An Adoption Choice

Anje Schepers, a teenage girl from Grand Rapids who made an adoption plan for her child after trying to get an abortion recently wrote an essay for the Grand Rapids Press. Here are some excerpts:

At first, I wanted an abortion, and I went to a clinic to get one.

I remember that day, because I was so scared. At the same time, I just wanted to get it all done. I thought maybe this would work out for the best, and my family would be less disappointed in me, and my life would get back to normal....

I decided right away I wanted my baby to be adopted. Adoption was right because I was only 16 and worked at Domino's Pizza and, despite how grown-up I had to be for the next months, I wasn't grown-up enough to raise a baby.....

Laila was born on May 23. That was the hardest day of my life -- physically and emotionally. Laila Noelle was born at 5:34 p.m. She was a beautiful 6 pounds 9 ounces and 19 3/4 inches long. Holding her and having her look at me with her big dark eyes made me cry, because I almost had had an abortion.....

I thought I wanted an abortion, because it seemed like something you could just do and never worry about again. But, in my experience, I think about my baby all the time and I'm really happy to know she is here.