The Daily Signal - Woman Who Survived 2 Abortion Attempts Shares Her Message to Pro-Choice Activists

Episode Date: May 6, 2022

Denisha Workizer was in her 40s when she learned her mother had tried to abort her not once, but twice.  With the Supreme Court apparently set to overturn its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade, Workizer says, she wants pro-abortion activists to consider that we “empower women by empowering life." "It's not empowering for a woman to kill her child,” she adds. Today, Workizer works with The Abortion Survivors Network, an organization that helps other survivors find hope and peace in their own stories.  She joins "The Daily Signal Podcast" today to share her personal story of survival as well her message to both pro-choice and pro-life Americans.  Also on today’s show, we cover these stories: The Biden administration is trying to weed out “disinformation,” but Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., says he doesn't trust the government to determine what is and isn't disinformation.  In a speech on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announces that Democrats will force a vote on legislation to codify Americans' access to abortion.  Pro-abortion activists plan protests outside the homes of the Supreme Court's six conservative justices.  Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This is the Daily Signal podcast for Friday, May 6th. I'm Doug Blair. And I'm Virginia Allen. Deniseia Workizer was in her 40s when she learned her mother had tried to abort her, not once, but twice. Denisea is one of many abortion survivors and today works with an organization called Abortion Survivors Network, helping men and women find healing and hope in their story. Denisha joins the show today to explain what it was love. like to learn. She is a survivor of two abortion attempts. Before we get to Virginia's conversation

with Denisea War Kaiser, let's hit our top news stories of the day. The government is trying to weed out disinformation, but Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky says he does not trust the government to determine what is and is not disinformation. Under Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the department has announced a new disinformation governance board. Immediately, Republicans began expressing concerns. Senator Paul questioned and challenged Mayorkas on the purpose of the Disinformation Board during a Senate hearing this week per Forbes. I think you've got no idea what disinformation is, and I don't think the government's capable of it. Do you know who the greatest propagator of disinformation in the history of the world is?

The U.S. government. Are you familiar with McNamara, the Pentagon Papers? Are you familiar with George W. Bush and the weapons of mass destruction? Or you're familiar with Iran-Contra. I mean, think of all the debates and disputes we've had over the last 50 years in our country. We work them out by debating them. We don't work them out by the government being the arbiter. I don't want you to guard brails.

I want you to have nothing to do with speech. You think we can't determine, you know, speech by traffickers as disinformation? You think the American people are so stupid they need you to tell them what the truth is? Mayorka said the purpose of DHS and the disinformation board is to protect the security of the homeland. In a speech on the floor of the Senate Thursday, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that Democrats would force a vote next week on legislation to federally codify access to abortion. Schumer said, come next week, Senate Republicans will have to answer for everything they've done over the years to embolden the hard-rights hostility against a woman's choice. They will not be able to hide from the American people and cannot hide their role in bringing Roe to an end. The vote will tell next week.

America will be watching. However, that vote is likely to fail as it won't be able to overcome the 60-vote threshold needed to break filibuster. This will mark the second time Democrats have attempted to pass legislation to federally enshrine abortion access. Last February, the body voted on the Women's Health Protection Act, which failed 46 to 48. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, voted with Republicans in striking down that bill, which contained a finding section that asserted abortion restrictions perpetuated white supremacy and were tools of gender oppression. Schumer said the vote on the bill would likely occur Wednesday. Pro-abortionists are planning protests at the homes of the conservative Supreme Court justices.

The planned protests are in response to the court appearing to be set to overturn Roe v. Wade. activists going by the group name Ruth Sent us have published the supposed addresses of justices Amy Coney Barrett, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch. The group states on its website that our 6-3 extremist Supreme Court routinely issues rulings that hurt women, racial minorities, LGBTQ+, and immigrant rights. We must rise up to force accountability. using a diversity of tactics. The group says that they plan to protest at the justices' homes on May 11th. Police are responding to the threat and are reported to be protecting the homes of the six justices. California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, says that men could not get pregnant,

affirming basic biology, but running afoul of current woke ideology. The governor made that statement on his Twitter account Wednesday. Newsom tweeted, if men could get pregnant, this wouldn't even be a conversation. This decision isn't about strengthening families. It's about extremism. It's about control. We will fight for the right to choose. Conservative commentators quickly called the governor out for his statement,

mocking him for forgetting that, according to current far-left thought, women who identify as men can still get pregnant. Seattle radio host Jason Rance tweeted, lazy and overused. Talking point aside, it was just a few months ago when Democrats claimed it's not just women who can get pregnant. MRC TV contributor Brittany Hughes wrote how quickly the left is to abandon their non-binary soapbox the moment it's no longer convenient.

