An American woman who survived an abortion has shared her pro-life message in the Republic of Ireland.
Claire Culwell was born two and a half months premature, after her brother was aborted.
She now travels the world to encourage expectant mothers to choose life and was speaking at pro-life rallies last week.
Aborted
Claire’s mother Tonya was 13 years old when she became pregnant and five months into the pregnancy, she underwent an abortion.
Doctors removed Claire’s twin brother from one amniotic sac, but Claire was left undetected.
When discovered, doctors decided it was too dangerous to perform a second abortion.
Claire was born two weeks later.
‘Very hard’
Tonya took care of Clare for two days, before leaving her in the hospital.
Claire said: “I stayed at the hospital until my adoptive parents picked me up at two and a half months old. I was just five pounds.”
Claire explained that it was “very hard” for Tonya at the time.
‘Heartbroken’
“She said she wishes there had been a place back then, maybe a home that could have helped her learn how to be a mom so she could have kept her baby.”
Claire added that Tonya was “heartbroken” as her own mother’s answer “was to get rid of the baby”.
Claire had her first face-to-face meeting with her nine years ago.
‘Deserve better’
She said her pro-life stance has now become even more personal since she became a mother herself.
“I look at my daughter often and think, if that abortion had taken my life, my little girl wouldn’t be here.”
“I truly believe that women, men, families and children deserve better”, she added.
Referendum
The Irish constitution’s Eighth Amendment pledges to “defend and vindicate” the equal right to life of the unborn and the mother, “as far as practicable”.
Voters will be asked whether or not to repeal the amendment on Friday, 25 May.
The wording would then be replaced with: “Provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancies.”
If the country votes in favour of repeal, the Government has said it will introduce legislation to allow for abortion on demand during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.