Abortion survivor to celebrate life at Lincoln Day

April 6, 1977, was to be the day Gianna Jessen's life ended. But for the abortion survivor, her story was only beginning.

At seven-and-a-half months pregnant, Jessen's biological mother visited an abortion clinic to end her pregnancy. The saline abortion failed, and Jessen survived. Because the abortionist was running late, Jessen was given a chance to live when the nurse took her to a local hospital.

Tonight, on Jessen's 41st birthday, she will be in Cape Girardeau to share her story at the annual Lincoln Day dinner held at the Arena Building. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was originally scheduled as the keynote speaker but canceled due to a injury.

When Jessen talks about being pro-life, it's not theory. She's lived this story. A failed saline abortion would normally leave a child blind, burned and suffocated within 24 hours, she said. Miraculously, Jessen did not suffer blindness or burns. She does, however, have cerebral palsy due to a lack of oxygen to her brain during the abortion. For her survival, she gives glory to God. It's now her testimony to inspire.

Jessen spent time in the foster care system before she was adopted at the age of 3. She's grateful to her adopted mother, and her adopted grandmother, Penny, had a major influence on her life.

"My grandmother ... cared for 56 of us orphans as a single woman and didn't demand her own day," Jessen said in a phone interview. "I feel like every time I wake up and look on Twitter every day, everyone's demanding a day about something. And I'm thinking, 'You know, can you just be awesome and not need to be congratulated every single second of your life?'"

She added that many of the orphans her grandmother cared for were born to drug-addicted mothers.

Jessen said there is a war on masculinity in our society.

"I think we'll all be held accountable for how we're destroying men in this nation and around the world," she said. "It all goes hand-in-hand with abortion, promiscuity, with the breakdown of acknowledging God in the nation.

"The reason I'm not a feminist is to be a feminist today you have to hate men, and I love men. And I don't think that women are the only ones created in the image of God. We need men. And we need men to be men and be courageous and not passive, which is what we're teaching them to be. We're teaching them to be passive."

She believes, and points to examples, of men laying down their lives for women.

"If you honor a man and who he is in his nature, he will move mountains for you," she said.

Recently when in Italy, Jessen asked a top neonatologist why, in his medical opinion, she survived the abortion.

The doctor, calling her a "witness to life," said the "amniotic fluid was more powerful than the saline solution ... But you and I both know that the real explanation is Jesus."

Because of how late the abortion took place in the pregnancy, the physician told Jessen she endured the highest levels of physical and emotional trauma possible. She added that during the sixth month of pregnancy a mother's voice is imprinted on her child's brain.

Jessen is 100 percent pro-life but said she appreciates any steps, such as legislation to ban abortions at 15 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Her goal is that we "preserve as much life as possible."

"Each life saved from abortion, generations are saved," Jessen said.

Today Jessen travels worldwide speaking to groups, including young people and government officials, about her survival miracle and message of faith.

"People are so hungry to really know about the real God and the real Jesus. They know a lot about religion, but they just don't understand who God is."

Her talks have generated viral videos on social media, and she recognizes that oftentimes the online audience is where she can make the biggest impact to save the lives of unborn children.

Jessen's happy demeanor and story connect with many. She talks with girls about healthy relationships and boys about the dangers of pornography and the importance of being honorable men.

If you would like to hear Jessen speak this evening, tickets are available for purchase at the door for $35. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the program begins at 6 p.m. The 49th annual Lincoln Day is presented by the Cape Girardeau County Republican Women's Club.

With her powerful testimony, Gianna Jessen is making a difference -- one life at a time. Whether she convinces a woman to avoid abortion or challenges young men to be honorable, she's ultimately using her life as a force for good.

If you go tonight, wish her a happy birthday. Her life and testimony -- like all lives -- are something to celebrate.

Lucas Presson is the assistant publisher of the Southeast Missourian. He can be reached by email at lpresson@semissourian.com.