Last updated on September 16, 2021
The Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center (SMPCC) will hold its 20-year celebration on Saturday, October 2 at 6:00 p.m. at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin. Guest speaker Melissa Ohden, a saline abortion survivor, will tell her remarkable, inspirational story.
“We are excited to host this new event at Franklin’s beautiful performing arts center in place of the fundraising banquets we’ve had in past years,” said Jenny Golding, executive director of SMPCC. “I think people will leave that night with a real understanding and appreciation for the work we do for our clients and why it’s so important. We urge people come hear our powerful speaker and join us for a memorable evening.”
Melissa Ohden was born in Iowa in 1977 to a 19-year-old mother. Her story was supposed to end then, as her mother had undergone a saline abortion. Instead, she miraculously survived and was born weighing less than three pounds. Her tiny body was placed among medical waste; however, a nurse who heard her crying saved her life.
Today Melissa is a master’s level prepared social worker and author of “You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir.” Her second book, which will focus on sharing the stories of other abortion survivors breaking their silence, will be published this year. She is the founder and director of The Abortion Survivors Network, the only healing and advocacy organization for abortion survivors worldwide, and The Education and Policy Center, which impacts policy issues related to abortion and abortion survivors. Melissa and her team have connected with 384 survivors as of April 2021.
Melissa is a frequent contributor to pro-life and conservative news outlets and a regular guest on radio and television programs around the world, including Fox News, Focus on the Family, the Eric Metaxas Show, and more. Although Melissa’s heart is for providing help and hope to all affected by abortion, she also strives to humanize the unborn through activism. She has testified before congressional committees numerous times. Fulfilling the purpose she believes God set out for her when He saved her from the certain death of the abortion attempt, Melissa is truly a voice for the voiceless.
The Smoky Mountain Pregnancy Care Center has professionally staffed clinics in Franklin and Cullowhee, and now has a mobile medical unit to take their services to more people in Western North Carolina. They provide pregnancy testing, limited OB ultrasounds, Earn While You Learn classes, and more. All services are free to clients, thanks to the support of those who share their mission.
To learn more and to register for the October 2 celebration, visit smokypartners.com or call 828-349-3200.
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