As a physician in Troy, NY, I performed abortions in my office for eight years. I believed it was "pro-woman" to provide this option. While abortion was never a major part of my practice, as time went on it caused me more and more conflict.My wife and I were seeking to adopt a child, and all the while I was throwing other people's children in the garbage at the rate of 9 or 10 a week. I began to think, "If only one of these women could give us her child."
Eventually, my wife and I were successful in adopting a healthy girl, Heather. On June 23, 1984, Heather was hit by a car and died. When you lose your child, life is very different. Everything changes. That's when things really changed for me regarding abortion. I realized as never before that the child I was killing in each abortion was somebody's precious child. My own loss enabled me to value life even more.
I began to feel like a paid assassin…and that's exactly what I was. My self-esteem plummeted, and so did my interest in doing abortions. In 1985 I stopped.
I now speak publicly about my pro-life convictions. I want the general public to know, for YOU to know what the doctors know: that this is a person.
(Dr. Anthony Levatino)