We have an interview with a former abortionist, Dr. Anthony Levatino who performed over 1200 abortions. This is a remarkable story as he shares what caused him to stop performing abortions and it gives us hope that God is answering our prayers for the ending of abortion! At this time at least 50 million babies have been aborted since the legalization of abortion. This is a parental guidance suggested segment as the realities are shown of how an abortion is procedure is done.
Dr. Levatino is interviewed by Lila Rose, president of Live Action, and he shares his story and the realities of abortion. The first question asked is, “How did you go from performing hundreds of abortions to defending the lives of the preborn?” He talks about his daughter, Heather, and how great his life was going. His children were playing outside and suddenly, they heard the sound of screeching brakes. Heather had been hit by a car. She died in her parents arms that night in the back of the ambulance. “What do you do after a disaster? You bury your child and take some time off and then you try to get back into your life.” He showed up at the hospital to perform a D&E abortion after Heather’s death. He was there to do what was normal to him. As he started the abortion process he pulled out a baby’s arm and just looked at it. He said he got sick, but he could not stop because once you start a DNE abortion you must keep track of every part of the baby to make sure you get all of the baby out so that the mother doesn’t get sick later on and possibly die. “I got sick. I literally got sick…but I looked. I really, for the first time in my career, really looked at that pile of baby parts sitting on a table…I didn’t see what a wonderful doctor I was helping her with her problem. I didn’t see her wonderful right to choose and I didn’t even see the $800 cash I just made in 15 minutes. All I could see was somebody’s son or daughter. And suddenly this was looking really different to me…this woman had come to me figuratively…and said here’s $800, kill my baby. And I was the kind of person that would look back at her calmly and say, ‘Sure I’ll do that.’” He thought he would get over that and even performed a couple more abortions hoping to get over that, but it didn’t happen. So, he went to the other doctors in his group and said he would no longer perform 2nd trimester D&E abortions because it was too hard for him. He still performed 1st trimester abortions though. “When you finally figure out here,” as he points to his heart, “that killing a baby that big for money is wrong. It doesn’t take you too long to figure out that if the baby is this big, or this big, or maybe even this big,” as he shows a small and smaller size baby with his hands, “it is all the same.” He went a second time to the other doctors in his office and said he will never perform abortions again and he says he has not performed another abortion since then.
Many have been activated to stand for life! There are many actions we can take to make this stand for life. The first thing we can do is to pray. Other things we can do is get educated which is what we are doing at VFNKB, educating and informing others from a biblical perspective. Some are called to counsel the women who are considering abortion or have had an abortion. Then there are those that are called to the legislative side of things and to propose new laws or even pass laws helping to end abortion. Others also will picket and stand for life outside of abortion clinics and doctors’ offices.
Dr. Levatino is asked another question by Lila, “When you were an abortionist, what was your perception of pro-lifers?” He had a regular OB/GYN office not an abortion clinic but there were picketers that would be outside his office which he thought were all “kooks” as he put it. The most profound experience he had with a pro-lifer was in a routine OB/GYN appointment with a new patient. Her name was Susan and she asked if she could talk to him. He had no idea what she was about to say would be this, “I’ve been sent here to give you a message that Jesus loves you, He cares about you. This is not what He had intended for your life, to be an abortionist. Please stop.” His first thought was to get this crazy woman out of his office as quick as he could. A year later she came back for her annual exam and she said the same message to him again. She kept sending messages in different ways stating the same thing to him throughout the year. He then explains how to get through to someone that was in his situation or is thinking about an abortion. “If you’re going to convince somebody that maybe the path they are walking is wrong, you need a relationship of some sort to be able to start that dialogue. This lady was very clever, she became a patient and believe me all doctors listen to their patients.” This woman saw Dr. Levatino as a person and made that relationship happen so that she would have the opening to speak into his life. Think about how many lives were saved because of how this woman allowed God to use her.
Live Action has put together a medical animation video concerning how an abortion pill works. Dr. Levatino shares in this video that abortions that are done in the First Trimester, mothers take an oral pill, called, “Mifepristone or RU-486”. The first trimester medical/chemical abortion can be done up to 9 weeks of pregnancy. Which it is only FDA, Food and Drug Administration, regulated up to 7 weeks of pregnancy, but doctors will still use it up to 9 weeks. It involves two steps, first the woman takes the pill, “RU-486” that causes the baby to die because it stops progesterone from stabilizing the uterus. Then within 24-48 hours later the woman must take “Misoprostol” which causes severe cramps, contractions, and heavy bleeding to force the dead baby out of the woman’s uterus. There are many risks and adverse effects with this abortion and any abortion.
Know that if you are thinking about ending your baby’s life there are other options! You can decide to protect your baby. Also, we can all choose to make that decision to protect the unborn. Keep praying and find out other ways to be a part in helping to bring the ending of abortion to pass! As Greg believes that with the ending of abortion, the Third Great Awakening will come! We want to hear from you. You can write to us at [email protected]. John and Steve shared in this segment.
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