It's all political theater with these fools. Now stay tuned for my conversation with abortion survivor, Denisea Workheiser. Conservative women, conservative feminists. It's true. We do exist. I'm Virginia Allen, and every Thursday morning on problematic women, Lauren Evans and I sort through the news to bring you. stories that are of particular interest to conservative leaning or problematic women.

That is women whose views and opinions are often excluded or mocked by those on the so-called feminist left. We talk about everything from pop culture to politics and policy. Plus, we bring you an exclusive interview with a problematic lawmaker or conservative activist every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Search for problematic women wherever you get your podcasts. And we are also problematic on social media. So be sure to follow us on Instagram. Americans are all processing the apparent reversal of Roevey Wade in their own way. But for men and women who have survived abortions, the Supreme Court's decision on the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization is personal. And joining us today is Deniseo Workizer, an abortion survivor and member

of the Abortion Survivors Network. Denisea, thank you so much for being here with us today. Virginia, thank you for having me. Before we dive too deep into your story, would you just take a minute and tell us what is the Abortion Survivors Network? The Abortion Survivors Network is actually the only organization that serves survivors and their families.

And by survivors of abortion, we mean the babies who were actually aborted. You know, we were tempted to be aborted, but the abortion procedure failed. And so we serve survivors. We serve their families. We have survivors from infants all the way up into their 80s. So it's pretty amazing. There's a lot of us out there.

Wow, that is amazing. And when I first heard your story, I was really amazed because you survived multiple abortion attempts, which I didn't even know was possible. So let's start at the beginning of your story. Why did your mom decide that she wanted an abortion? You know, I found out at 42 years old that my mom had had these two procedures that I'll tell you about. And my mom passed away when I was 23. So everything I have heard has come from my dad and my sister and other family members.

But basically, my mom was not married when she found out she was pregnant as she was a little bit older for that time period in the 7th. 70s. And she had an 18-year-old daughter, no kids in between, and she was in some trouble with the law at the time. So really, she felt like she didn't have a choice maybe? Yeah. And it was just a couple years after Roe v. Wade, you know, was turned. So it was legal. And yeah, she didn't feel like she had another choice. And I think she felt a little bit alone. There were a lot of voices speaking into her during that season as well. Okay. Okay. So she decides. I'm going to have an abortion. What happens?

So in October of 1975, she found out that she was pregnant. And in November, she had, it wasn't on the market at the time, but she had access to what we now know is the abortion pills. And so she took, in November, she took four white pills. The first two were to stop my heart from beating. And then the second two essentially were to have her body expel the baby and me. And so she did that. in November. And that is what is now available even by Talamed in today's world. Back then, it was really, you couldn't, you had to have connections to get it. And so that was in November.

To her surprise in December, she found out she was still pregnant with me. So then she went in to the hospital and she had a DNC abortion procedure. And what is, what is a DNC, if you don't mind just explaining that for a minute? Absolutely. A DNC is where the doctor goes in and basically scrapes the mother's uterus, and removes any tissue, removes the baby from, from her uterus. So your mom goes in, she has that procedure, then what happens? So in February, now at this point, in November when she took the pills, her body reacted as if it was successful. As far as, you know, she had bleeding. She reacted as if it was successful, but December found out it wasn't in February to her big time shock. She found out she was four to five months pregnant

in February. So neither one of those procedures worked. And I was born full term in July of 1976. Wow. Wow. Okay. So your mom tries to have an abortion twice, neither are successful. You're born. And like you say, you were in your 40s when you found out that this had happened. Wow. So what, as you started to learn your story, what did you uncover about kind of your mom's reaction at that time when she had you and realized, okay, this is another child that is coming into the world? Yeah. At the time, being four to five months pregnant when she had the pregnancy confirmed after both attempts, she, at that point, it was illegal for her to pursue another abortion. procedure. Today, in many states, it would not be that case, right? And today, you know, it could have been a successful procedure in the end. So, yeah, I was born in July, and my mom, my biological mom raised me. Many of us as survivors are placed for adoption, and some of us are raised by her

biological parents. So my mom was basically a single mom and raised me until 23, and she passed away with that information. And from what I hear, it was a lot of guilt and a lot of things that she was carrying emotionally around because of those attempts. But she woke up every day and raised me. So I will tell you it's a shock to find out at 42. That's part of your story. How did you find out?

