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The state of Pennsylvaniaremoved a pro-abortion linkfrom its website in March

after an outcry from legislatorsand pro-lifers.

The link labeled “Women’sHealth” on PA.gov, the state gov-ernment’s official website, tookvisitors to the Women’s LawProject, a pro-abortion legalgroup that opposes any restric-tions on abortion.

The Pennsylvania Pro-LifeFederation encouraged pro-lifersto contact their state officialsabout removing the link. As aresult, the state removed the linkand replaced it with informationabout women’s health issues suchas breast cancer, prenatal care,and healthy eating.

Easton Student Wins PAVideo Oratory Contest

The Pennsylvania Pro-LifeFederation is proud to

announce the winners of its 2015Pro-Life Video Oratory Contest.

First place went to Tim Zhang, asenior at Notre Dame High Schoolin Easton.

Judges awarded second place toStephanie Hamilton, a seniorhomeschooler from Johnstown.

Third place went to Jarod Wingert,a junior at Susquehanna TownshipHigh School in Harrisburg. Anhonorable mention went to EliasBuhl, a junior from Green SummitHigh School in Erie.

In the novice division, judgesawarded first place to GregBianchi, a freshman at NotreDame High School in Easton.

And check our website soon fordetails about the 2016 studentcontests.

Gov. Wolf Has Close Ties withPlanned Parenthood

More evidence is coming for-ward to solidify Gov. Tom

Wolf’s allegiance to the abortionindustry.

In February, Planned Parent-hood CEO Cecile Richards told aPennsylvania audience that Wolf is

the “firstgovernor inthe historyof thiscountrywho is alsoa former Planned Parenthoodescort.”

As a volunteer escort, Wolflikely walked women from theircars to the abortion center andblocked them from receiving

informationfrom pro-lifesidewalkcounselors.

Prior to hiselection, Wolfalso revealedin his taxrecords thathe donates toPlannedParenthood.

Planned Parenthood is thelargest abortion provider in theU.S. In 2013, Planned Parenthoodperformed 174 abortions for everyone adoption referral.

14-Year-Old Asks for Assisted Suicide, Changes Mind

A14-year-old girl from Chilerecently asked the president

of her country for permission toend her life by assisted suicide,according to National Right toLife News Today.

Valentia Maureira has cystic

fibrosis, and she said she wastired of living with her illness.Valentia said she was “inspired”to request assisted suicide afterhearing about Brittany Maynard,a 29-year-old California womanwith terminal brain cancer whocommitted suicide usingOregon’s doctor-prescribed sui-cide law.

But after Valentia posted herrequest for suicide on YouTube,she received many letters andvisits from people encouragingher to keep living. Now, theyoung girl said she changed hermind and wants to live.

Doctor-prescribed suicide billsare being proposed inPennsylvania and a dozen otherstates across the U.S. See page 3for more information.

PA Sex Offender RunsAbortion Center Chain in N.J.

Notorious abortionist SteveBrigham is once again in the

news, as he has been for decades.The Philadelphia Inquirer

reports that Brigham sold hisinterests in eight New Jersey abor-tion centers to Vikram Kaji. Kaji,though not as well-known asBrigham, has his own sordid his-tory with the law. According to theInquirer, Kaji’s medical licensewas suspended in New Jersey andPennsylvania many years ago fol-lowing revelations that he sexuallyabused patients and improperlyprescribed controlled substances.

Adding to the mystery, aspokesperson for the New JerseyDivision of Consumer Affairs toldthe Inquirer thatKaji’s license is“currently active,and not subjectto restrictions.”

Several yearsago, Pennsylvania barred Brighamfrom owning or being affiliatedwith any abortion center in thestate because of his horrific late-term abortion practices and othershoddy medical practices.

NEWS BRIEFS

• T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S •

State Government Linked Women to Pro-Abortion Website

In 2013, PlannedParenthoodperformed174 abortionsfor every oneadoptionreferral.

Tim Zhang

The Fight for Life and AgainstAssisted Suicide in PAJoin with us as we push back againstpowerful forces intent on killing.

2015 Student Essay WinnersAlways an encouragement to read somepowerful pro-life messages from someup-and-coming pro-life student leaders.

Equipping the Next Generationfor LifeThe Federation’s mission continuesto raise up new leaders for life.

Pennsylvania Pro-Life TownHall Tour A Rousing Success!Update our constituents on thefuture of life issues all around PA.

Celebrate Life Banquet to FeatureBilly Graham’s daughter, Ruth,and granddaughter, WindsorPlan now to attend!

2 | LIFELINES SUMMER 2015 • PENNSYLVANIA PRO-LIFE FEDERATION

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative [email protected]

Jeanette believed she had received adeath sentence. She had been diag-nosed with cancer, and the verdict was

that she had six months to live. But herdoctor encouraged her to challenge thatdire diagnosis and fight her disease. Shewon. She reports that she is happy to bealive.“It is now 12 years later. If Dr. Stevens

had believed in assisted suicide, I wouldbe dead,” Jeanette says.

Jeanette is from Oregon, one of the fewstates in the country to have legalizedassisted suicide, which is more aptlydescribed as doctor-prescribed suicide.It is a dangerous practice in which physi-cians prescribe lethal doses of drugs sothat patients can kill themselves. Whilethe American Medical Association oppos-es doctor-prescribed suicide, a campaignis underway to legalize it in all 50 states.

