Unplanned Chapter 10, 'The Hurricane'

This chapter was pretty short, but the two points that stand are:

1. Abortions are extremely profitable, especially later in the pregnancy.


2. Abby is horrified by late term abortions after the point of viability, around 21 weeks.


As I read further into this chapter, Planned Parenthood affiliate of Louisiana and Texas (totalling 12 clinics) were facing serious financial hardships in 2008 and they did all they could to cut costs.  Abby’s Planned Parenthood clinic ended up being the only profitable clinic in the affiliate due to the fact they were the only clinic that performed abortions.  An abortion procedure is extremely profitable and most abortions, earlier in the pregnancy, cost around $300-500. 

Site of Planned Parenthood Super Clinic

As the financial difficulties continued in 2008 leading into 2009, plans for the largest abortion clinic in the nation began (read more about this clinic).  This Houston abortion clinic would be seven stories tall and 78,000 square-feet.  An entire floor would be dedicated to abortion!  Plans to obtain a late term abortion license were put into place so that babies as late as 24 weeks in the womb could be aborted at this super clinic . . .  Abby explains her shock and uneasiness at the idea of late term abortions within her Planned Parenthood affiliate, especially knowing the beneficial income of each later term abortion, which range between $3,000 and $4,000 dollars.  Abby questioned if the new idea of performing late term abortions was to help make up for their financial loss.  


At this point, Abby’s pro-life view after age of viability and her desire to reduce the numbers of abortions was considerably shaken, and I think this was only the beginning of an even more serious struggle within Abby...

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If you’re reading Unplanned, and following along in  my blog, I encourage you to leave a comment sharing your thoughts or lessons learned thus far into the book.  What has stood out to you?

Order Abby’s book and join this discussion: http://www.unplannedthebook.com/

Checkout my reflectione from:

Chapter 1, ‘The Ultrasound’

Chapter 2, 'The Volunteer Fair'

Chapter 3, 'The Power of a Secret'

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights' 
Chapter 7, 'The Code of Conduct'
Chapter 8, 'My Enemy, My Friend'

Chapter 9, 'Irreconcilable Difference'

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington

Unplanned Chapter 9, 'Irreconcilable Difference'

For abortion or against abortion?   Abortion is okay at six weeks, but not at 22 weeks?  Throughout this chapter Abby shares about an inner and outer battle with her pro-abortion stance.  Whether aware at the time or not Abby would pick and choose when abortion was not okay, and when excuses were made to justify her pro-abortion position.

During a counseling session with a woman who was past 21 weeks along Abby was horrified that the woman insisted on having an abortion.  While she counseled the woman, Abby called the child in the womb a baby and not a fetus!  To her, the difference was that a child was at a viable age by about 21 week into a woman’s pregnancy.  Even though the abortion minded woman had the abortion procedure for the “viable” child in her womb explained to her, the woman didn’t care how it was done.  She just wanted the baby gone.  Reluctant and highly disturbed, Abby gave a referral to the woman for a clinic that performed late term abortions.  (I found it interesting that Abby used the same tactics as sidewalk counselors by talking about the horrific procedure and the development of the child in the womb.)

Later that evening Abby shared with her husband: "I just couldn't believe how casual she was about it!  I feel sick about it.  Just sick.  How can she say it's the same whether the pregnancy is six weeks along or twenty-three?  That's just ludicrous!" (Abby Johnson, Unplanned, 97)

After this comment Abby’s husband, Mark challenged her by asking if the child’s worthiness of life is any different because the pregnancy is further along?  With little response to Mark, Abby continued to question late term abortion and her inconsistency.  Abby later noted her friendship with notorious late term abortionist George Tiller and what a “kind” person he was, but she often wondered how he could justify performing late term abortions.  Abby’s battle within continued one day in church during a period of silence for a “confession of sin” where she struggled with the thought of whether or not to confess her involvement in abortion.

For me it’s incredible to see how people make judgment calls as whethere or not the action of abortion is okay or not depending on the babies age, size or development.  Abby is not the only person who feels this way.  I know some extremely pro-life people who believe that abortion is okay as long as it’s in the first trimester.  These are people whose beliefs we must challenge, because they are more likely to acknowledge the reality of the unborn child’s life, no matter how young or small.  They are also more apt to morn the loss of a child to a late term abortion than those who support all abortion.  Many people are unaware of the fact that abortion is legal through ALL 9 months of a woman’s pregnancy not just when people consider the child ‘a blob of tissue’ but moments up until the child is born.  We must educate and continue to challenge the pro-abortion position!

Order Abby’s book and join this discussion: http://www.unplannedthebook.com/

Checkout my reflectione from:

Chapter 1, ‘The Ultrasound’

Chapter 2, 'The Volunteer Fair'

Chapter 3, 'The Power of a Secret'

Chapter 4, 'The Cause'
Chapter 5, 'The Bond of Compassion'
Chapter 6, '40 Days and 40 Nights' 
Chapter 7, 'The Code of Conduct'
Chapter 8, 'My Enemy, My Friend'

Standing In Defence of the Voiceless,

Timmerie Millington