Personh ood In ACTIon Changing hearts and saving lives

By Stephen Muff

Pro-life activists have long debated the proper course of political Medical professionals encouraged her action needed to rid America of . Yet perhaps an even to have an abortion, but she decided against it, as a cleft lip is easily cor - bigger problem is that American culture needs healing—and not rected with cosmetic surgery. merely the overall American culture, but every subculture within But then Stephanie received the it. The subculture most relentlessly targeted by the abortion devastating news that her baby had industry is the Black American community. 1 the most serious form of holopros - More and more voices from that community are crying out encephaly—a birth defect resulting against this insidious assault. And one of them is delivering a from a malformation in the brain, which the experts described as message so powerful that his local government did everything “incompatible with life.” They pres - in its power to silence him. But he has refused to be silent, and sured her stron gly to abort and his message recently touched an abortion-minded woman so warned her that, if born alive, her deeply that she has joined her voice to his. daughter would live only six months at most. Stephanie then met with the sidewalk counselors to seek their Stephanie and Khya’s story Having recently become her advice. They told her, “Your daugh - Stephanie Spidell, of Sacramento, niece’s guardian after her sister’s ter is a person and therefore she has California, never expected to become murder and discouraged by a lack of dignity, no matter what anyone tells an advocate for the pro-life cause. At support from her baby’s father, you.” Finally seeing her preborn age 15, she became pregnant with her Stephanie had originally intended to daughter as a person changed her first baby. Over the following years obtain an abortion. As she headed outlook and her life forever. And for (which included a marriage), she had into a local abortion business, she a third time, Stephanie chose life for 15 more pregnancies. Nine of them met two Sacramento sidewalk coun - her baby girl. ended in abortion and two in miscar - selors. Through their efforts, the The sidewalk counselors coordi - riage. Although she’s given birth to encouragement of other advocates nated with the city of Elk Grove’s two five beautiful children, Stephanie did - for life, and many prayers, Stephanie Catholic parishes (St. Joseph and n’t consider herself pro-life until she changed her mind and chose life for Good Shepherd), along with the local experienced a series of remarkable her baby. Soon after, she learned her Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the events during her last pregnancy. child would be born with a cleft lip. Gabriel Project, and other outreaches.

1 Celebrate Life Magazine | Summer 2013 These groups provided Stephanie care of this. But this would with maternity clothes, rent, gro - just subject Khya to non - ceries, Christmas gifts, and the family essential cosmetic surgery, van—all prior to little Khya’s birth— so Stephanie is hesitant to do without knowing whether she would it. Despite these challenges, even survive delivery. Most of the Khya, her family, and their baby gifts were intended to help supporters joyfully celebrated “make memories” for the brief time her second birthday in April. Khya was expected to live. When Khya was born, Stephanie Walter’s story had nothing prepared for her, One of the counselors also because she’d been told her baby put Stephanie in touch with Pro-life activist Rev. Walter Hoye would probably be stillborn. But the Rev. Walter B. Hoye II, same groups united to help her and founder and president of the Issues office, including the current mayor, provided everything she needed dur - 4Life Foundation, based in Union Jean Quan, who coauthored it. The ing the first year—from diapers to a City, California. Walter is widely Oakland police department, howev - stroller to a car seat. known as one of the boldest pro-life er, has been cooperative and helpful Khya faces severe health prob - activists in the Black American com - when Walter applies for permits to lems, including seizures, and is fed munity. He also serves as a core hold rallies and protests. They’re through a tube. Her condition isn’t member of the National Black Pro- assured of his commitment to Dr. correctable through surgery, except Life Coalition (www.BlackProLife Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy for her cleft lip. Many people ask Coalition.org) and on American Life of nonviolence, and his winsome Stephanie when she’s going to take League’s Advisory Board. efforts to promote the pro-life mes - Walter’s life has been an sage have even earned the private exciting witness to the per - support of many city employees. sonhood of the preborn. Walter now travels almost con - On May 13, 2008, police in stantly, because he’s busy raising Oakland, Califonia, arrest - awareness of the urgent need to ed him for allegedly illegal - legally recognize the of ly protesting outside of an all human beings, from the begin - abortion business (see ning of their biological development Celebrate Life , July-August and at all stages of life. 2 The promo - 2009). He was convicted tion of human personhood is the and jailed, but he appealed only pro-life strategy that doesn’t Walter, Stephanie, Khya, and Elaine Riddick at the Walk for Life West Coast rally to the Ninth Circuit Court embrace abortion exceptions, and it of Appeals—and won! In has a particularly powerful effect on 2011, the court ruled that the City of the Black community, because many Oakland’s method of enforcing its of its members know what it’s like to bubble-zone ordinance was uncon - be told they’re not persons. stitutional [see “Bringing the law to This message is resonating par - life: Life Legal Defense Foundation” ticularly well in Black churches. in our Winter 2013 issue]. Videos Walter has sometimes been told he show abortion mill “escorts” repeat - couldn’t mention “the A word” while edly surrounding him and blocking speaking in a church, but he could his sign as he peacefully offered talk about personhood. When he sidewalk counseling. spoke at the largest Black church in Today, Walter’s relationship with Los Angeles, he walked away with the city government is tenuous, since 3,000 signatures on a petition for the Khya at her second birthday party, with some City Council members who California Human Rights Amend- Stephanie and sidewalk counselors who voted for the ordinance remain in ment (a state personhood initiative; aided them

