WEST BLOOMFIELD, Michigan - More than a million American women will
have an abortion in 2010, according to Focus on the Family. Forty-four
percent of all American women will have an abortion at some point in
their lifetime. Yet as millions of Americans prepare activities for the
Sanctity of Human Life week in observance of the 37th anniversary of
the Roe v. Wade decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court, the numbers
are shifting in the debate over abortion. A 2009 national Gallup poll
showed a pro-life majority for the first time. Fifty-one percent of
Americans now self-identify as pro-life while 42 percent identify
themselves as pro-choice.
Ultrasound technology is credited with an important role in changing
attitudes. If women see images of their unborn children, and are
educated about developing life in the womb, they are less likely to
abort.
Shari Richard, an obstetrical ultrasound expert and educator, who
personally experienced the grief and pain of abortion, uses knowledge
to affect hearts and minds. In 1990, through Sound Wave Images, she
produced the videos Ultrasound: a Window to the Womb and Eyewitness to
the Earliest Days of Life showing fetal development and facts related
to the emotional and physical trauma of abortion. Following in the
steps of Ian Donald, the pioneer of clinical ultrasound in the 1960s,
her 2-D footage has educated millions with over 500,000 copies
distributed and translated around the world. Pregnancy Resource Centers
(PRC's) across the nation use the videos to educate their clients on
life in the womb.
In 2009, utilizing digital advances, Richard produced Eyewitness 2 and
Window to the Womb 2: the Next Generation in 3-D and 4-D imaging. In
three discs of ultra-clear and detailed images, Richard takes the
viewer visually through the 38 weeks of pregnancy, documents the legacy
of Ian Donald and the history of clinical ultrasound, and shares the
personal stories of men and women who have experienced the grief of
abortion and who have gone from pain to healing.
Now through her latest 2010 release of
Eyewitness & Window 2 Pregnancy Care and Counseling Version (click here for the trailer),
pregnancy centers, churches and schools will be able to provide
information on fetal development, abortion and healing. As a teaching
tool the videos are enriching the effectiveness of abstinence
curriculum and decreasing abortion. According to the 2009 PRC report
entitled "A Passion to Serve," PRC's serve some 1.9 million people each
year. According to Eleanor Ruder, director of a PRC, "It is the most
powerful and effective tool used in our pregnancy center to educate on
human development."
As a voice for the unborn, Shari Richard knows a picture is "worth a
thousand words." Her unforgettable images continue to alter the
national conscience and affect public opinion. She continues her work
of educating, speaking, and ultrasound training for the medical staff
of pregnancy centers. Richard's mission continues to be to share God's
grace and love to change and heal lives through a "window to the womb."
The IFRL is the largest grassroots pro-life organization in
Illinois. A non-profit organization, that serves as the state
coordinating body for local pro-life chapters representing thousands of
Illinois citizens working to restore respect for all human life in our
society. The IFRL is composed of people of different political
persuasions, various faiths and diverse economic, social and ethnic
backgrounds. Since 1973 the Illinois Federation for Right to Life has
been working to end abortion and restore legal protection to those members of the
human family who are threatened by abortion, infanticide and euthanasia. Diverse though we are, we hold one common belief - that
every human being has an inalienable right to life that is precious and must be protected. IFRL is
dedicated to restoring the right to life to the unborn, and protection
for the disabled and the elderly.Click here to learn more about the IFRL.
