Life Network Australia – Wednesday, October 06, 2010You may recently have heard about Melissa Ohden considered a ‘voice for the voiceless’. Melissa miraculously survived an attempted saline abortion at around six months in the womb. After years of questioning she has emerged to tell her story of hope and triumph – to be a voice for the millions of babies who have not survived and the babies still being aborted today.
Melissa Ohden has had an enormous impact on those who heard her speak during her tour in Australia during September. In only three weeks Melissa spoke to over 2,000 people who attended events to hear her incredible story – high school students, the general public, business people, politicians, pregnancy support workers and others involved in various pro life fields and groups. Thousands more heard her speak on 5 different Australian radio stations and read about her in newspaper articles. She was on the front page of the Sunraysia Daily (Mildura local paper), with another large article on page four. She was involved in filming a television advertisement and YouTube footage, yet to be released.
Melissa demonstrated compassion and forgiveness when telling her story, and her audiences responded. Some with tears, sharing their own stories of abortion, or the stories of relatives or friends that impacted on them, some with gratitude that Melissa is here at all to tell her powerful story. On a topic that can be so divisive, Melissa engaged and embraced everyone that she came in contact with.
Some of the feedback from Melissa’s tour:
“Thank you for all you did in organising Melissa’s tour!!! Congratulations on the success of it all. It was wonderful to have Melissa visit Toowoomba. Her personal story, interwoven with the devastating effects of abortion on individuals and society, yet triumphing in wholeness and forgiveness, greatly impacted all who heard her. The Gala Dinner was a special and successful evening with Melissa’s speech being the highlight. She is a relaxed and gifted speaker who Emily’s Voice would be keen to invite again in the future. The filming in which Melissa was involved on the following day was carried out with ease and enthusiasm. Thank you for bringing Melissa to Australia!” -Emily’s Voice, Toowoomba.
“Melissa’s visit to Mildura was a bridge building exercise between those who already understand the damaging impact of abortion on lives both past, present and future, and those who had either not thought about it before, or had only experienced the righteous anger of those who oppose abortion. At Zoe Pregnancy Support we believe the often harsh features of the polemic divide or ‘anti/pro choice…abortion’ is unhelpful and destroys opportunity to bring hope and genuine choice to those who most need it. Melissa’s Social Work training underpinned her life story which speaks loudly for the truth about abortion in a gentle and powerful way. It is without doubt Melissa changed lives when she graced us with her presence and shared her life story… Thank you Life Network Australia. Thank you Melissa Ohden. We are in your debt. Together we have, and will continue to make a difference”. Anne Webster – Zoe Pregnancy Support, Mildura.
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