| When I was 15, I met a 17-year-old Choctaw Indian from Oklahoma, and we began dating. Suspecting I was pregnant, my mother took me to the family doctor who confirmed I was. Neither my mother nor my doctor mentioned abortion. I had never heard the word, nor did I know what an abortion was. Like so many other young ladies during that time, (1976), I had to lay down my dreams of running track in hopes of a scholarship and becoming a nurse. During my 11th grade year I quit school as my pregnancy became obvious. At the age young age of 16, I married and gave birth to a son. Shortly after his birth, I moved to Calfornia to begin my new life as a Marine wife and mom. I had just turned 17. During my son’s first birthday party, I recognized the familiar symptoms of “morning sickness.” At the insistence of my husband, I was to start a business college in the fall of that year in hopes of bringing in extra income for the family. We were barely surviving on enlisted pay. While driving around one day, I saw a sign offering free pregnancy tests. Needing to confirm that I was pregnant, I walked in. I left with three statements playing over and over in my head: “It’s just tissue;” “It’s like pulling a tooth;” and, “Your life will be back to normal.” With those words, the counselor introduced me to abortion. After telling my husband what the counselor said, he advised me to have an abortion as he felt we could not afford another child. As my husband drove me to the center early that morning, I ignored the uneasy feeling I had in the pit of my stomach. Not long after I arrived, my name was called. What I remember from that day was that the pain was so horrendous, I became unconscious. When I awoke I was covered in blood and sweat. It was as if I had taken a shower. I was shaking uncontrollably and couldn't stop crying. In only the terms that I know how to describe, it felt like a part of me died that day, and it did. I walked out of there a different person. What was supposed to be quick and simple lasted all day. When I returned home, I bled heavily for three days. I did not know this was called hemorrhaging. I knew I should to go to the hospital, but I didn’t. Miraculously I survived, but I experienced a type of shame I had never known before. A silence that took away my voice; I vowed to never speak about what had happened. For the first time in my life, I entertained suicidal thoughts. My next two pregnancies were not normal. I started to develop physical illnesses, migraines, seizures, depression, psychiatric problems, including hospitalization. I missed moments of bonding with my other children during that time that I cannot get back. For the next 22 years, shame and silence took over my life. Ironically, the same month I had my abortion, July of 2001, I stumbled upon a poem I had written many years earlier in a journal. “Rescue the lame where you were put to shame, I'll renew your faith and bring you to fame.” I said a little prayer after reading that poem asking for direction in what it meant. Eight months later the answer came in the form of an affidavit for women who had been hurt by abortion. Shortly after my affidavit was submitted, I received a call from a lady who asked me to speak to the Oklahoma state representatives in hopes of bringing other women forward to speak the truth about abortion through press conferences in our State Capitol and the Capitol of the United States. After much thought and consideration, I made the choice to come out of the shame and silence. In making that decision, I not only gained MY voice, but I gave voice to my child – a child that I later learned was between 12 and 14 weeks, had fingers and toes, and could feel pain. My abortion was not quick and simple as promised. It was a choice with lifelong consequences, which is the story of thousands of women now coming forward. Today with 3-D and 4-D technology, women are still being told abortion is quick and simple. It’s time the truth continued to be told through whatever means we have such as affidavits, courts, media, print and journalism. The life of our nation de-pends on it. We must be “Silent No More.” |
| Cynthia has mobilized women to come forward and speak the truth about abortion through press conferences at the State Capitol in Okahoma City, OK.2003- 2007; speaking engage- ments,Washington D.C. 2003-2011; and, Life After Abortion, Congres- sional Screening. Cynthia is represented on amicus briefs in U.S. Supreme Court cases, including the Motion to overturn Roe v Wade; Gonzales v Carhart (the Partial Birth Abortion case); and, Acuna v Turkish. Cynthia has participat- ed in 40 Days for Life and featured in inter- views on Fox News (local); Tulsa World Radio with Carmen Pate; KFAQ Radio; ORU Communique Magazine,Tulsa, OK; and, the book, Mother- hood Interrupted. Cynthia is the mother of three sons and was a Marine wife for 14 years. She graduated from Sawyer Business College, Anaheim, CA in 1979. She attended Oklahoma State University 1992-1995, Still-water, OK, majoring in Special Education. She has served on mission trips to Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas with the OSU- Baptist Student Union while attending College. Cynthia resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is a senior at ORU, major- ing in Public Relations and Media. Cynthia is available for speaking. Contact us if you would like to schedule Cynthia to speak -- TLC4Anne@aol.com |
| Cynthia Carney Oklahoma |
| Art by Cynthia |
| "... it felt like a part of me died that day … I experienced a type of shame I had never known before.” |
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