I met Lori Vance in Washington, DC in 1999, and was so impressed with the story of her little girl, Donna Joy. Now 16-years old, Donna is a remarkable symbol of hope to families under pressure to abort for reasons of “fetal abnormality.” Her life and her mother’s faith are an inspiration to us all.
Troy Newman, President
Operation Rescue
Donna Joy: A Life Spared To Impact A Nation
By Lori Lynne Vance
In the spring of 1997, I was watching the House Sub-committee hearings on the issue of Partial Birth Abortion. The usual suspects had gathered for the occasion, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and the like. I listened with indignation as those abortion advocates seated at the table listed the reasons for this procedure to remain “medically necessary.” It was not long before I realized that these ranting liberals were talking about children like my own beautiful little daughter. I felt a righteous sense of rage welling up inside of me when people who did not even know her began talking as if she had no right to live in this country just because she was handicapped.
What these pro-aborts could not have known was that on the horizon, there was a storm brewing like none they had ever seen and likely never would again.
In the fall of 1991, I was told that the precious baby I carried in my womb had a fatal disorder of the brain. There was little or no brain tissue visible in the skull, she had Hydrocephalus, commonly known as water on the brain, and some brain was visible on the outside of her skull. I was told by every “expert” in high-risk maternal/fetal medicine that her condition was completely “incompatible with life”. I was offered a late term abortion, what I would come to know later as a Partial Birth Abortion, where the infant is delivered all but the head then stabbed to death by the abortionist and the brain is removed, the skull collapsed, and the dead baby is then disposed of like so much waste.
I absolutely refused.
While her early years were difficult and laborious, it was all worth it as I had a lively, pretty, blue-eyed bundle of joy to show for it by the name of Donna Joy. I knew she was special, but nobody knew how God was going to use her to impact the country with the first piece of abortion legislation since Roe v. Wade.
Following the broadcast of those hearings on C-span, I took Donna Joy to see our Congressman, Roscoe Bartlett, who then told U.S. Senator Rick Santorum about our story. Rick Santorum was the primary sponsor in the Senate to ban Partial Birth Abortions. He called, and Donna Joy and I set out on a journey that would be ten years of our lives, fulfilling a call by God to bring the voice of truth to the nation’s capitol. We did dozens of press conferences, talk radio and TV shows, and personal appearances. We visited with countless “fence sitting” national legislators and were visible in Washington whenever the subject was being debated. Legislators now had to deal with one reality: That this little child with so many brain abnormalities could not only survive, but thrive.
Pretending she did not exist had to be a difficult task for those on the left, especially for Senator Boxer of California who was so annoyed by her mere presence, that she had Donna Joy ejected from the Senate Gallery before the proceedings even began. Then, in the fall of 2003, the big day finally came. I will never forget what is was like to sit and watch from just a few feet away, as the President signed our bill into law, and more recently, the feeling of relief and pride at having it pass the Supreme Court 5-4, of being in awe at God’s work in this, and His mercy on our unworthy nation. It truly was validation that all of our hard work was worth it, that Donna’s struggle for life, as hard as it was at times, meant that hundreds of thousands of babies will no longer have to suffer through a “procedure” that could have been used to effect her untimely death.
I suppose I could have listened to all of the voices calling out for her murder, just because she may not be perfect. I could have listened to the voices of Planned Parenthood, and the “genetics counselors” who said it was OK to “just forget her” and get on with my life. “She’ll just be a burden,” they cried.
I CHOSE to hear the ONLY voice that mattered, the voice of truth. I put my hand on my swollen belly and felt her moving around, and I knew that her life did not belong to me, she belonged to her creator, God. He was giving me a gift, for however long, to enjoy, not to destroy.
Beautiful!
Dr. Alfred M. Bongioanni, professor of pediatrics and obstetrics, University of Pennsylvania:
I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the time of conception… I submit that human life is present throughout this entire sequence from conception to adulthood and that any interruption at any point throughout this time constitutes a termination of human life… I am no more prepared to say that these early stages represent an incomplete human being than I would be to say that the child prior to the dramatic effects of puberty… is not a human being. This is human life at every stage.
