March for Life - Washington, D.C.: Monday, January 24, 2005

PHL Mothers Day Carnation Sale (area churches): May 8, 2005

2005 Pennsylvania Pro-Life Convention:  Valley Forge, PA – Oct. 1-2, 2005

National Right to Life Committee Convention: Minneapolis, Minnesota
June 16, 17, and 18, 2005

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SIGNIFICANT DATES IN FETAL DEVELOPMENT

Fetal Development Milestones:

Day 1: Conception. A new individual life begins to grow.

Days 2-14: The cells divide, laying the groundwork for the body structure and placenta to develop.

Day 18: The heart begins to beat.

Day 20: The foundation for the nervous system is in place.

Weeks 3 & 4: The body takes form. Arms, legs, eyes, and ears become apparent.

Day 40: Brain waves can be detected.

Day 42: Skeleton is formed. Brain coordinates movement of muscles. The mother misses her second period.

All of these developments occur in the first six weeks.
Abortions typically occur after the first six weeks!

Week 8: Every body system is present. Fingerprints are forming. Thumb-sucking can be observed.

Week 11: The child begins to breathe the amniotic fluid.

Week 12: All body structures are present. There is nothing left for the infant to do, but mature and grow.

Week 14: Auditory sense is present.

Week 17: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) state, used to identify active dreaming, can be observed.

Week 18: The baby will respond to a bright light by shielding her eyes, and will respond to loud sounds by covering her ears.

Week 20: With care, the infant can survive outside the womb.

Month 4-5: The mother feels movement.

Month 6: The baby will now weigh about one pound.

Month 8: The baby now weighs over two pounds.

Month 9: The baby is ready for birth.

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AFFILIATE OF PA PRO-LIFE FEDERATION

The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation is located at:

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HOW TO CONTACT US

Our Telephone Number is :

Our e-mail Address is:

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OTHER CENTRAL PA PRO-LIFE GROUPS

Pro-Life Groups.

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I'M PREGNANT - I NEED HELP!

Central Pennsylvania pregnancy help:

Morning Star Pregnancy Services: 233-8666

Capital Area Pregnancy Center (24 Hour Hotline): 761-4411

Pennsylvanians for Human Life: 774:6156

Pennsylvania toll free pregnancy help hotline:

Project Women In Need (WIN): 1-888-LIFE-AID

National toll free pregnancy help hotlines:

CareNet: 1-800-395-HELP

Bethany Christian Services: 1-800-BETHANY

Birthright: 1-800-550-4900

Liberty Godparent Home: 1-800-542-4453

National Life Center: 1-800-848-5683

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RECENT NEWS

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PAST NEWSLETTER EXCERPTS

Pennsylvanians for Human Life was founded upon the principle of protecting human life from conception unto natural death. We especially abhor the violence inside abortion clinics which takes the lives of one-and-a-half million unborn Americans each year.

As has been stated previously, PHL also abhors and condemns violence outside of abortion clinics. The pro-life movement is and must always be a peaceful movement. It is the position of PHL that any violence on the part of pro-life activists contradicts the lifesaving mission of our movement and undermines efforts to save the lives of our endangered unborn.

I am constantly reminded of the privilege of being a Birthright (Morning Star) volunteer. No, it doesn't get you the best table in a restaurant, nor will I ever be mentioned in Who's Who. The reward is a deep satisfaction for having "been there" for someone who needs that help.

I remember a young woman, a college student, that called Birthright (Morning Star) one day. I'll call her Laurie. Laurie was afraid she was pregnant and wanted to come to Birthright (Morning Star) for a test. We worked out a time. Transportation was a problem, so I offered to pick her up. She accepted, and before too long, we were face to face. As we talked, Laurie began to open up. She admitted that if she were pregnant, she felt she had to have an abortion. She had a father and two sisters at home, and it was a stressful situation. She had recently split from her boyfriend.

I left Laurie with some prenatal development literature and went into another room to run the test. Five minutes later, I sat looking at a positive test. "Oh, God, please give me the wisdom and love to help Laurie," I said to myself. "Please touch her heart."

Laurie began to cry when I told her the test was positive. She felt trapped. She did not believe in abortion, but...she felt she had no choice.

I told Laurie that indeed there were other choices than abortion. If she would let her baby live, we would have time to face all the other problems. Our conversation touched on many things from that moment. Laurie talked about her mother. Bitterness showed in her voice as she shared the tragedy of her mother's bout with cancer and her subsequent death just three years earlier.