Attention from OprahThe old Hemlock Society, now known as

Compassion & Choices, is mounting thecampaign. They have gained fame inmedia outlets ranging from the OprahWinfrey Network to People magazine. Thereason for thissudden burst ofpublicity isBrittanyMaynard, a 29-year-old braincancer patientwho killed her-self last yearwith theencouragementof Compassion& Choices,which saw inher a spokesper-son for its cam-paign. Brittanyleft behind aseries of videosin which shecalls for the

legalization of assisted suicide nationwide.Pennsylvania is among those states cur-

rently being targeted by Compassion &Choices. Measures have now been intro-duced in the Pennsylvania legislature thatwould end the Commonwealth’s long-standing policy against doctor-prescribedsuicide.

PA Coalition FormsA diverse coalition of disability rights

activists, medical professionals, and othergroups (see inset) has formed to stop thethreat of assisted suicide in Pennsylvania.You can join the effort by visiting theCoalition website at www.noassistedsuicidepa.org . If you use social media,you can also “like” the Coalition onFacebook and follow it on Twitter (justsearch “Pennsylvania Coalition to StopDoctor-Prescribed Suicide” on thosesocial media platforms).

As Alan Holdsworth of Not Dead Yet, adisability rights organization, said, “Weare building a coalition and the resistancemoves onwards, growing stronger every-day.” Holdsworth led a demonstrationoutside the Philadelphia office of Rep.Jordan Harris last year to call attention toHarris’ sponsorship of a so-called “Deathwith Dignity” bill. The protest promptedHarris to agree to a meeting withHoldsworth and other coalition members.

Lessons from OregonThe Pennsylvania legislation is mod-

eled after Oregon’s dangerous assistedsuicide law. As Coalition members arequick to point out, the “safeguards”in Oregon simply are not working.A number of health care professionalsin Oregon agree.Dr. Greg Hamilton, a Portland psychia-

trist, has noted:“Those promoting assisted suicide

promised Oregon voters that it would beused only for extreme pain and suffering.Yet there has been no documented caseof assisted suicide being used for untreat-able pain.

“Instead, patients are being given lethaloverdoses because of psychological andsocial concerns, especially fears that theymay no longer be valued as people ormay be a burden to their families.”

Indeed, the number-one reason assist-ed suicide victims give for ending theirlives is not pain, but the loss of autono-my—in other words, the concern of beingdependent on other people.

Take the case of what happened toKathryn Judson, when she took her seri-ously ill husband to a doctor in Oregon:

“To my surprise and horror, during theexam I overheard the doctor giving myhusband a sales pitch for assisted suicide.‘Think of what it will spare your wife, weneed to think of her,’ he said.”

The Judsons chose to go to a differentdoctor, and Kathryn’s husband lived anadditional five years. Still, the encounterwith the previous “Dr. Death” had a last-ing impact:

“I was afraid to leave my husbandalone again with doctors and nurses, forfear they’d morph from care providers toenemies, with no one around to stopthem,” Kathryn said.

The Pennsylvania Coalition to StopDoctor-Prescribed Suicide is working toensure that such a nightmare does notoccur in the Keystone State.

Call to ActionPlease call and email your representa-

tive in the Pennsylvania House ofRepresentatives and your lawmaker in thePennsylvania Senate with this urgentmessage: “I urge you to oppose anyassisted suicide bill in Pennsylvania.Patients deserve better than doctor-pre-scribed suicide.” If you need the phonenumber or email address for your statelawmakers, please contact thePennsylvania Pro-Life Federation at 717-541-0034 or at [email protected] .

With your help, people with disabilities,those suffering from depression, the eld-erly, and other vulnerable citizens will betreated with care and respect—and notgiven a callous offer to end their lives.

CURRENT MEMBERS OF THEPENNSYLVANIA COALITION TO STOP

DOCTOR-PRESCRIBED SUICIDE:

ADAPT of PAADAPT—New Castle

Catholic Hospice and PalliativeServices

Center for Independent Living ofCentral PA

Christian Medical and DentalAssociations

Counselors for LifeDisabled in Action of PennsylvaniaJerome Lejeune Foundation, USA

Kurt Kondrich, disability rights activistLiberty Resources

National Catholic Bioethics CenterNot Dead Yet of PA

Pennsylvania Catholic ConferencePennsylvania Catholic Health

AssociationPennsylvania Family Institute

Pennsylvania Pro-Life FederationPennsylvania Statewide Independent

Living CouncilPro-Life Healthcare Alliance

Statewide Independent Living CouncilVision for Equality, Inc.

ENCLOSED IS MY GIFT OF:o $15 o $25 o $50 o $100 o $500 o Other $_______

THIS GIFT IS FOR: o PA Pro-Life Federation, Inc. (Not tax de duct ible)

o PA Pro-Life Federation Educational Fund (Tax de duct ible)

Payment by: o Check o Mastercard o VISA o Discover

ACCOUNT #: ______________________________________________________________

EXP. DATE ________________________3-DIGIT SECURITY CODE____________________

SIGNATURE ________________________________________________________________

NAME:____________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________________

CITY/STATE/ZIP: ____________________________________________________________

PHONE: __________________________________________________________________

EMAIL: __________________________________________________________________

YES! I WANT TO HELP PREBORN CHILDREN AND THEIR MOTHERS!