There is much controversy inside and outside of the pro-life community concerning the infanticide ban. How can one be “partly born”? A person is either born or not born.
First of all, do I desire a complete and total ban on all abortions for any reason? Yes, of course. Until Roe is overturned, it is my opinion that a total ban is not going to happen. We need to save as many babies as possible. Barrier laws have proven without dispute to save some children lives. The ones that are saved thank us for doing that. Just like when we are at the clinic, we can not save all of them. Does that mean that we stop trying? No, of course not. God will help get through the times where we doubt the tactics and the direction of our work.
Second, I suggest we follow the money. The abortionist can charge the maximum amount, for the infanticide killing [so-called "partial-birth], of all abortions. Then the abortionist receives maximum profit from an intact baby. The brains of the child must be preserved, that is why they “evacuate” the brain from a live baby for medical research and treatment (ie.Parkinson’s disease). If they dismember the child first, then they do not receive as much money as if the torso is intact. That is one reason why they adamantly defend this particular method of infanticide. Yes, the love of money is the root of all evil.
When we look at the opinion of Kennedy (only his opinion) in the Gonzales case, we notice something different about Kennedy. No, he is not pro-life or anything like that. However, he now refers to the child as a baby, not a fetus. He calls the abortionist a “abortion doctor”, not a doctor or physican. The most important part is what he telling the pro-aborts. Actually he screaming it to them. In his own judicial way, he is chastising the pro-aborts for he recognizes as clearly crossing the line. In my opinion he is telling the other side that this is not about abortion anymore, this is clearly infanticide. He describes the “procedure” in the most grisly, grusome details that Ginsburg is distrubed [as she should be] so much that she attempts to chastize Kennedy for the inflammatory details. Make no mistake, Kennedy is not suddenly changing his mind, however, he screams [in judicial terms] that they have crossed the line. [between born and unborn]
Where does it stop? At 1 day after birth, 2 days after birth? Finally, someone with enough insight to say this not abortion [which is still murder] it is clearly infanticide.
I have been saying that for so long that I forgot when I started saying it. Will it stop any deaths? We can only speculate, I believe that it will deter late term abortions because they will not risk possible prosecution.
What a beautiful young lady. Abortionists are such liars!
This is a beautiful example of what “motherhood” should be! What a wonderful testimony for choosing life! She is a lovely girl! Thank you!
Thank God for this wonderful girl! All human life is PRECIOUS and all mothers should love and accept their children, even if docs tell you your child is not worthy of life.
Amazing, inspiring story. We will keep you and Donna Joy in our prayers. Peace be with you.
Thank you for being a voice to the voiceless!
Donna Joy is so blessed to have YOU as her mother. God knew you would love, protect, and nuture her.
Your story is beautiful.
GOD BLESS YOU DONNA JOY AND YOUR MOM LORI LYNN!
You both are powerful and beautifun witnesses for the Lord and Life!
Mary LaFrancis in Fairfield, Iowa
To Donna Joy & her mother. Well done to you both for your constant campaigning. Good luck in the future from the U. K.
The gift of life is the most precious gift EVER. The world will one day finally wake up to the abortion disaster and the perpetrators of the abortion industry will all hold their heads low in shame.
The copious amounts of money they all ‘earned’ will count for NOTHING.
Congradulations! You are a very courageous and blessed family. Standing firm in the faith, in the heat of battle. My prayers will be with you!
Love a sister in Christ!
Praise God for your testimony! I know what is it like to be a fighter in this world Donna. I was premature baby and I weighed 1 lb 8 ounces. Life is a gift from God and a blessing1 It is a joy to know that God gave us that life even though we had to go through obstacles to get where we are today. It is all because of Him! What a blessing it was meeting your mom and you today in Chapel at Campbellsville University!
I support.
i have a similar problem. they are telling my sister teh same thing…
please pray for her! this baby really needs it …