One of our leaders at Louisiana Right to Life, Associate Director Ryan Verret, has transitioned to a new role in our organization and in his life. He has moved from our staff to our organization's Board of Directors as he and his wife, Mary Rose, are now advancing their marriage ministry called
"
Witness to Love" on a full-time basis. We wish them well in their endeavors and offer our appreciation for all Ryan has done for life and will continue to do as a board member.
I was proud to join in the Life March in Alexandria on Feb. 4. The CenLA community has truly stepped up in its pro-life dedication, and we are excited to see their efforts save more lives in the coming years!
For a Pro-Life Louisiana,
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About 5,000 people participated in the Louisiana Life March Central in Alexandria-Pineville on Feb. 4. It was the final of three life march events in the state in the past month.
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2017's 1st PULSE Weekend in the Books!
Forty-one high school and college students from the New Orleans, Acadiana, and Baton Rouge areas attended last weekend's Baton Rouge PULSE Immersion Weekend, which featured great speakers, field trips, games and fellowship, calls to activism and the new college track.
Activities began Friday night with a discussion of who we are as pro-life people and how we can better build a pro-life culture and wrapped up with small group discussion and games.
On Saturday, PULSE included persuasion training, breakout sessions, fellowship, activism and field trips to the Louisiana State Capitol and the Woman's New Life Center. Students also reflected outside of Delta Clinic, Baton Rouge's abortion facility, located next door to WNLC.
On Sunday students heard moving testimonies from people intimately affected in some way by abortion, and the college track concluded with a session on Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide before being sent off with commissioning gifts and encouraged to be pro-life leaders.
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The next PULSE Immersion Weekend is set for April 28-30 at Covington's Camp Abbey.
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Truth Matters Tour Heads to Lake Charles
Louisiana Black Advocates for Life and the McNeese Students for Life will host "Truth Matters: The Black Advocates Pro-Life Tour" on Thursday, Feb. 23, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on the McNeese campus in Lake Charles.
The event will be held in the Old Ranch Building, adjacent to the dining hall, at 4205 Ryan St. A complimentary dinner will be served.
Topics will include personal testimony, the man's perspective, insurance and financial planning, and available resources in the Lake Charles area. The event will also feature a special presentation of MAAFA 21, a powerful film on the history of pro-life issues in the black community.
For more information, call Loretha Green, Black Advocates for Life of Southwest Louisiana, at 337-794-2965 or Lucas Orsot at 337-302-9621.
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Shreveport-Bossier Preparing for 40 DFL
 Former Planned Parenthood manager Ramona Trevino conducted a sidewalk counseling training session last weekend as the Shreveport-Bossier team prepare for the 40 Days for Life spring campaign (March 1 to April 9.
Shreveport-Bossier 40 DFL Coordinator Chris Davis also announced that
Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa of New Wave Feminsts will be the keynote speaker at the group's Kickoff Rally on Feb 25. That event begins at 10 a.m. at St. Jude's Catholic Church.
Shreveport-Bossier will also be the first stop of the 40 Days for Life Tour Bus, and the group will also hear from
Shawn Carney and
Steve Karlen from the
40 Days for Life national team.
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Pro-Life Oratory Contests This Month
High school juniors and seniors, show off your skills at your local Pro-Life Oratory Contest!
You can win cash prizes (up to $300) and the chance to compete nationally at the National Right to Life Convention this summer.
For more information and to register, or to host a contest in your region, CLICK HERE.
Upcoming contests:
* New Orleans: Feb. 16, Jesuit High School Room 329, 6:30 p.m.
* Lafayette: Feb. 23, Office of Pro-Life Apostolate, Diocese of Lafayette, 6-9 p.m.
Call Shanon Snyder at 866-463-5433 for more information.
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'Boy Without a Brain'
Progressing Remarkably
British Family Rewarded for Giving Noah a Chance to Live
By Dave Andrusko
Guest Columnist
On Saturday, Oct. 30, the British Department of Health announced it had approved what is euphemistically called the "Non-Invasive Pre-Natal Testing" for use by the National Health Service. It is a more accurate prenatal test that can be given earlier in pregnancy and is absolutely guaranteed to increase the number of eugenic abortions.
279 medical professionals wrote a letter of protest, which included commenting about a highly controversial consultation in which the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggested the "cost-effectiveness" of caring for people with Down syndrome could be considered as a factor. According to the Daily Mail, "It called for a 'rigorous economic analysis,' including lifetime care costs."