So I found out through my dad and through my biological sister. Okay. And did they just decide, hey, it's. it's time for her to know we need to tell her? It was actually, I started asking questions and probing and just asking a lot of questions in that. And I actually asked my dad, did my mom consider having an abortion with me? Because the New York law had passed, I found out in 2019, my story. And so the New York law had just passed allowing abortion up to birth. And to me, having not a foot in the pro-life world at all, I was taken back by that. You know, it just, that really shocked me.

So when that came out, I was talking to my husband. I said, I wonder if my mom ever considered having an abortion with me. And I just really felt prompting to ask my dad. And then a whole other story came out that not only did she consider it, but she actually attempted it. So, yeah, that was a big shock. I found out that in the same year in 1975, when she had the two procedures, I was one of 165, 550 legal abortions in the state of California. But I survived them.

And what were those thoughts that were running through your head as you're sitting there with your dad? And he's telling you, yeah, your mom did try to have an abortion, not once but twice. Yeah, I think you began to question everything for me. I began to question everything in my life. You know, what else was a lie? The feelings of rejection, of abandonment, of not being worthy. All of those things really came to surface in a pretty big way. for me. And how then did you kind of begin to try and tackle those? Because I think that's so

normal. And like, of course, you would have been feeling those feelings. And probably in that moment, you felt like a lot of things in some ways made sense. So you kind of understood the root of maybe where some of those feelings have been coming from. But then it's an entirely other thing to begin to kind of tackle those things in your own life and figure out how you actually overcome those. So I remember walking by my computer. You know, Google can tell us all, right? And I remember thinking, is this a thing? You know, is this a thing? Do babies survive abortion? And it took me a while. I went to counseling right away. I knew that that was something I needed to tackle. And one day I googled, it was like, my computer called me almost like warm chocolate chip cookies from the kitchen.

And it was like, you don't want to, but you kind of do. So then one day I finally sat down and Googled, baby survive abortion. And what I found was the abortion survivors network. And so I found other people. There's a big thing I think that takes place when you believe that you're the only one that's ever happened to. Yeah. And so I think that made a big difference was to find other people who'd experienced the same emotions, the same effects, all of the things. And we had a lot more in common than I could have imagined. So that was my next step, was finding other people that I could heal with. And that's where I found the abortion survivors network. Do we know about how many babies have survived abortion?

Do we have any sense of those numbers? We have a little bit of a sense. In the United States alone, we're estimating approximately 17,000 babies who have survived. And that's based on survivals that get reported. We know that there's some that do not. But just doing the math on that, we're estimating in the U.S. about 17,000 survivors. And so far, we have found.

a little over 600 survivors are just at 600 survivors worldwide now. So we have many survivors in other countries as well. And what that world number would be is unknown because the amount of abortions in the U.S. is around 62 million since Roe v. Wade. And now in the world, though, it is an unfathomable number. So worldwide, who knows? But in the U.S., we know that there's about 17,000 survivors and we're here to support them. Wow. Do you have any like long-term health repercussions from those attempted abortions? I know that that can be common among abortion survivors. Absolutely. No, I do not. I have nothing that I can directly put back to those attempts. That's wonderful. That's really good to hear. For you personally,

were you pro-life before you found out your own story? It was. We, support our local pregnancy center. And we had done that for years. But I, if you would have told me, I was a pastor for 10 years. So if you would have told me that I would be stepping out and this is where, you know, you're going to jump into, I would have thought, no way. I know nothing about that. And then I realized I knew a lot more about it than I, that I knew. So yeah, no, yes, we were pro life. My family is pro life. And then we found ourselves in this situation. So we found a whole lot more family that we didn't even know we had in Survivor. So now we definitely are active and very, very vocal about our thoughts. Yeah. So at this time in history and in the news cycle,

we are seeing that the justices at the Supreme Court look poised to overturn Roe versus Wade. When you learn that, when you heard that, okay, for, you know, this law that has been in place for nearly 50 years is going to be overturned at the federal level that there will no longer be this right to abortion. What were some of the thoughts that immediately popped into your head? I think anytime we hear about abortion in the news in any way, for survivors, it feels very personal. And so for me personally, I know that I felt very hopeful to hear that, you know, this is kind of where we were leaning. So yeah, I think very hopeful in believing that this will go back to the states. I mean, I wish, to be honest, I wish that this did

