By Therese Pammit, 11th grade
A young, immigrant woman, barely scraping by in grad school found out what many in her situation would dread: She was pregnant. Because of her and her husband’s immigrant status, they couldn’t take out a student loan and so had to scrimp, being unable to afford things such as a car, a honeymoon, or anything other than the cheapest groceries possible. They were living in a tiny rented-out basement apartment—a subpar place to raise a child.
Many people in her situation would’ve chosen abortion. Yet, this young woman welcomed her pregnancy. And thank God she did, or else I wouldn’t be alive.
Many people think it is merciful, or even loving to have an abortion if a child’s life might be darkened by something like a financial hardship or a lifelong disability. They say, “What child would want to be born if that child won’t be sufficiently provided for? What child would want to live disabled: blind, deaf, missing a limb, and so on?”
Yet, ending that child’s life isn’t love or mercy. Love is desiring another’s good, as said by St. Thomas Aquinas, even if that person’s good involves temporary suffering in this world. Mercy means being compassionate. It means aiding another in carrying his or her cross, not ending that person’s ability to carry the cross. Being loving and merciful never means taking innocent life, even if it would prevent an existence that may be full of suffering. As we are told in Genesis 1:27, “So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created him.” Every life is made in our Creator’s own image and likeness, known to Him even before time itself began and so, has dignity, regardless of her condition or disability.
And that life can still become a very happy and fulfilling one; there are many stories of people born with disabilities who are grateful for their parents’ decision to choose life. We should never preempt the future by taking away someone’s freedom to live a beautiful life.
Each preborn child is sacred, infinitely valuable, and irreplaceable because from the moment of conception, a whole and precious human life is formed. This life should never be terminated, no matter the disability or condition that she may be in.
My parents’ testimony has inspired me to honor the preborn by writing essays defending them and by giving several pro-life speeches at various writing and public speaking competitions, as well as to courageously share with others who disagree with me why I am pro-life. My family and I have also chosen to volunteer our time and donate items such as food and diapers to pregnancy centers that make the truly loving and merciful option of carrying a child to term an easier option for women to choose.
Thankfully my parents never succumbed to that culture. I have six younger siblings, all beautiful in the eyes of God since the moment they were conceived. When all of us were still in our mother’s womb, people would often tell our dad, “As long as the baby’s healthy!” He’d always reply with, “And even if the baby isn’t, thank God!”
May every country, community, and parent be able to respond in the same way.
Therese Pammit received an honorable mention in the high school category of the Culture of Life Studies Program’s 2025 Pro-Life Essay Contest.