This recommendation came exactly one day after the Gospel Herald published a heartwarming story by Suzette Gutierrez-Cachila about 4-year-old Noah Wall, who, "against all odds" has "grown to be a lively boy and is living proof that abortion does not have to be the answer" when parents are given a dreadful prenatal diagnosis.
Early on in pregnancy, doctors told Noah's parents, Rob and Shelly Wall, their unborn son was riddled with physical challenges. They were told Noah was missing a quarter of his brain, would be paralyzed from the chest down, would suffer from spina bifida, would face a life-threatening condition called hydrocephalus, and would be threatened with the possibility of having the chromosomal abnormality called Edwards Syndrome.
"We were offered termination five times," Rob said in a recently released documentary, "The Boy Without a Brain." "It was never an option for us. To me, we wanted to give Noah that chance of life."
But given the devastating diagnosis and a "do not resuscitate" order placed on Noah, the Walls did arrange a funeral for him prior to his birth, assuming he would die in utero or shortly thereafter. Noah was born March 6, 2012, and "to their surprise," Gutierrez-Cachila wrote, "he let out a cry. Although he had health complications, hearing him cry and knowing he was alive was more than enough for Rob and Shelly to keep fighting for their son."
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At left is a scan of Noah's brain taken at birth. At right is a scan taken when he was 3, showing the brain had developed considerably, almost to full function.
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After he was born, scans showed Noah's brain was worse than previously expected, with only 2 percent present in a thin layer at the front of his head. Immediately, Noah was rushed into a double operation. Surgeons closed up of the hole in his back and inserted a shunt in the back of his head to help drain the fluid that was placing immense pressure on his brain. Both operations were successful.
Even though progress had been made, Noah would visit the hospital many times as he grew to be treated for his health complications. But Noah is now doing remarkably well. He scampers around using a wheelchair and braces. He continues to show signs of Improvement.
"He chooses things and makes decisions. He never shuts up, and he can sing as well," Shelly told the Daily Mail. "It is absolutely amazing. To look at him you wouldn't know there was anything wrong."
Most amazing of all, a brain scan taken when Noah was 3 showed his brain had developed considerably to almost full function. As the Daily Mail reported, Shelly said, "We just cannot believe it; he's a miracle. No one expected this to happen. We've had three years not knowing how long he's going to live, so to hear his brain's almost back to normal is beyond belief. Rob and I broke down when we heard the news. It was like a dream. I've never known anything like it, even the consultants were in tears."
Have the Walls ever regretted their decision to refuse abortion, given what they've been through and the prospect of future surgeries? Not at all. They are thankful to have Noah in their lives every single day and are working to raise awareness for spina bifida.
Noah should take a visit to the British Department of Health to remind them, and the entire world, that abortion should never be the solution. We never know when we are preventing a miracle like Noah.
Visit www.hugsfornoah.co.uk to learn more about Noah and watch portions of the recent documentary. Follow them on Twitter at @HugsForNoah
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Spring Legislative Elections
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House Candidates Asked About Life Issues
On March 25, elections will be held for three vacant Louisiana House of Representative seats - District 8, District 42, and District 92.
Candidates in each of these races were asked to complete Louisiana Right to Life's Legislative Questionnaire. Those responding answered 100 percent pro-life.
The District 8 seat was previously held by Republican Mike Johnson of Bossier City, who was recently elected to a U.S. House seat.
Candidates for that seat are Raymond Crews, Robbie Gatti, Patrick Harrington and Duke Lowrie (all Republicans), and each candidate answered the questionnaire 100 percent pro-life.
District 42 was previously represented by Democrat
Jack Montoucet of Crowley, who is now the Secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
Two Republicans, John Stefanski and Jay Suire, are candidates for that seat. Both answered the questionnaire 100 percent pro-life.
The District 92 seat was previously held by Republican Tom Wilmott of Kenner, who is now a member of the Kenner City Council.
Republicans Gisela Chevalier and Joe Stagni and Democrats Lee Ann Dugas and Chuck Toney are candidates for that seat.
Chevalier and Stagni answered the questionnaire 100 percent pro-life; Dugas and Toney have not responded.
If necessary, run-off elections will be held April 29.
Early voting is March 11-18 (except Sunday and holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the March 25 primary election; and April 15-22 (except Sunday and holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the April 29 general election.
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If you know candidates running for these seats, please ask them to quickly complete the questionnaire and return to us. If you meet or speak to a candidate, ask them how they answered the 2017 Louisiana Right to Life Questionnaire.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW QUESTIONNAIRE
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