change abortion for the U.S. as a whole, but I know that this will then turn it back to the states for them to decide what's going to happen within, you know, their area. So, yeah, yeah, the journey is really just beginning for the pro-life movement in so, so many ways. You know, for four other survivors, and I know as you're having conversations with other abortion survivors, What is it going to mean to you? What is it going to mean to them if Roby Wade is overturned? I think we're going to have a lot of work to do. I think that our voices to sort of be that voice of choice, you know, that face that says, you know, I am that choice that we're deciding and we're talking about. I think we're going to have a lot of work ahead of us. But I think that it is also very empowering. You know, we definitely believe that life empowers and that. empowering women involves life. And so I think that we have a lot of work cut out for us in that, but it is very hopeful for us as well. Yeah. You know, we we don't often hear the stories of survivors.

I think that's changing slowly. We're starting to hear those stories more and more thanks to people like yourself and the Abortion Survivors Network. What do you think is needed for survivors to be comfortable sharing their stories? Well, I think first healing. I'm the healing program coordinator for the abortion survivors network. So I have the privilege of walking along survivors, walking alongside them as they either discover their story or begin to heal from their story. And it is really a beautiful process. And we've had people step into Melissa Odin has written amazing healing curriculum for us that's just for us because again, there's nothing out there for abortion survivors besides the survivor network. And as we walk through that, there's a something that

happens as we heal and we find community and connection. And that sort of leads to a sense of belonging that when I stand on a platform, I speak nationwide. I'm on behalf of the Survivors Network and sharing my own story. And when I stand up on a platform, I know that I'm not standing there alone. I know that I really have arms linked with all of the other amazing survivors. So there's a healing process that we definitely have to go through first, and there's somewhat of an empowerment that comes out of that. And I think once healing happens, you know, people can argue with our opinion, but they can't argue with our experience. What's your message to the pro-abortionists right now, the people who are protesting and shouting that, you know, Roe v. Wade is a right, and

abortion is there right? What would you want to tell those folks? I would say that we empower women by empowering life, that it's not empowering for a woman to kill her child. And I know that there's a lot of different opinions out there. There's a lot of different stories out there. And boy, if we had an hour, we could tackle every situation that people really hone in on. But I believe that abortion is a trauma and that that is putting another trauma on a woman who is already experiencing a hardship. So I think there are a lot of opportunities out there for just different organizations to be able to serve the women who find themselves in those places. So I would ask, people who are pro-abortion, I would ask them to do their research and to be really, to open

their minds a little bit and not to lock in so tight on an opinion, but to understand what they're standing for. Yeah. And what about to the pro-life movement? Because at this moment in history, everything is changing and it's changing rapidly. And so many people in the pro-life movement, and we've obviously been using our voices for so long. And many have put action behind those words. But now's the time where we have to put action behind our words, where there's going to be moms facing unplanned pregnancies who need our support. What are some of the ways that you think people can get involved and take action no matter what phase of life they're in or the resources that they do or don't have?

Absolutely. I would say first and foremost, we need to be supporting our local pregnancy centers. You can go online to even CareNet and look at different pregnancy centers that are local to you that give women different options and support them. So whether it's volunteering, whether it's donating your time, your treasure, however, I think that is going to be a really important thing because those centers are going to become overwhelmed really quick, or at least very busy. I think they're all prepping and gearing up for that.

And the second thing I would say is as it comes time, you know, when this happens, if this happens, I hope this happens, that Roe v. Wade gets overturned and it goes back to the state, do your research on who you're voting for because that is going to matter locally on what your state carries forward as far as their abortion policy. So I would say if you are pro-life, do your research on each candidate and how what their stance is on abortion. And for all of our listeners, if you want to learn more about the abortion survivors network, how you can get involved, maybe you know someone or you yourself are a survivor of abortion, You can learn more about them and find all their resources at abortion survivors.org.

But, DeNisha, we just really appreciate your willingness to come on and share your story. It's so powerful. And I think right now, more than ever, stories from people like you are so critical. And we're just really honored that you were willing to join us today. So thank you. Thank you for having me. And that'll do it for today's episode. Thank you all so much for listening to the day.

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