By Michael Ciccocioppo, Executive Director

ciccocioppo@paprolife.org

The pro-life movement in Pennsylvania and the nation suffered a great loss on Saturday, March 18, 2017 when Gary L. Cangemi died at the age of 62 in Scranton.

By Maria Gallagher, Legislative Director

Another abortion center is shutting its doors in Pennsylvania, as abortion giant Planned Parenthood has announced plans to close down its Easton, Pennsylvania facility at the end of March.

The center performed chemical abortions, which now account for more than a third of all abortions in Pennsylvania. According to figures released by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, non-surgical, also known as “medical” abortions, totaled 11,314 in PA in 2015, the latest year for which statistics are available. The total number of abortions that year was 31,818.

The facility’s closure is welcome news to a number of area residents, who believed the center was targeting teenagers because of its proximity to nearby schools.

Still, Planned Parenthood continues to operate a number of abortion centers in Pennsylvania.

A report in The Morning Call newspaper indicated Planned Parenthood Keystone, which has been running the Easton center, will be referring women to its Allentown abortion center, which also performs surgical abortions.

Interestingly enough, Planned Parenthood has also been closing facilities in Pennsylvania that do not perform abortions. Three Planned Parenthood centers in the state shut down in December alone, and another in southeastern Pennsylvania (Bristol) will reportedly cease operations at the end of March.

Planned Parenthood Keystone CEO Melissa Reed told The Morning Call the closings stemmed from a “market analysis” in August. “If we had health centers that are really close together and competing in the same market, it doesn’t make sense to have two buildings to support.” Reed said.

Fortunately, mirroring national trends, abortions have been on a downward trend in Pennsylvania. The total of 31,818 abortions in 2015 represented the fewest on record!

The miracle of ultrasound technology—which can show babies smiling, crying, even giving a “thumbs up” in the womb—have helped to humanize the unborn child and strengthened the mother-child bond. Pregnancy resource centers—which provide everything from diapers to day care referrals—have also provided the compassionate support which empowers mothers to reject abortion.

The tens of thousands of abortions which continue to occur in Pennsylvania are an epic tragedy. But the closure of one more abortion center offers renewed hope that the lives of more precious babies will be saved—and more women will escape the devastating grief caused by the loss of a child to abortion.

“Life” is getting a second chance in Easton, Pennsylvania—and that gives us all reason to rejoice!

March 20^th is World Down Syndrome day.  It is an opportunity to celebrate children with Down Syndrome and recognize that it is not a disease or a disability, just a difference that should be respected.

I remember my experience with Down Syndrome.  My wife was pregnant with our first child, and we couldn’t be more excited.  We were already planning a Pittsburgh Steelers themed nursery and could not wait.  We had just found out we were having a boy, and had a follow-up with the doctor.

The doctor gravely informed us that our child had a club foot, and that could be a sign of him having Down Syndrome.  He was recommending we go for additional tests so we could decide what we wanted to do.  Talk about a shocker…we weren’t sure what to do.  After a discussion of the benefits and drawbacks of the additional testing, I looked at my wife and told her if she wanted to have the test, we would, but that I wasn’t sure what the point was…whether our child had Down Syndrome or not, he was going to be loved and cherished.  Ultimately we decided not to have the test, and a few months later we were blessed with a healthy baby boy who happened to have club foot.  That baby boy will turn 11 four days after World Down Syndrome Day, and you wouldn’t know he had club foot by looking at him (see above for his 2015 soccer picture).

Now, I do not have any issue with parents who decide to get additional testing.  I can understand the impulse to know as much as possible about the new life you are beginning.  What is concerning is the number of people who determine their child may have Down Syndrome, or any of the other “abnormalities” the testing finds and decide to have an abortion which will kill their baby.  In fact, 93% of babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome are killed before they even have a chance at life (despite a 2.5% margin of error in the testing).

As we approach World Down Syndrome day, I encourage you to take a minute and get to know a child with Down Syndrome.  Consider that he or she is one of the 7% whose parents decided they were going to love their child no matter what, and they were going to give him or her an opportunity to live life to its fullest.