Abortion Survivor; Marathon Runner
April 26, 2005 | By Charmaine Yoest
In response to yesterday's sad news about the aborted baby who was born alive, then left to die, Carol in Nashville wrote with an amazing and wonderful story:
I go to a gym where a young woman works out regularly. She and I have the same trainer -- so I run into her fairly often. She is preparing to run the Country Music Marathon this coming weekend.Many times I've been on the exercise bike or the treadmill -- looking out the front windows of the gym, and I'd see her run by outside every 10 or 15 minutes on her training route in the neighborhood. Her gait is uneven and slow. Her arms pump erratically. She can only run on the front of her feet -- kind of a tiptoe run. But she stays at it. Sometimes she'll be running when I first get to the gym, and when I'm leaving an hour later, she's still at it.
She has cerebral palsy.
In talking with her in the dressing room, I've been impressed by her friendliness. She goes the extra mile in being interested in each person she talks with. I've admired her determination and attitude ever since I first met her a few months ago.
Then one morning as I was getting dressed for work, tv news in the background, there she was on TV -- being interviewed by a local reporter. I learned then the reason for her cerebral palsy. She has cerebral palsy because she was an aborted baby who survived. She ended up being raised by her grandmother who worked with her daily to see that she got the physical therapy she needed.
Once I told her that I admired her perseverance in preparing for the marathon, and she said that she felt anyone could do a marathon if they made up their mind to do it. Without thinking through my answer, I said, no I couldn't do one because of the arthritis in my knee. I have regretted that comment ever since. What's a little arthritis when compared to what she is overcoming in order to run a marathon? I just don't have the determination and courage that she has.
It turns out that Carol's friend is Gianna Jessen, a young woman who testified in front of Congress on behalf of the Born Alive Infants Protection Act.
Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor
And here's a story about her marathon training from the Nashville paper. God bless the nurse who saved Gianna's life!
And look over on the left sidebar for a direct link to order a copy of a book about Gianna's life.
