Mother of Abortion Survivor with Cerebral Palsy: ‘She’s a Blessing’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who on Thursday signed pro-life legislation protecting unborn children from abortion at 15 weeks, was flanked by members of the pro-life movement during the press conference, including Terri Kellogg, who shared the story of her daughter, who is an abortion survivor.

“I want to tell you a little bit about how my life, my daughter’s life, started when — Hope is an abortion survivor,” Terri began, as she stood next to her daughter, who has cerebral palsy.

“When she was 10.5 weeks gestation, that’s the first trimester, her birth mother went and had an abortion,” she said, explaining that Hope’s mother “left that day believing that she had the abortion.”

“But God had spared her life,” Terri said, explaining that little Hope “continued to grow in secret until she was 5.5 months and then she [Hope’s birth mother] felt movement.”

At that point, however, her birth mother “decided to choose life” and give her up for adoption. At the time, Hope’s birth mother did not know there were any issues with her baby until she delivered two months early, at 32 weeks.

“Hope weighed 3 pounds, six ounces,” she said, explaining that Hope had a “large injury to her forehead back to her right ear from the 10-week failed abortion, where the skull and the scalp had been cut.”

“And it was jagged and her brain was exposed and there was extra skin pushed down on one side,” she said. “And that’s when it came to light what had happened at the failed abortion from the instrument that was used. And Hope had many complications when she was born that God brought her through.”

“That was 30 years ago,” Terri said. “She survived, and then we came into the picture.”

She described her daughter, whom she adopted when Hope was just 3 months old, as  “a fighter” and “a blessing.”

“She’s been fighting since the 10.5-week abortion, and to even the first month of her life that she was fighting. She has cerebral palsy as a result, and she still has the scar on her head,” Terri said.

“She’s a blessing to everybody that knows her. She’s a friend to all. She describes herself that way, and she’s an encourager. She’s a peacemaker. Her life has great value, and we love her and she loves talking,” she continued.

“She would want to be talking right now. It would be off topic,” she said to laughs.

“When I look at her and I see her scar, I’m reminded of how God spared her life. I’m reminded that she survived an abortion when there’s 2,363 babies that don’t survive it daily. And her scar, it gives evidence to what’s done in secret,” Hope’s mother added, expressing gratitude for her daughter.

“I’m thankful to her birth mother for choosing life when she was given a second chance, and, I’m thankful–my heart is full–to be here with all of you that have done so much to stand for life and be a voice for those that don’t have a voice,” she added.

“We’re glad to be able to share our story too, and thank you for having us,” she said.

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