Abortion survivor Gianna Jessen asks Obama to protect the unborn in new ad

Abortion survivor Gianna Jessen asks Obama to protect the unborn in new ad: "Abortion survivor Gianna Jessen asks Obama to protect the unborn in new ad

Gianna Jessen / Sen. Barack Obama

Washington DC, Sep 17, 2008 / 02:07 am (CNA).- Abortion survivor Gianna Jessen is featured in a new advertisement questioning Obama’s repeated opposition to legislation that would have protected infants who survive abortions. “If Barack Obama had his way, I wouldn’t be here,” she charges.

As an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama opposed the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act in three separate attempts to pass it. In 2002, identical federal legislation passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 98-0.

The Illinois legislature did not pass a state version of BAIPA until 2005, after Obama had left that legislative body.

The new advertisement, from the 527 organization BornAliveTruth.org, shows abortion survivor Gianna Jessen asking:

“Can you imagine not giving babies their basic human rights, no matter how they entered our world? My name is Gianna Jessen, born 31 years ago after a failed abortion. I’m a survivor, as are many others…but if Barack Obama had his way, I wouldn’t be here. Four times, Barack Obama voted to oppose a law to protect babies left to die after a failed abortion. Senator Obama, please support born alive infant protections. I’m living proof these babies have a right to live.”

Jessen was the victim of an attempted saline solution abortion which was performed on her then-17-year-old mother in the third trimester of her gestation. The saline solution burned Jessen’s body for eighteen hours until she was delivered at a Los Angeles County abortion clinic at a weight of 2 lbs.

Her cerebral palsy resulted from the attempted saline solution abortion. Though doctors did not expect her ever to be able to hold up her head, sit up, crawl, or walk, she began to walk by the age of three.

Jessen, who was later adopted, now walks with a slight limp and runs marathons.

In remarks published in a press release, Jessen explained the reasons for her participation in the ad campaign:

“I want people to understand that there are babies born from failed abortions. No matter how they came to us, these babies are living and breathing human beings and deserve the same protections as the rest of us.

“Unfortunately, Barack Obama voted four times against affording these babies their most basic human right. I don’t trust Senator Obama on this issue given he voted against these protections four times as a state Senator. Just as abuse victims or rape victims share their stories to educate the public, fight for the common good and hope that as a result politicians do what’s right, I felt it was important to come forward and give these newborn babies a voice.”

According to the website of BornAliveTruth.org, the advertisement is now airing in Ohio and New Mexico. The advertisement is also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKj109ZST3g"