Please clip this Lifelines coupon and send it with your do na tion to:PA PRO-LIFE FEDERATION, INC. • 4800 Jonestown Rd. Suite 102 • Harrisburg, PA 17109-1741 Gifts to the general fund are not tax deductible. However, you may make tax-deductible contributions to the PA Pro-Life Federation Ed u ca tion al Fund. Official registration and financialinformation may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within PA, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

o THIS IS MY “GIFT FOR LIFE.” The enclosed gift is:

IN MEMORY OF: ________________________________________________

IN HONOR OF: __________________________________________________

GIFT PRESENTED BY: ____________________________________________

Send letter of acknowledgment to:

NAME: ______________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________

CITY/STATE/ZIP: __________________________________________

o I will give online by visiting www.paprolife.org and clicking on the red“Donate” and completing the form with my credit card info. I will enter“LifeLines” in the field that says “Optional Instructions/Questions.”

o I want to join the Life Support Team by pledging $ _________ pero month o quarter

o Please send me the “A Legacy of Life” brochure on charitable bequestsfor the Federation

(Clip

and m

ail w

ith your gift.)

PENNSYLVANIA PRO-LIFE FEDERATION • LIFELINES SUMMER 2015 | 3

The Fightfor Life—and AgainstAssistedSuicide—in PA

By Sarah McLaughlin

“Spare change? Granolabar? Anything will do.”She asked anyone who

would listen. If anyone could be a little gen-

erous, she wouldn’t feel like afilthy homeless creature. All thedistant memories fled to her eyesand created a downpour. The ladydidn’t look up when two muscular,yet gentle arms wrapped aroundher. She just turned and sobbedinto the chest to which they wereattached. When the tears sub-sided, she looked up to see ayoung man with soft, brown eyes.His dimples implied that he wasused to laughing.

“What is your name?” sheasked, her weary eyes never losingcontact with his.

“Chris. Yours?”“Izzy.”“Well, Izzy, I would like you to

have my jacket, gloves and this,”handing her a hundred dollar bill,“and buy food and a Bible. Read itand you will see there’s alwayshope.”

Before she could utter a “Thankyou” Chris was gone. Once again,

Izzy began tocry, but thistime they weretears of hope.

* * *

“Ugh. Mrs.Todd isn’t here.We have a subinstead.”

“Joe, you’reso negativeright now, andyou alwayswear the samegrey sweatshirtand jeans.Weirdo.”

“Hilarious.But I’m justchanging thingsup. Lay off me,really.”

Joe found thesubstitute.

Kind, brown eyes, a healthy buildand dimples. “What does he haveto be so happy about? Is he mock-ing me with his muscles becauseI’m fat?” Throughout class, Joenoticed the sub, Mr. Evansburgh,watching him. At the end of class,Mr. Evansburgh called Joe over.

“Joe, I’ve been watching youthroughout class, and you don’tseem healthy.”

“Wow. I know I’m not as fit asyou, but seriously. You have noidea what’s going on with me.”

“Not physically, Joe. Are youfeeling alright?”

That’s what got to him. Hebegan to sob and explain he wasphysically abused at home. Kids atschool had noticed the changeand bullied him. The two talkedfor an hour.

“Thank you so much, Mr.Evansburgh. You saved my life.”

“It’ll be ok. And please, call meChris.”

* * * * *Twenty years earlier …

“I can’t do this. I don’t have themoney, husband or time,” saidSally, justifying her decision. Shelooked down to her bulging belly,whispering to her unborn son,“I’m sorry, Chris.”

It was settled. The abortionclinic would help. Curious aboutthe procedure, she searched andclicked on the first article thatappeared. It was called “He CouldBe the One.” She read it, but itwasn’t what she’d thought it wouldbe. Horrified, she began to cry.She never thought about the clinicagain. Chris was born in May.

* * * * * Unfortunately, Chris’s mother

never saw the pro-life article.Chris was aborted. He never got tofulfill God’s plan for him. One tripto the abortion clinic impactedthe lives of others. Chris would’vemade a difference, but the choicewas snatched from him.

One action changed “he couldbe the one” to “he could havebeen the one.”


JUNIOR HIGH DIVISIONESSAY WINNERS

FIRST PLACESarah McLaughlin, of Harleysville, an 8thgrade student at IndianValley Middle School

SECOND PLACE:Brett Craskey, of Aston, an 8th gradestudent at St. Francis deSales School

THIRD PLACE:Mia Baranowski, of Chalk Hill, a 7th gradestudent at St. John theEvangelist RegionalCatholic School

Pro-Life Essay Winner | Junior High Division

Sarah McLaughlin

HeCouldHave Been theOne

By Andrew Shaffer

Space has fascinated humanitysince our earliest days. Our ances-tors looked up into the night sky

in wonder – witnessing there the awe-some design of cosmic detritus,arrayed, to their eyes, in epic stories ofgods and demons, life and death. We,as heirs to their awe, have breached theintangible veil separating this worldfrom the maw of nothingness beyond,we have tested the waters surroundingour solar home, and we have gazeddeeper, further, than any before us. Inour unwearied search, we have discov-ered much about the universe and, sur-prisingly, ourselves. Space, or rather ourquest to conquer that infinite frontier,can be viewed empyrean mirror to ourlives. Though it is an apparent exoticregion, space can tell us more about lifethan we often care to realize.

