Abortion survivor visits campus

The Michigan Partisan

By Page W. H. Brousseau IV
TIMES STAFF WRITER

From all outward appearances, 28-year-old Gianna Jessen comes across as a typical idealistically driven American. She calls herself an entrepreneur whose hobbies include real estate, song writing and singing. But what sets Gianna apart is her unabashed Christianity and her "gift" of Cerebral Palsy," both of which can be attributed to her birth mother's attempt to abort Gianna during the third trimester. The abortion, of course, was unsuccessful, but 18-hours of burning in her mother's womb by the saline solution left Gianna with CP and a doctor's diagnosis that she would never crawl, let alone walk. As she put it, "When you have the gift of Cerebral Palsy, you are destined to leave an extraordinary life."

Twenty-eight-years later, Gianna is touring the world speaking out against abortion, and in particular late term abortion. "It is so much more comfortable not to talk about what it really is," she told packed Kiva on October 13. Late term abortion usually refers to the abortion of a fetus in the third trimester. The procedures very, the saline procedure involves injection of saline into the womb, whereby the fetus swallows it and dies from the chemical burn and the lack of oxygen over the course of many hours. Partial birth abortion involves the feet first delivery of the fetus with a needle puncturing the skull to induce the desired result. Both procedures remain legal in the United States despite numerous attempts by the Federal Government and multiple states, to include Michigan, to outlaw "partial birth" and "late term abortion." The practice remains protected by various courts striking down the laws as unconstitutional and against the Freedom of Choice established in the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.

As Pro-Choice groups ignore Gianna, she continues to direct some of her most scathing words against them. "If abortion is merely about women's rights, then what were mine? There wasn't those particular kind of feminist squawking about my rights, in fact, those types of feminists prefer I'd die."

If her mother's abortionist were present when she was born, it would have been legal for him to complete the procedure. That would have remained legal until 2002. Gianna said the length of time it took to pass that law is another example of the, "Devaluing of life," here in America."

She called it arrogant for people to claim Terri Schivo would, "Never progress beyond a vegetable." Her own doctor said the very same thing about herself. "You have no idea the level of joy a weak person can possess," she said emotionally. "You have no idea the level of life we can obtain."

The Nashville resident not only campaigns for the value of life, but she sees it her duty to live a Christian life. When asked to summarize her vocation, she said after a long pause, "To be a Christian and show people love and kindness they deserve. To honor God by loving people."

Her life was not always serious. Until the age of 12, she was a typical girl trying to live with a disability. That year her adoptive mother told her the truth. Her foster mother, who then became her adoptive grandmother, showed her Jesus and the belief that God alone endowed individual value upon human beings. She has since forgiven her biological mother. She said poetically, "Jesus healed me by taking away my desire to be healed."

"So many say Christians don't live the way they should," she said pointing to her own virginity. "I want respect, I don't want to be used and forgotten."

Respect permeated her outlook on men and women. She even reached out to the men in the audience to apologize for those who want to, "take who you are away." She said men were, "made to defend women, not use us. Thank you for making me feel safe, I don't thing you are a loser with only one thing on your mind. You are capable of honor and strength." If that was not enough to give modern feminist fits, she said, "The more I fight against nature the weaker I become."

Gianna Jessen is anything but weak. After two years working with a personal trainer, she ran in the 26.2 mile Music City Marathon. Of the 4,000 that registered for the race, she was one of the 900 to complete it. Besides the Krispy Cream at mile 17, what she remembered most the police officer who was a parent of a child with Cerebral Palsy, providing a police escort to the finish line. Her next marathon is in Ireland at the end of October.

The hour-long talk ended with a standing ovation from the audience. Dozens queued to talk to Gianna. To shake her hand, tell her "thank you" or just hug her. She is no amateur to an interview, she listened and thanked everyone that she met. She said after other events expectant mothers told her she changed her mind. In her humble way, she refused to take any credit for the conversion.

When asked what she thought of focusing on a judicial nominee's religious views and that used both for and against particular candidates, Jessen cautioned, "Humans are passionate people," she paused. "Everything is so impersonal," she trailed off. For the first time of the afternoon, she was unable to articulate her feelings. "Everything is so superficial," she thought for a moment, then finished with a smile, "and politically correct."