A woman, who was held down by four people during a traumatic abortion struggle has become pro-life activist who dedicates her life to fight against abortion.

Catherine Glenn Foster, underwent a traumatic abortion when she was 19. Ms Foster is now 38 and is the President and CEO of Americans United for Life, a pro-life legal team.

"I was physically struggling to get up off the table"

Ms Foster realised that she was pregnant whilst studying in university. She did not share the news of her pregnancy with her parents and scheduled an abortion.

Ms Foster said: "I couldn’t have said, this is a child inside me and it’s wrong to go forward with this. None of that was clear because all of this is in crisis mode, but I just knew very, very deep inside me that this was wrong and that I should not be there. I should leave that room immediately."

Ms Foster said that when she tried to leave, the staff told her that she was not allowed to go.

She continued: "I tried to, I was physically trying to get up off the table. I ended up with four people holding me down, one on each arm, one on each leg."

Ms Foster said that she attempted to scream but the doctor entered the room and began the abortion regardless of her struggle.

She said: "They kept me still enough that it was able to happen relatively safely, I guess. And then it was just over."

Hope after abortion

Ms Foster went on to study law where she made the decision to dedicate her work to prevent abortion and to protect other women and girls from undergoing the same traumatic experience she had faced.

Stories such as these are not uncommon in the pro-life movement. Many of the most prominent figures in the pro-life movement have suffered similar abortion experiences and have dedicated their lives to protect others from suffering such harm.

Abby Johnson, who had her own abortion experience, was the former director of a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic, before becoming a powerful voice in the pro-life movement and establishing a pro-life advocacy group which helps abortion workers leave the industry.

Similarly, Sara Geromin had been heavily involved in protests in Brazil promoting abortion with the radical group, FEMEN. After undergoing an abortion, Geromin suffered severe complications and nearly bled to death. In 2015, she gave birth to a child. This changed everything for her. She was so affected by the experience, that she wrote a book speaking against abortion. She said: "I don't want [others] to go through the same thing I did."

If you, or anyone you know has been affected by abortion, please contact the Abortion Recovery Care and Helpline (ARCH) for free, non-judgemental, confidential support: 0345 603 8501 or email: info@archtrust.org.uk