One such occasion which proved thedepths of the human heart was the ill-fated undertaking of Apollo 13. Its crewof three intrepid astronauts, JamesLovell, John Swigert and Fred Haise, lift-ed off from Earth on April 11, 1970,atop a blazing white pillar of volatilefuels, racing heavenward. Their mis-sion, the third manned expedition toour pale grey satellite, flew straight andtrue until the third day of its voyage. Onthe 53rd hour, according to the missionclock, the vessel’s oxygen tank ruptured

in a catastrophic detonation of cryo-genic fire. Lovell, uttering his famouswords, “Houston, we’ve had a prob-lem,” had only just scratched the sur-face of their predicament. Apollo 13was, without a miracle, dead in the infi-nite, inky blackness of space.

NASA’s earth-bound mission control,however, would not see its crew lost.Mustering the untold muscle of itsgreatest minds, NASA plotted a newmission – one which would see itsastronauts safely home. The sojourn onthe moon was abandoned, and thecrew ordered to shut down all non-essential systems on board theircramped, metal life raft. As toxic carbondioxide began to build in Apollo 13’sunderpowered cabin, mission controlset to their work, expending their timeand energy, 24 hours of it, devising anautoschediastic remedy. ThroughNASA’s indomitable determination, theexplorers were returned to Earth – alive.

Now, what does this event teach us?Though we might gain a number ofinsights, there is one, often overlooked,which I find vital – it is the value ofhuman life. Consider if you were in theplace of Lovell or Swigert or Haise, orbetter yet, consider yourself in theplace of NASA’s mission control. Itwould have been easier, by far, to sim-ply abort the mission, pack up, andregroup the next day to deal with thepress; easier still to simply let the three

explorers drift away into a cool, pain-less sleep, never to awaken again.

Yet, they didn’t. They held to thenotion that the pain of returning thecrew of Apollo 13 to Earth would bewell worth the lives of the men thatthey saved. They believed that life wasworth something, no matter the diffi-culty, no matter the possibility. Thecrew themselves realized that, too. Thereturn to Earth was not an easy journey,nor was it pleasant – they faced the icygrip of death each day, yet theyremained resolute that, if it was in theirpower to survive, then they would sur-vive.

Imagine now, instead of a crew ofastronauts, no longer brave explorers,the body of a man in the deep recessesof a coma. His mission, not to reach themoon, but the recover his faculties, lostnot in the explosion of an oxygen tank,but in some other, sublunary misfor-tune. Would we do as much today forthis man as NASA did for its lost crew?Would we care as much for a singleman, seemingly unimportant in themachinations of history? Or, would webe complacent in apathy, in indiffer-ence? I can only hope we would choosethe former.

Every life is worth the pain of saving;if we realize this, then the pain we feelisn’t pain at all – itis something elseentirely: love.Though one mightsay it would bebetter to die withdignity, there is nodignity in givingup, from any side;for in the words ofNASA flight direc-tor, Gene Kantz,“Failure is not anoption.” We can-not fail themthrough the evil ofeuthanasia, for, ifApollo 13 hastaught us any-thing, it is that lifeis worth all thatwe can give andmore.


Failure Is NotAn Option

SENIOR HIGH DIVISIONESSAY WINNERS

FIRST PLACE:Andrew Shaffer,

of Nazareth, a 12thgrade student at

Bethlehem CatholicHigh School

SECOND PLACE:Josemaria Heil,

of Camp Hill, an 11thgrade student at

Immaculata AcademyHome School

THIRD PLACE:Catherine Federline, of Murrysville, an 11thgrade homeschooled

student

Pro-Life Essay Winner | Senior High Division

Andrew Shaffer

By Micaiah BilgerEducation [email protected]

“Hey, look at the littlefetuses!” A teenage boypoints to our table andthe models of prebornbabies at various stages ofgestation.

“Do youknow whata fetus is?” Iask, pickingup one ofthe modelsand handingit to him.

No answer.“‘Fetus’ is

just the Latinword for baby,” Isay. “Did youknow that this isthe size of ababy at 12weeks in thewomb? Did you

knowthat heor shealreadyhas aheartbeat– anduniquefinger

prints?”“Cool!” he responds,

and his friends nod.“Abortion centers will

say that this baby is just ablob of tissue,” I say.“What do you think?”

“It looks like a baby,”one of his friends replies.

I pick up the larger, 20-week model, and hand itto him, saying, “Did youknow that it’s legal toabort a baby in the wombat this size, too?”

They shake their headsand mutter “Wow!” and“That’s just wrong.” I giveeach of them a model of a12-week baby for them totake back and show totheir friends and a littlecard with the pro-lifewebsite Teenbreaks.com.

This is just one story (Icould tell many similarones) from our outreach

at the Creation Festival inMount Union. Tens ofthousands of young peo-ple travel to the festivalevery year to hearChristian bands andspeakers.

Many ofthese teenshave neverheard thetruth aboutabortion.Every yearat Creation,we speak tohundreds ofteens aboutabortionand the life-affirming alternativesavailable.

Here are a few of theother ways we are workingto equip young people tobecome advocates for life:

Teenbreaks.comWe’re working to make

this pro-life website thego-to place for teens look-ing for information aboutpregnancy, abortion, rela-tionships, and abuse.Teens will find life-affirm-ing facts, a crisis hotline,and stories written byteens facing difficult situ-ations.

Student Pro-Life Essayand Oratory Contests

Our annual contestsprompt hundreds of stu-dents to think, researchand write about the rightto life issues. Please checkout pages 4 and 5 ofLifeLines to read thisyear’s winning essays.

