Abby Johnson's Story

In 2009, Abby Johnson was the director of a thriving Planned Parenthood clinic in Bryan, Texas.  By that time, she had been named Employee of the Year and invested 8 years of her life and career working for Planned Parenthood.  Her sincere desire was to help women who found themselves in need and in crisis.  In 2009, by God-incidence, Abby was asked to help an abortionist with an ultrasound assisted abortion.  For the first time, Abby observed with her eyes exactly what happens during an abortion procedure.  That moment became a tipping point for Abby.  In those brief moments, Abby faced her own crisis with her past and her present. 

To compound the horrifying aspect of observing the killing of a 13-week old baby in the womb, Abby came to the realization that Planned Parenthood’s agenda was not as much about helping women, but more so about making sure the organization’s bottom line financial numbers were in black ink.  She was specifically told by her superiors in the organization that abortion must be her top priority because that was where the money was.  When she resisted following this instruction, she was reprimanded and written up for not submitting to her superiors.  [For more information about Planned Parenthood's agendas, read Abby's article Exposing the Planned Parenthood Business Model (2011) and Mallory Quigley's opinion article Planned Parenthood's Main Agenda for Women is Abortion (2012).]

Shortly after assisting with that abortion in 2009, Abby walked away from her career and her office at Planned Parenthood.  Her sincere desire is still to help women, but along with it, she has been filled with an equally sincere desire to be a voice for the unborn and help bring an end to abortion.

I’ve been following Abby’s story in the news since she walked away from that Planned Parenthood clinic.  It has been exciting to watch her story unfold and to read of the many lives that have been touched and changed because of what God has been doing in her life. 

A few months ago, I had the privilege of attending one of Abby’s speaking engagements.  I was completely engrossed listening to her story of sudden realization about abortion along with the ugly facts about Planned Parenthood and their real agenda.  That night, as I listened to Abby speak, I jotted a few notes on an envelope.  When she spoke about the ultrasound assisted abortion that she had observed and helped with, she said (speaking of the baby), “As the doctor inserted the cannula into the uterus and brought it towards the baby, I saw the baby jump and recoil away from it.  The baby seemed frantic as it tried to move away from the instrument”.  Speaking of the baby’s mother, Abby said, “She had no idea that her baby needed her protection so desperately”.  She said she wanted to cry out “Stop!” and to tell the woman to order the doctor to stop what he was doing, but she did not.  She remained silent at that time and unable to take her eyes off the horrific scene being shown on the ultrasound monitor before her.  Of her role as a Planned Parenthood employee, she said she realized, “We had lied and betrayed all of these women who walked into our clinic".  She especially referred to the fact that one of the most frequent questions women would ask regarding abortion procedures was regarding if the baby would feel pain.  Abby shared with us that Planned Parenthood employees had received a memo from the organization stating that babies in the womb did not feel pain and that they were to firmly reassure their clients that was the case.  They were to specifically inform their clients that their babies could not feel anything during an abortion procedure.  As studies in medical science and life in the womb have progressed in recent years, it has been confirmed that babies in utero can feel pain, possibly as early as 8 weeks.  [For one news article regarding fetal pain, read House Bill Would Ban Abortions in DC Based on Fetal Pain (01/2012).  For a more scientific and medical article on fetal pain, read the following article by UC San Diego Department of Anesthesiology titled, Neurodevelopmental Changes of Fetal Pain (2007).]   Abby also talked about the fact that ultrasound machines are often used at Planned Parenthood clinics, just prior to an abortion procedure.  However, they are not used to show or describe to a woman her baby’s development and visible heartbeat. The ultrasounds are used so that PP personnel can determine the actual gestational age of the baby and charge the according fee for the abortion.  The further along the pregnancy, the higher the fee.

Today, I had the blessing of having the opportunity to read her auto-biographical book from cover to cover.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and absolutely love the great grace which is in Abby’s heart for all people, regardless of their stance on abortion.  Her story is touching, moving, and inspiring.  My heart broke as she recounted in her book the story of a young woman who arrived at the clinic (along with her 2 year old daughter and a friend) and how her mother and family stood at the fence weeping and pleading her to please not have an abortion while also offering her all kinds of help and support.  Reading Abby’s story, I was brought to tears as she described the moment when she suddenly knew she could not be responsible for any more abortions, emotionally walked out of her office, and drove down the street immediately seeking the help of the people at the Coalition for Life pro-life organization.

I highly encourage everyone to read her story:  Unplanned:  The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader’s Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line.

Her story is a loud proclamation of God’s boundless grace!

You can also view an interview with Abby on the YouTube video below.