On Friday night, Nebraskans Embracing Life held its 45th Annual Celebration of Life dinner with several of guests from the Pope Paul VI Institute. The Institute’s founder, Dr. Thomas W. Hilgers, was being honored in absentia with a lifetime achievement award, which was accepted by his wife Sue. Naturally, I was on-the-job getting pictures and live-streaming video, thanks to his daughter Dr. Teresa Hilgers, holding the camera. Several elected leaders were also in attendance, including Lt. Gov. Mike Foley (who played emcee), the Governor, and a Congressman or two.
I got to learn a bit more about the world of the newly-renamed Nebraska Embracing Life before hearing from the keynote speaker, Gianna Jessen. Gianna was the victim of a chemical abortion forty years ago and supposed to have been aborted, but she miraculously survived and lived to tell us a bit about her life (and be the inspiration for the film October Baby). She is very active on Twitter, and when discussing confrontations in social media. Jessen said, “I survived an abortion, I can survive Twitter.” Jessen has some physical disabilities from the abortion procedure, including cerebral palsy, so she was a bit unsteady standing at the wheeled podium at the front of the room. She actually called on our Governor to literally stand by her side and give her physical support as she gave her talk, which he did like a true gentleman.