For details about the2016 contests, call ouroffice at 717-541-0034.

National Right to LifeAcademy

We offer scholarshipsfor Pennsylvania collegestudents to attend this rig-orous pro-life leadershiptraining program.Students spend five weeksin Washington, D.C.,learning in depth aboutthe pro-life movement.Our state graduates havegone on to volunteer andwork in the pro-life move-ment.

College OutreachWe and our chapters con-nect with pro-life clubs atcolleges across the state.Chapters have partneredwith college groups totake buses to the Marchfor Life. Our staff mem-bers have spoken numer-ous times on college cam-puses. We also make our-selves available as aresource and often havestudents visit our office tolearn more about gettinginvolved.

Outreach to Educators We reach out to educa-

tors in religious schoolsand churches throughpro-life tables and presen-tations at religious andteacher education confer-ences.

Education is critical,because when young peo-ple are well-informed,they start speaking up forthe right to life. We’rehelping the next genera-tion become the pro-lifegeneration.


By Micaiah BilgerEducation [email protected]

57 million and counting.

That is the number ofprebornbabies our

country has lostsince the U.S.Supreme Courtopened thedoors to legal-ized abortion in1973.

The number isunfathomablyhigh, and yeteven 57 milliondoes not accu-rately measurethe devastatingimpact of abor-tion.

According tothe AlanGuttmacherInstitute, one infour women willhave had anabortion by thetime she reaches45.

That meansmany women –and men – inyour communityhave experi-enced an abor-tion, and may be silentlybearing the pain andregret of losing their child.Maybe they are sitting inthe pew behind you atchurch, in your workplace,or jogging by you in thepark.

“Professional counselorswho have worked withwomen who have hadabortions have recognizeda cluster of reactions thatfit the model of a post-traumatic stress disorder…” according to“Abortion’s Psycho-SocialConsequences” by theNational Right to LifeCommittee.

Frequent symptoms

include anxiety, sense ofhelplessness, guilt, pain,grief, sleep difficulties,flashbacks, drug/alcoholabuse, and suicidalthoughts, according toNRLC.

“Studies examining therecords of over 50,000California Medicaidpatients from 1989-1994found women who abort-ed having 2.6 times morepsychiatric admissions inthe first 90 days followingpregnancy than womengiving birth and 17% high-er mental health claimsover the following fouryears,” according to NRLC.

As pro-lifers, we canbring hope to the hurting,not just to the pregnantmother who is afraid shecan't afford another baby,but also to the motherwho aborted her child anddoesn't know how to for-

give herself. Help is available. Post-

abortion recovery pro-grams offer support andhealing to women andmen across the world.Here are several programs

available inPennsylvania:

Rachel'sVineyard

Rachel'sVineyard is

an internationalpost-abortionhealing ministry.Dr. TheresaBurke, PhD.founded theorganizationafter counselinga group ofwomen with eat-ing disordersand realizingthat many of thewomen also hadhad abortions.Rachel'sVineyard pro-vides smallgroup weekendretreats forwomen and menwho have had anexperience withabortion.

Joy Crimmins,the Central Pennsylvania/Maryland Director ofRachel’s Vineyard, encour-ages churches to postRachel’s Vineyard informa-tion in their restrooms.Crimmins says theseposters allow post-abortive women and mento check out the programin a confidential environ-ment. Find resources youcan share atHopeAfterAbortion.com.

Learn more about theprogram and upcomingretreats at RachelsVineyard.org.

Surrendering theSecret

The program is basedon a six-step, biblical

healing model led by post-abortive women. Thesmall groupstudy pro-vides a sup-portive andconfidentialenviron-ment wherewomen canlearn to healand findnew hopefor thefuture. Findresources atSurrenderingtheSecret.com.

Hope Alive

Dr. Philip Ney, a psy-chologist known for

his research on the effectsof abortion on siblings ofthe aborted child, hasdeveloped an intensivecounseling program calledthe International HopeAlive. Neytrains coun-selors toeffectivelyresearchand treat alltypes ofpregnancyloss, includ-ing abor-tion. HopeAlive offersintensivesmall group therapy forwomen, men, grandpar-ents and children whohave been affected. Learnmore about the small butgrowing program inPennsylvania atHopeAlivePA.org.

Please help spread theword about these pro-grams and share the mes-sage of hope and healing!


B Y M I C A I A H B I L G E REducation Director

[email protected]

Hope for theHurtingPost-Abortion Healing Programs Are Meeting a Huge Need


Our PA Pro-LifeTown Hall TourThe spring of 2015 found the

Pennsylvania Pro-Life Feder-ation taking our brand of

pro-life education around the statefor the fifth straight year.

“We have developed a very pop-ular format for our pro-life townhall events,” explained Michael Cic-cocioppo, executive director of theFederation. “We reach hundreds ofpeople each year by sharing the lat-est pro-life news and informationright in their home-towns.”

Ciccocioppo andEducation DirectorMicaiah Bilger traveled1,200 miles acrossseven days in April andspoke in 11 communi-ties: Ebensburg,Uniontown, Pitts-burgh, Titusville, Erie,

StateCol-lege,Scranton,Nesquehoning, East-on, Philadelphia and Lancaster. Afinal stop will be held this fall inGrove City.

