Pro-Life Chinese Mother of Five Children Responds to New Planned Parenthood President
Today raising a family in the U.S., Lisa Smiley escaped abortion in China and chose life for her "imperfect" son. Now she fights for the rights of all children, in and out of the womb.
I am an immigrant. When I was four, my parents emigrated from China — first to New Zealand and then to America.
China had a one-child policy. Often, women caught pregnant after more than one child, were dragged out of their homes, beaten, and forced to abort their babies.
But there are five girls in my family. The three youngest, including myself, were born illegally after the law was passed. My brave mother risked her life to keep me safe from the government. She went into hiding and gave birth to me in secret.
This is Personal
When I became a mother with my first child, at 20 weeks pregnant, I was told that my son had only half a heart, among other possible defects.
The doctors told me to abort him. But I had just seen my son’s ultrasound and heard his heartbeat. We already had his name picked out — Ezekiel, or Zeke for short.
As his mother, it was my job to protect him, not kill him. So I refused.
As a girl who could have easily been counted among the millions aborted in China, I know personally what is at stake.
I did everything I could to fight for him, even against all odds. He went through three open-heart surgeries and a traumatic brain injury that left him paralyzed and mute. But I saw the humanity in him. He deserved the right to live, just as I did — no matter how long or short his life turned out to be.
He lived seven, full years before he passed away peacefully in his sleep the day after Christmas in 2015. I have never regretted my decision to choose life for him.
I Know What is at Stake
As a girl who could have easily been counted among the millions aborted in China, I know personally what is at stake. I hoped that my story, and my son’s story, would inspire others to value every life, no matter what the circumstance. So I became a staunch pro-life advocate and began praying, interceding, and speaking out against the injustice of abortion in our land.
Another Chinese immigrant woman, Dr. Leana Wen, is also using her story to make a bold statement about abortion. But in her case, it is the exact opposite statement.
This week, Dr. Wen assumed her role as the new president of Planned Parenthood — the largest abortion provider in America. She introduced herself onto the national stage back in September with an introductory video that has garnered millions of views on social media.
What’s Worse? Forcing Women to Abort or Convincing Women to Abort Their Own?
It is ironic and tragic that having left a country that forces women to abort their children, Dr. Wen now fights for women in America to do the exact same thing to their children — without restriction, at taxpayers’ expense. She uses her position as a physician to fight for abortion rights, even touting a ridiculous claim that healthcare (that is, abortion) is a “fundamental human right.”
How about recognizing the most fundamental of all human rights? The right to life that is denied to babies in the womb 900 times every day at Planned Parenthood?
No matter who is at the helm of Planned Parenthood, our goal is still the same: upholding the value of every human life and ending the injustice of abortion in our lifetime. We pro-lifers all know what’s at stake. Lives. Literally.
