Dana and Burrell M. have hearts the size of Texas. Their willingness to follow where God calls them has enabled many lives to be saved from the evils of abortion and euthanasia. Read their story. Be encouraged.
We married in 1968 and I must admit that we had no idea what was involved in an abortion. We knew they happened, and we had a sense they were wrong. But, we were like most of American in those days -uninformed. The Navy transferred my husband to the Philippine Islands where we lived from January 1971 until June 1973. We never heard of Roe v. Wade or that the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973.
We had difficulty conceiving and I miscarried twice. We had our first long anticipated child on March 29, 1973 at the Naval Hospital at Subic Bay, Philippines unaware that abortion was now legal in the United States.
When we returned to the United States, we became friends with another military family who was active in the Pro-Life movement. I remember sitting at their kitchen counter, our toddlers playing nearby, when abortion was brought into the conversation. We were all living in Bowie, Maryland and they were going down to Washington, D.C. to protest the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. I remember saying I would NEVER have an abortion, but that I thought each person should decide that for themselves with their physician. My friend gently asked me to pray about that and find out more about abortion. And God began to grow us!
As a new Christian, I did just what she asked. So our journey with abortion truly began. I am continually amazed how loving, long suffering, and patient God is with His children as He leads them to the truth! Our second child was born in 1976 at the Naval Academy Hospital just before we moved to Omaha, Nebraska. I was home alone a lot while my husband was deployed; as a mother of two small children with no family near, friends and faith were my rocks. And God kept growing us!
We moved back to Texas as strong Pro-Lifers in 1984 when my husband retired. Once back in Texas we discovered the Pregnancy Resource Center in Abilene and began attending meetings, learning about the Pro-Life movement, and contributing financially. I tried to watch the documentary, “The Silent Scream” but did not have the courage. I read “Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation” by Ronald Reagan and came to realize that with knowledge came responsibility. Along the way we discovered Texas Right to Life and the rest is history. And God kept growing us!
I went back to college in 1991 and became a Registered Nurse. I will never forget the excitement of an OB rotation and seeing my first baby delivered. The second OB rotation was different; a mother was in labor, but not for a joyous occasion. This sweet mother was in labor, delivering twins who had died in utero. My heart broke. I will never forget that couple holding their babies, loving on them, and saying goodbye. Abortion steals, kills, and destroys families! I knew I could never work as a nurse for or with a physician or at a facility that did abortions. And God kept growing me.
During my nursing career I taught for a short time in a nursing program. During the OB-GYN rotation I found new courage from God’s growth in my life and showed the film “The Silent Scream” to my nursing students, the very film I did not have the courage to previously watch. The film moved many of the students to tears, which led to discussion about was abortion really was. It was an eye-opener for those students as part of their nursing education. I am grateful God gave me the opportunity to discuss abortion. Knowledge is winning the war against the culture of death. And God kept growing us and others!
My husband retired again in 2009 and I followed in 2011. We became involved with a local pregnancy center, The Open Door in Cisco. After volunteering there, we worked with the Ministerial Alliance in Breckenridge, Texas to bring a sister Open Door center to Breckenridge.
In 2013 Texas Right to Life was leading the movement behind significant Pro-Life bills in Austin. God laid on our heart that we needed to go to Austin and testify on House Bill 2 (HB2), the bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks when the preborn baby could feel pain. Both of us testified at the committee hearing. We returned a second time and submitted written testimony from a friend who chose to give up her baby for adoption while in college rather than abort. On our third and final visit time back to support HB2, we took a local senior from the high school whose family was active in the Pro-Life movement. Her mother is now the director at The Open Door in Breckenridge. And God kept growing us and others exponentially!
Over time God has defined who we are in the Pro-Life movement and how we can make a difference. Each of us has a sphere of influence. We need to show up, speak up, and stand up, with firm commitment, compassion, and love. God is responsible for the harvest, but we need to do our part. We are delighted to support the Dr. Joseph Graham Fellowship for College Pro-Life Leaders, attend dinners, and meet these up and coming young people who are our hope for the future. We believe we will defeat the culture of death through education of those younger than we are. Abortion rates are going down, not up. We became involved in campaigning for our State Representative, Mike Lang, because we know he is Pro-Life. We are proud of our State Senator, Charles Perry, and his stand for Life. We are going as delegates to the Texas State Republican Convention in San Antonio this summer and will be taking Pro-Life resolutions from Texas Right to Life. We believe God is not yet finished with us in the Pro-Life movement! He continues to grow us.