Each eventoffered impor-tant informa-tion on thehottest pro-lifetopics of theday, and theopportunity forquestions and

answers.This year,

we gave sevendifferent presenta-

tions at each stop:

1 The state of abortion in Pennsylvania

2 Gov. Tom Wolf’s ties to the abortion industry

3 Hope for families when babieshave poor prenatal diagnoses

4 Abortion and medical rationingin the era of the AffordableCare Act

5 The push for doctor-prescribedsuicide

6 Encouraging signs for the pro-life cause

7 What you can do to helprestore the culture of life inPennsylvania

“Micaiah and I alternate givingthe presentations which keeps theformat interesting,” Ciccociopposaid.

“Since each event is one-and-a-half to two hours long, we keep ourtalks brief and focus on the mostimportant aspects of each topic,”he continued. “When people wantmore details, we provide them dur-ing the Q&A.”

Ciccocioppo offered specialthanks to all those who hosted thisyear’s pro-life town halls. Aslideshow of photos from the townhall tour can be seen on our web-site State Events page atwww.paprolife.org .

Groups and individuals whowould like to host a pro-life townhall in the spring of 2016 shouldcontact the Federation by email [email protected] or by phone

at 717-541-0034.

FINAL PRO-LIFE TOWNHALL STOP of 2015:Grove City College,Hall of Arts and Let-ters, Sticht Auditori-um, Madison Ave,Grove City, PA,Wednesday, Sept. 16,2015, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

University of PittsburghEaston

Philadelphia State College

Ebensburg

Erie

Titusville

WHAT CIRCLES THE STATE EACH SPRING?


YOUR PERSONALINVITATION

Billy Graham’s Daughter andGranddaughter to KeynoteCelebrate Life Banquet inPittsburghBy Michael CiccocioppoExecutive [email protected]

Billy Graham’s third child,Ruth Graham, and herdaughter, Windsor Baud-

ers, will share a special behind-the-scenes look at how this worldrenowned religious family dealt

with unplanned pregnancies.I have heard Ruth and Windsor

recount their story, and I have per-sonally spoken with them about it.They moved me to tears with theirhumble and authentic telling ofmultiple encounters withunplanned pregnancies, tempta-tions to abortion, agony and bless-ings in adoption, struggles and joyin parenting, and then carrying ababy who the physician saidwould not be “normal.”

There is no way I can do theirtestimony justice here. That’s whyI am urging you to do everythingyou can to be there when they telltheir story at the 2015 CelebrateLife Banquet on Tuesday, October20, 2015, starting at 6 p.m. Theevent will be at the PittsburghMarriott North in CranberryTownship, a new location for ourbanquet.

Ruth has three grown childrenand eight grandchildren. She’scoming up from Virginia to speakto us. Windsor lives in Pennsylva-nia with her husband, Todd Baud-ers, and their four children. Shecontributed to two books with hermother and Sara Dormon: “I’mPregnant…Now What?” and “SoYou Want to Adopt…Now What?”These ladies know what they aretalking about, and you will beinspired by their experiences andinsights.

You will also be inspired by thisyear’s award winners!

Tim Brod-erick, presi-dent of Peo-ple for Life inErie, andsecretary ofthe Board ofDirectors of

the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federa-tion, will accept the 2015 Penn-sylvania Pro-Life LeadershipAward. Come find out why Tim’spro-life leadership at the local,regional and state levels hasearned him this prestigious award.

SandraChoateFaucher,president ofthe RosettaFoundation,and founderof the web-

site, TeenBreaks.com, will acceptthe 2015 Pennsylvania Pro-LifeLifetime Achievement Award. Beinspired by Sandy’s more thanforty years of service in a widerange of important endeavors inthe pro-life movement.

I urge you to help get the wordout about this event to all yourpro-life family and friends aboutthe most inspiring pro-life eventof the year in all of Pennsylvania!

Register now, or sponsor a

table and bring your family andfriends. There are four easy waysto register:

Go online to www.paprolife.org/banquet and complete the onlineform with your credit card infoand submit it, or print the one-page Registration Form, completeit and mail it with your check orcredit card info to the addressprovided.

Call our state headquarters inHarrisburg at 717-541-0034 andgive your name and credit cardinfo to our staff over the phone, orrequest that the Registration Formbe mailed to you so you can com-plete it and mail it with yourcheck or credit card info to theaddress provided.

Join us to learn more about thelife-saving work of the Pennsyl-vania Pro-Life Federation Educa-tion Fund at our only statewidefundraising event of the year.

WHAT:2015 Celebrate Life Banquet

WHEN:TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015

Check-in begins 5:00 p.m.Doors open 5:30 p.m.Dinner begins 6:00 p.m.

WHERE:PITTSBURGH MARRIOTT NORTH

(New location!)100 Cranberry Woods Drive

Cranberry Township, PA 16066

WHY:To inspire everyone regardingpro-life in PA and to raise fundsto benefit the work of the PA Pro-Life Federation Education Fund

DONATION:$50 per person

Sponsorships from $400 to $5,000include table seats

Portion tax-deductible


By Maria Gallagher,Legislative [email protected]

Her story begins, as manydo, with a positive preg-nancy test.

“At first, the baby’s fatherseemed to be supportive, but verysoon after, he changed. He calledto tell me that now was not theright time…”

Her boyfriend grew angry andurged her to have an abortion.Instead of making an appointmentat Planned Parenthood, thenation’s largest abortion operation,she contacted a pregnancy helpcenter—one of dozens around thestate that are part of a state-assist-ed program administered by thenonprofit Real Alternatives, Inc.