Summer 2013 | Celebrate Life Magazine 2 see www.iamaperson.us). For the past A partnership tity of life, marriage, and love for his few years, he has spearheaded a for personhood wife. Being Khya’s mother has also grassroots effort to put this proposed After reading the information Walter played a huge role in opening her constitutional amendment on the sent her, and doing her own research eyes to the value of each person’s life. California ballot. on him and his work, Stephanie was Late last year, Stephanie created Walter’s Issues4Life Foundation shocked to learn how deeply abor - a video (see sidebar) that tells Khya’s recently sponsored its sixth annual tion has scarred the Black American story, and reveals how Walter’s per - Standing Up 4Life Rally/Walk, Con- community. And she was inspired to sonhood message transformed her versations4Life Benefit Luncheon, do whatever she could to help spread own beliefs and her life. LifeSite and Prayer4Life Memorial Service, Walter’s pro-life message. Walter also News reported on it, 3 and Stephanie held in Oakland on the Friday imme - impressed Stephanie in another way: has received many encouraging diately preceding San Francisco’s She’d never heard a man speak so responses from viewers, including annual Walk for Life in late January. beautifully about children, the sanc - staffers she met at the Sacramento Life Center (www.saclife.org), a preg - nancy center offering parents the Unconditional love is a family affair support they need to choose life for their preborn children. In her video (see “Stephanie interview first 6 minutes” at In January, Stephanie was a www.YouTube.com) and her talk at Issues4Life’s annual benefit guest speaker at Issues4Life’s annual luncheon (see “Conversation 4 Life with Stephanie Spidell” at luncheon (see sidebar) and memori - www.YouTube.com), Stephanie Spidell spoke eloquently about al service. She recounted the story of her other living children and their role in Khya’s life. Raising six her pregnancy with Khya, and kids as a single mom on her own “is hard, but nevertheless, Khya’s powerful impact on her sib - I’m very thankful that I have them, and I’ve been so blessed,” lings and Stephanie. She received Stephanie said. They have provided priceless love and support Khya’s adverse diagnosis just before for Khya: “On this journey, . . . I’ve always had the support of my Christmas, and the doctor gave her other five kids, who have really stepped up and made Khya a real priority.” Stephanie and her children handle Khya’s routine health two choices: get a late-term abor - care themselves. tion, or see him on Christmas Day. Stephanie hopes to set a positive example for her children: His solution? Stop Khya’s heart with “I’m so glad I chose life for Khya, because it was a form of an injection and then use her body redemption and helping me to understand how wrong abortion for research. But Stephanie came to is, and I think it actually sends a really big message to my kids. realize she and Khya had been cho - . . . I never want them to face abortion.” And Khya has left her own sen to serve as messengers of per - mark on her family and many others: “She has inspired us in so sonhood in the Black community. many ways. We love Stephanie and Khya also ap- her unconditionally. peared, alongside Walter, on the . . . My hope for Khya, stage at this year’s Walk for Life West as well as my whole Coast rally in San Francisco while family, is to get her Elaine Riddick and Rev. Clenard H. story out there and Childress Jr. each addressed the . . . remind people of large crowd. (Both had also spoken what unconditional at the Issues4Life events.) Elaine was love truly is. . . . sterilized at age 14—without her Through the grace knowledge—by a state of God, He’s given board, and Rev. Childress is presi - me this time . . . to teach me and others dent of the northeast region of the how to be better.” Life Education and Resource Net- Stephanie and her children (L to R: Nesha, —Editor work (see www.BlackGenocide.org). Tenaya, Anthony, Antone, Khya, and Myesha) Stephanie’s experiences at these large pro-life events left her speech -