I listened and cried with her. We talked about God and Laurie's anger. We talked about her life and the direction in which it was going. We talked about the baby and abortion. I offered specific information when she seemed willing to hear it.

I wish I could say that when Laurie left that day, she had worked things out and everything was going to be OK. I can't. I knew a seed of doubt concerning her feeling of need to have an abortion had started to grow. I would pray that God would change that doubt to a certainty and help Laurie give life to her baby and ultimately to herself. We don't always know the outcome of each woman's situation, even though we strive to develop a relationship that will last throughout the pregnancy.

One day at a health fair, a woman approached our table. She had a little girl with her. When the daughter was distracted, the mother leaned forward and whispered that she had come to Birthright (Morning Star) five years ago. Glancing at the little girl, she added, "She's here today because of someone at your office." What a blessing and encouragement that was for us! Whether we see results, or are simply used to share someone's pain for a moment, it is indeed a privilege to be a Birthright (Morning Star) volunteer.

She hangs up the phone in disbelief. "Pregnant," keeps reeling in her mind. The technician congratulated her, but she couldn't feel excited. She feels overwhelmed. She talks with her doctor. "It's only tissue at this stage" — first lie. "Abortion is safe" — second lie. The baby's father leans on her, too. She believes abortion is the answer. She's always been pro-choice, so why not?

Following the abortion, she feels relief and her life goes on. She's free from the "burden," but not aware that abortion brings a lot of new burdens. The relief she feels is short lived. She goes into denial to cope with the reality that she destroyed her unborn baby's life.

As years pass, her pain and suffering begins. Her self-esteem dwindles. She becomes depressed and feels tremendous guilt and shame. She feels sorrow and grief, but has nowhere to go to mourn the loss of her aborted baby. She becomes involved in self-destructive behavior — alcohol abuse, promiscuity, and abusive relationships. She feels unworthy to live.

She also becomes angry and bitter — with herself, God and those she trusted during the time she made her decision.

Her heart aches during the anniversary date of her abortion, the month she conceived, and the anticipated delivery date. She becomes obsessed with her abortion, questions her decision, and cannot deal with her emotions. She is consumed with the thoughts day and night, sobbing most of the time. She feels hopeless.

This is a classic example of Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS). PAS is a type of post traumatic distress disorder.

Some other common symptoms of PAS:

If you or anyone you know is suffering from a past abortion, there is help! Local groups offer free and confidential post abortion counseling. They include Capital Area Pregnancy Center (761-4410), and Morning Star (233-8666). Counseling includes support group settings, and one-on-one. All calls are confidential.

OTHER INFORMATION

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HOW DO I VOLUNTEER?

Volunteers are needed in the following areas:

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ROE V. WADE INFORMATION

Understanding the ROE versus WADE Decision:

Twenty-four years ago, on those words of obvious uncertainty, the U.S. Supreme Court wagered the lives of the next generation of Americans, and lost. Since then, modern medical science has removed any doubt that the baby growing in the womb is a living person with a right to live. For an entire generation, legal abortion has violently killed thousands of children each day.

Roe v. Wade was aptly called "an exercise in raw judicial power" by a dissenting justice, because of its far-reaching effects, nullifying the laws of democratically elected legislatures from coast to coast in one bold stroke.

Here is summary of what Roe v. Wade and its companion case, Doe v. Bolton, actually said, and what the ruling did to laws regarding the right to life in America.

· Statutory prohibition of any abortion prior to "viability" was not allowed.

· After the preborn child reaches "viability," in the interest of promoting "the potentiality of human life," states would be allowed to outlaw abortion, unless in the physician's judgment, the abortion was necessary "for the preservation of the life or health of the mother," according to Roe. Roe further states that this is to be read in light of the health requirements laid out in the concurrent ruling of Doe v. Bolton. "That (Doe) opinion and this one, of course, are to be read together," Roe said. The court, in the Doe v. Bolton case, said, "Whether... an abortion is necessary is a professional judgment" to be left to the physician. "We agree... that the medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors—physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age—relevant to the well-being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health."

Thus, the court was opening the door for the abortionist to do abortions throughout pregnancy, so long as he saw fit to place it under a wide-open definition of necessity for the mother's health.

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THE EUTHANASIA AGENDA

Euthanasia: Facts to Ponder:

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