“The counselor said somethingto me that I will never forget. Shetold me that she knew that I was ina dark place, but that I was doingthe right thing. She told me thatthere was always light at the endand having my baby will be theright decision. This gave me thecourage I needed.”

You’ve just read about the expe-riences of one of the more than

245,000 women served byPennsylvania’s Alternatives toAbortion program since its incep-

tion.The program

began 20 yearsago with apromise—tohelp women ata time whenthey were mostin need ofcounseling andcomprehensivesupport. It hasnow grownbeyond its bor-ders, with addi-tional programsbeing launchedin Texas,Michigan, andIndiana.

According toRealAlternativesCEO KevinBagatta, “RealAlternatives,through itsstatewide net-work of 96 pro-

life nonprofit agencies and 629counselors, reaches out toeach woman, no matter whather background or circum-stances and without a fee.”

Bagatta added, “Byempowering women in acrisis pregnancy with this com-prehensive support, they nolonger feel compelled to chooseabortion out of a sense of help-lessness, hopelessness, and ofbeing completely alone.”

The statistical results of theprogram are impressive. Anastounding 89 percent of womenentering the program who werepressured by others to abortchose childbirth.

Incredibly, the program alsosaves taxpayer money. TheCenters for Disease Control esti-mates that a woman who receivesprenatal care saves taxpayersthousands of dollars in medicalcare for low birth weight babies.With 16,353 program clientsreceiving appropriate prenatalcare in fiscal year 2013-14, the cost

savings to taxpayers could be inthe hundreds of millions of dollars.

And then there are all the intan-gibles—the encouragement, thesupport, the hopefulness—thatcan propel a woman not only togive birth to her child, but to finishher education, to heal family divi-sions, to make a fresh start.

As the client we talked aboutearlier wrote, “I’ve never forgottenthe kind and encouraging wordsthat my counselors told me. I’mglad they were there when I need-ed them. I’m glad they were thereto help bring light to my darkness.”

For more information aboutPennsylvania’s Alternatives toAbortion program, please visitwww.realalternatives.org or call717-541-1112.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS:Women Receive Real Help at Real Alternatives

Hundreds of people came to celebrate the 20th anniversary ofPennsylvania’s Alternatives to Abortion program in March.

The staff of Real Alternatives, which administers PA’s Alternatives to Abortion program.

State Senator Joseph Scarnati gavethe keynote address.

Executive DirectorMichael Ciccocioppo and state

Rep. Mauree Gingrich

Pennsylvanians for Human LifeWelcome Little One received theSite of the Year Award.

4800 JONESTOWN RD.

SUITE 102

HARRISBURG, PA 17109

717.541.0034 PHONE

717.541.0073 FAX

[email protected]

www.paprolife.org

• OFFICERS •

SUSAN ROGACS President

RICH BENACCI Vice President

TIM BRODERICKSecretary

ROBERT BOEHNER, CPATreasurer

• BOARD MEMBERS •

Douglas Braendel

Jacob Dvorak

Helen Gohsler

Shari Lewis

Cynthia P. Rearick

Gerald Sekerak

Dr. Denise T. Wilcox

• KEY STAFF •

MICHAEL V. CICCOCIOPPOExecutive Director

MARIA GALLAGHERLegislative / PAC Director

MICAIAH BILGEREducation Director / Editor

LIFELINES NEWSPAPERCirculation: 27,000ISSN 1082-8982

The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation

is a grassroots right-to-life organiza-

tion with members statewide. As the

state affiliate of Na tion al Right to Life,

PPLF is com mit ted to pro mot ing the

dignity and val ue of human life from

conception to natural death and to

restoring legal protection for the

preborn. Through legislation, political

action, education and other legal

means, we pro claim the truth about

abortion, in fan ti cide, and euthanasia.


REMEMBER OUR LIFE-SAVING WORK EVEN AFTER YOU ARE GONE. Simply meet with your estate planning attorney to include a bequest in your will. You can

bequeath a specific amount of money, or you can bequeath a percentage of your residual estate.You should list us as The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation Education Fund. This is the IRS Tax

Code 501(c)(3) arm of the Federation. The Federal Tax Identification Number is 25-6255722.

For more information contact Executive Director Michael Ciccocioppo at 717-541-0034or email [email protected] .

Remember the Federation in Your Will!

In Memory of: Given By:

Helen Adams ........................................................Christine CarrollDolly Berning ....................................................Dr. Denise T. WilcoxGerard J. Bosse� ..................................................Annette M. BosseMichele Boyer....................................................Rose Ann GaetanoTammy Lynn Camp ..............................Thomas & Patricia SchilinskiRose Campana..............................................Ralph MoerschbacherRose Campana ............................Pennsylvanians for Human Life –