3 Celebrate Life Magazine | Summer 2013 less. And it had all happened so fast—becoming pro- life, working with the pro-life community in Sacramento, creating the YouTube video, and now standing before tens of thousands for a shared cause. Walter showed Stephanie that a fundamental problem within the Black community is the mindset that “what goes on in the house, stays in the house.” Decisions about abortion aren’t typically discussed, and neither is abortion’s destructive effect on the cul - ture. But, he explained, speaking about personhood resonates for historical reasons, and so it helps to break down such barriers. RATES OF The Black American pro-life movement is rapid - INCOME ly expanding, and a seismic shift in the culture war is TO YOU beginning. Black pastors are speaking up for life. Rev. (single life) Walter B. Hoye II is leading by example, with a loving approach and the message of human personhood. He 60 4.4% knows who’s at stake: Khya and millions of other vul - 65 4.7% nerable babies. And thanks to his and Stephanie Spidell’s courageous voices, more people are now 70 5.1% ©

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hearing this message. May it change many more t o

75 5.8% c k p

hearts and save many more lives! h o t o

80 6.8% . c o Stephen Muff writes from Sacramento, California. He received his m / M

85 7.8% a

bachelor’s degree in English writing from Biola University and his juris r k B

doctor from Ave Maria School of Law. He has authored The Journals of o w

90+ 9.0% d Josiah Fisk and various magazine articles published throughout North e n America. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at the University of Southern California.

Visit www.Issues4Life.org to learn more about Rev. Walter Hoye’s pro- life ministry. Donations made through this site can also be designated for Stephanie Spidell and her family, who face major medical expenses The benefits of an as they care for little Khya. Charitable Gift Annuity:

1 The Guttmacher Institute’s August 2011 Facts on Induced Abortion in the • Double benefits—for you and for the reports that 30 percent of all are committed on the babies of non-Hispanic Black American women. And according to National defense of the babies Vital Statistics Reports , Vol. 60 No. 7 (2012), p. 4, “About two-thirds of preg - nancies among non-Hispanic white (69 percent) and Hispanic (68 percent) • A regular, steady income—no matter women ended in live birth, compared with one-half of pregnancies among non-Hispanic black women (49 percent).” how long you live According to the 2010 census, only about 13 percent of the US population is Black (see Table 1 on p. 4 of Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010 , a • Tax deduction now and other tax Census 2010 Brief issued in March 2011). Moreover, these abortion statistics advantages don’t include the very early abortions hormonal contraceptives can cause. See www.stopp.org, www.Issues4Life.org, www.LearnInc.org, www.Black Genocide.org, and www.TooManyAborted.com to learn more about abor - • Tax-free income for at least part tion’s disastrous impact on the Black American community. —Editor of the income payments 2 American Life League has proposed the Federal Human Personhood Amendment, whose purpose is “to establish that legal personhood is granted to all human beings in the United States from the beginning of their biologi - For more information on the gift that gives cal development.” To learn more, see www.all.org/personhood. —Editor back for life, call Chris Reilly toll-free at 3 Kirsten Andersen, “Video: Faced with ‘terminal’ prenatal diagnosis, single mother of five chooses life,” www.LifeSiteNews.com, December 21, 2012. — 888-546-2580 or e-mail [email protected]. Editor

American Life League Share this article online from our website www.clmagazine.org . P.O. Box 1350, Stafford, VA 22555

Summer 2013 | Celebrate Life Magazine 4