life which they have.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Pro-Life Action League Announces First-of-its-Kind Program to Help Women Who Change their Minds

Saving Babies After an Abortion Starts

CHICAGO,

Nov. 30, 2010 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Pro-Life Action League is excited to announce a new alliance with Resurrection Medical Center and The Women's Center in establishing a protocol for assisting women who change their minds after initiating a second trimester abortion procedure. This groundbreaking partnership is the first-of-its-kind in Chicago and can be a model for Catholic hospitals around the country.

"Recently, our sidewalk counselors have seen several women who have changed their minds about abortion, and who wish to continue their pregnancies even once the late-term abortion procedure has started," said Ann Scheidler, vice president and director of sidewalk counselor training for the Pro-Life Action League. "This new process enables us to provide the most comprehensive medical care and emotional support for the pregnant woman who is facing this stressful situation."

The protocol was developed by representatives from the League, Resurrection and The Women's Center, a crisis pregnancy center on the northwest side of Chicago.

In preparation for setting new guidelines, the Pro-Life Action League arranged for Dr. Anthony Levatino, a former abortionist and practicing gynecologist from Las Cruces, N.M., to advise the hospital's physicians and staff on the procedures involved in a later-term abortion and the reversal of the process.

The newly established protocol involves the following:

When a pregnant woman encounters a sidewalk counselor and indicates she has had a change of heart, she will be directed to The Women's Center.
The trained counselor at The Women's Center has a designated phone number to alert the emergency room at Resurrection that the women will be arriving shortly.
The emergency room at Resurrection will handle the initial evaluation and paper work.
The woman is transferred to the obstetrics department where the necessary procedures will be done.
If needed, the hospital will refer the women for prenatal care.
The Women's Center will continue to follow up with the pregnant woman throughout her pregnancy and the delivery of her baby, meeting any emotional and material needs as they arise.

Sister Donna Marie, chief executive officer of Resurrection Medical Center, said of the Pro-Life Action League, "I am so pleased the Resurrection Medical Center is able to be a small part of the beautiful work that you are all doing for the unborn. God bless you and your wonderful team, how pleased God must be with your commitment to His holy children."

"Never before have we had such a streamlined process to save the life of a child after the abortion procedure has been initiated," said Scheidler. "This alliance with Resurrection Medical Center is an example of the way Christ's Church is meant to work together for the good of His most vulnerable."

For more information about the alliance or to speak with Ann Scheidler, please contact Stephanie Lewis.

About the Pro-Life Action League
The Pro-Life Action League was founded by Joseph M. Scheidler in 1980 with the aim of saving unborn children through non-violent direct action. Through prayer vigils outside abortion facilities and sidewalk counseling, the League reaches out to abortion-bound women and couples with abortion alternatives, confidential counseling and access to pregnancy resources. The League has closed eight abortion clinics in Chicago alone and nearly one hundred across the country. The Pro-Life Action League is a nonprofit organization, supported solely by private donations. For more information, visit prolifeaction.org.