Susquehanna Valley ChapterMartin Corr ................................................John & Barbara HassonDean & Agnes Deibler ..............................................Ann M. SmithJohn Dwyer ..................................................Mrs. Mary T. McDevittCorrine Gump ..........................................Roger & Patricia UrmannLucille Harbin ..............................................................Judith HucikLilly Helen Jensen........................................Joseph & Susan KoehleR. Dan Johnson....................................Thomas & Patricia SchilinskiDonna J. Jones ......................................................William E. JonesMsgr. Francis A. Kane ............................................Sarah J. PackardPatricia Keenan ................................Andrew & Barbara McFaddenAnna Kirsch ............................................Ronald & Rachel BaldwinWilliam Knebel ................................................Margaret M. KnebelAnton Kotar ............................................Mr. & Mrs. Richard CortesRay Lonzo, Sr...........................................Mr. & Mrs. Richard CortesGrace Lunger ................................................Leslie & Cheryl LucasFather Anton Mathes, OSFS ..............................Joseph F. Kovack, Jr.Jane McAnulty ........................................Ronald & Rachel BaldwinCharles J. McConnell ................................Mr. & Mrs. Willy F. TauberKimberly Moran..........................Dr. & Mrs. Shawn Echard & FamilyThomas Murrin ..................................................Rose Ann GaetanoTimothy Murphy ..........................................Joseph & Susan Koehle

George Niezgoda ......................................Al & Patricia MartinoskiThomas O. Nissley ..................................Mr. & Mrs. Mark S. FeniceSamuel J. Nocero......................................Edward & Diana CutronaSamuel J. Nocero ....................................................Linda R. TroianiSamuel J. Nocero ..........................................Norman M. Wilson, Jr.Ted Poznak..................................................................Judith HucikViolet Ross............................................Kenneth & Janis StasiowskiBill & Judy Schmidt ..................................Roger & Patricia UrmannAnna Marie Skarzenski ............................Roger & Patricia UrmannStephen Stanton ....................................Michael & Arlene SewerynCynthia Steele ............................................................Judith HucikGeorge Tatarko ..................................................Anonymous FriendFrancis S. Verchick, Sr. ................................Louis M. Verchick, IHMJames Wensel ..........................................Roger & Patricia Urmann

In Honor of: Given By:

Bartenbach Family................................Charles & Carol BartenbachEd & Eleanor Beighe’s 60th Wedding Anniversary ................................Ann M. NovajovskyEd & Eleanor Beighe’s 60th Wedding Anniversary ............Pennsylvanians for Human Life –

Bethlehem/Easton ChapterMargarite Bevevino ......................................Mary Therese BrehanyJoAnn Bordi’s 91st Birthday ..............................Rose Ann GaetanoRon & Jean Lutz ....................................................Brenda L. ColbyMary’s Shelter, Bethlehem..............................Mary Catherine BiggsRita Noel’s 95th Birthday ......................................Carol W. PhillipsDaniel & Andrea Royce’s Christmas Gift ..............Annette M. Bosse�

4800 Jon

estown

Rd

. Ste. 102H

arrisbu

rg, PA 17109-1741

www.pap

rolife.o

rg

Pro-life publications are welcome to reprint original articles from LifeLines. A credit line identifying "LifeLines, newspaper of the PA Pro-Life Federation" as the source of reprinted articles is requested.

Do you want to know more about the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation? Please visit the “ABOUT US” page on our website, www.paprolife.org .You will see our mission clearly explained. This page includes our positions on the life issues, our nonviolence policy and our political activity guidelines.

LifeLines is a newspaper publishedperiodically by the Pennsylvania

Pro-Life Federation. To order additional copies,

call (717) 541-0034 or e-mail [email protected].

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE E-MAILNEWSLETTER TODAY!

To receive the FREE e-mail newsletter PROLIFE ON LINE NEWS,

including pe ri od i cal news, action alerts andpro-life commentary, send a "subscribe"

mes sage to [email protected]. Visit the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Fed er a tion's

home page at www.paprolife.org.

NATIONWIDE PREGNANCY HELP HOTLINES:

CARENET: 1-800-395-HELP

Bethany Christian Services: 1-800-BETHANY

Birthright: 1-800-550-4900

Worried? Need Help?

For the help center nearest you, you may also see your local Yellow Pages under "Abortion Alternatives" or call the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation at 717-541-0034.

Pregnant?Call toll free for free, confidential as sis tance from com pas sion ate

coun se lors who understand what you're going through and can helpyou find the best alternative for you and your family.

Pennsylvania's Real Alternatives hotline:

1-888-LIFE-AID

�


Summer is here again, and ourchapters across the state willbe busy sharing critical pro-

life information at fairs and fes-tivals all across the state.

Every summer, chapter vol-unteers share pro-life informa-tion with thousands of fairgoers from Bloomsburg toButler, Easton to Erie.Volunteers participate in morethan 40 fairs and festivals, offer-ing visitors the opportunity tohold models of babies in thewomb, find pregnancy help intheir local communities, andsign petitions asking our legisla-tors to protect babies fromabortion.

And in the fall through spring,our 40-plus chapters are far fromdormant. They host pro-life prayer

breakfasts and banquets, march onWashington, D.C., and organize ral-lies, church displays, student con-

tests, billboards — and even aparade float — to raise aware-ness in their local communi-ties.

Please consider gettinginvolved in one of our growingnumber of chapters this sum-mer as we continue to expandour pro-life outreach. Themore people involved, themore chapters can do to helpsave lives in Pennsylvania!

To find a chapter near you,visit our website atwww.paprolife.org or call our

office at 717-541-0034.

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLanc., PA 17604

PERMIT 280

Pro-Life Chapters Prepare for Summer Outreach –We Need Your Help!

Bedford CCHL Chapter at the March for Life

Mother’s Day carnation project by People for Life of Erie

Scranton PHL Chapter’s float in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Scranton

Wyoming Valley PHL Chapter at the March for Life

Bradford PHL Chapter marchesin Towanda

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