On International Day of the Unborn Child, Human Life International Rejoices in Preborn Lives Rescued
Contact: Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations, 312.422.1333, tc@tcpr.net
(March 20, 2024 – Front Royal, Virginia) An ultrasound van in Mexico, counseling and support for Rwandan moms in crisis, and nurses equipped for pro-life and pro-family aid in Hungary and Nigeria – these are some of tools that Human Life International uses to saves preborn babies around the world. March 25 marks the annual observation of International Day of the Unborn Child. Human Life International Director of Education and Research, Dr. Brian Clowes, believes that for the global pro-life organization, every day is about the unborn – or preborn – child.
Clowes reports that in 2020, the most recent year for which full global estimates are available, nearly 27 million babies were legally killed through abortion.
Human Life International directly funds pregnancy care centers in 25 countries outside of the United States and supports an all-encompassing ministry of pro-life, pro-family education, life advocacy, and leadership training in 116 nations around the world. This is in addition to a cooperative relationship with America’s more than 3,000 pro-life pregnancy help centers.
According to Clowes’ approximations, around 2,600 babies are saved annually due to Human Life International’s direct work in other countries with pregnant mothers vulnerable to abortion. There is no way to accurately count those children and mothers saved from abortion by the ongoing emphasis on life values through Human Life International’s expansive programming and the resultant spread of life affirming attitudes and practices.
In recognition of International Day of the Unborn, Clowes shares some of the stories of mothers and children rescued through the global life advocacy organization’s work.
- In Mexico City, pregnant women seeking abortions line up outside maternal and children’s hospitals in the predawn hours. Human Life International affiliated vans are there, offering these mothers an opportunity to receive an ultrasound and life-affirming counseling. Maria was one of those women. Trapped in an abusive marriage, she struggled to care for her young son Luis, and was fearful of bringing another child into a violent situation. Upon seeing her preborn baby kick her leg and wiggle her fingers, Maria realized she could not abort her daughter. After Fernanda was born, Maria’s husband raped her and subsequently abandoned Maria, Luis, and Fernanda. Discovering that she was pregnant again, Maria relied on ongoing support from Human Life International and was able to deliver baby Gustavo.
- Yvette’s baby was conceived in rape. Yvette’s coworker assaulted her and fled leaving the young Rwandan woman in a desperate situation, pregnant and jobless. Local medical professionals urged abortion, telling Yvette that her child was “better off dead” rather than “poor and fatherless.” Human Life International Rwanda counseled and worked closely with Yvette and provided her with a sewing machine to begin the home industry through which she now supports herself and baby Leila.
- At a public hospital in Hungary, a pregnant Vicky sobbed. The baby’s father had left her, claiming that the child was not his. Vicky told the young nurse attending her that she could not afford to take care of a child. As she talked about the possibility of abortion, the nurse – who knew this preborn baby’s life was valuable – struggled over how to help Vicky. Imola, a Human Life International Hungary team member, arrived and assisted the nurse in providing Vicky with information on fetal development and resources that Vicky needed to choose life for baby Miklos. Throughout pregnancy and delivery, Vicky received help with medical bills. When her son was born, Vicky chose to let a Miklos be adopted by a loving, family through Human Life International Hungary’s parent adoption program. In a happy surprise, Miklos would be raised by the very same team member that brought lifesaving help to Vicky and the public hospital nurse. Imola and her husband would raise Vicky’s baby.
- Diane lived with her sister and their disabled father in Rwanda’s Gicumbi District when she found out she was pregnant by a man who promised her employment. When her father learned that Diane was expecting a child, he forbade her to return home, and she moved in with the baby’s father. The man who impregnated Diane wanted her to get an abortion or get out. When she reached out Human Life International Rwanda for help, Diane was desperate and tempted to abort her child. Pro-life counselors provided Diane with the guidance and material assistance that she needed to birth and parent baby Alpha.
- In Nigeria, a young bride, Chekwube, was told that a child would hurt her marriage. An abortionist convinced her to purchase a pill that would end her baby’s life in agony. Perpetua, a Human Life International trained nurse talked with the abortion-determined woman about choosing life. Because of this intervention, newlyweds Chekwube and Ugoo welcomed their newborn baby in time to celebrate Christmas 2023 as a family.
These stories are not unique. Human Life International’s work has saved countless preborn lives and rescued innumerable women from the pain of abortion since its 1972 inception. In Mexico City alone, more than 200,000 mothers have chosen life for their children as a result of the mobile ultrasound vans. In Hungary, thousands of frontline medical workers are supplied with fetal models and development materials, hotlines to pregnancy resource centers, and information on pro-life counseling and adoption programs. Similar Human Life International education initiatives train nurses in Nigeria and doctors in the Philippines to help pregnant mothers choose life.
About Human Life International
Human Life International is the only US-based authority on global life issues, including abortion, contraception, and end-of-life concerns. Human Life International is engaged in providing aid, training, and advocacy around the world and is the largest global pro-life organization, active in more than 100 countries on six continents. Human Life International provides resources and education on life issues from a Catholic perspective, while providing assistance around the globe, and prepares those training for and those active in ministry to address these matters in their vocation. For more information, visit hli.org.