By Melissa Clement
Editor’s note: Many pro-lifers were part of the ultimately successful campaign to prevent the forced abortion of a mentally disabled woman. Elisa Bauer delivered her baby, Cierra Marie, on May 2. She weighed 5 lbs., 7 oz. and measuring 17 inches long.
Melissa was part of that band of heroes and she graciously agreed to provide us with “the rest of the story.”
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Cierra Marie
“When the time comes, as it surely will, when we face that awesome moment, the final judgment, I’ve often thought, as Fulton Sheen wrote, that it is a terrible moment of loneliness. You have no advocates, you are there alone standing before God — and a terror will rip your soul like nothing you can imagine. But I really think that those in the pro-life movement will not be alone. I think there’ll be a chorus of voices that have never been heard in this world but are heard beautifully and clearly in the next world — and they will plead for everyone who has been in this movement. They will say to God, ‘Spare him, because he loved us!'” — Congressman Henry Hyde
Since joining the movement 13 years ago, this quote has always motivated and comforted me. My pro-life efforts have focused on education, policy, legislation, and elections. As such, I have always looked forward to meeting the “choir” - the babies I saved, unknowingly.
I am not a sidewalk counselor or a crisis pregnancy center volunteer or a maternity home social worker. I lack the skills and the mental toughness necessary to be that kind of hero. So, long ago, I made peace with the fact that the babies I would save would most likely be unknown to me in this lifetime.
That changed last October. I received a call that changed many lives and, in the end, saved one.
The voice on the end of the other line was frantic, “I need the name of a good pro-life attorney and a good pro-life OB-GYN in Reno.” The details were sparse due to the nature of the case. All I knew was that there was a young woman who was going to be forced to abort her child.
None of the information that I heard made sense and part of me wondered if I was the victim of a prank because certainly, in this day and age, in this country, no woman could be forced to abort her child by a judge. I supplied the name and contact information for two pro-life men, an attorney and an OB-GYN, with the guarantee that they were very able and very pro-life. I figured that was the end. Perhaps another choir member added, but it wasn’t mine to know.
Later that day I received a call from Jason Guinasso, the attorney I had recommended. He told me the facts of the case, the Bauer case, and even now they are unbelievable. A county judge was in the process of ordering Elisa Bauer, a 32 year old mentally disabled woman, to abort her baby against her wishes and the wishes of her parents/guardians. Because her parents and guardians chose to support the growing life within Elisa, the judge had appointed new guardians and a new attorney and the wheels were set in motion to abort the baby and sterilize Elisa.
Jason accepted the case and, with little preparation time and a recognition that this was an uphill battle at best, tilting at windmills at worst, he began to craft a defense of this baby’s life. His efforts were nothing short of heroic.
What was my role in this life and death struggle? I listened, took notes, worked to get the word out through social media, badgered old media, contacted medical and legal experts recommended by fellow state directors of NRLC and prayed.
After sitting through several hearings, it was apparent that many people outside of Elisa’s family were concerned and wanted the best course of action for her. The problem was there was a very stark contrast between the two choices considered in that courtroom. It was a stark clash of worldviews.
One side viewed pregnancy as a medical condition best “remedied” through termination when a perfect child and a perfect mother is not guaranteed.
The worldview represented by the Bauer’s attorney, Jason Guinasso, presented a calm and rational alternative. Namely that a physically healthy mother and a healthy baby can be supported throughout the pregnancy, even when the circumstances are not ideal, and that a number of qualified adoptive parents stand ready to raise this baby.
Over the course of the three hearings, I watched as the culture of life prevailed. The bias against life, so apparent from the opposing side during the first hearing, thawed, and in the end, all parties involved gathered and informally discussed the issues involved and agreed that the most pressing issue must be dealt with first, the pregnancy.
Judge Walker entered court on Tuesday, November 14, 2012, and announced that an abortion was no longer an alternative.
As her attorney, Jason Guinasso wrote recently, “Yesterday, Cierra Maria was born to Elisa Bauer. She is five pounds and seven ounces and approximately 17 inches long. Her APGAR scores were 8 and 9. She has a lot of dark hair and a nice pink skin tone. She is sweet and good natured. By all measures, she is perfectly healthy and sublimely beautiful. Thanks to your prayers several months ago, this is the child we helped bring into the world.”
My role in this story was humble. I was merely a connector, a conduit. But it is a story we all need to hear. We all have a role to play in saving lives.
It is also an example of the strength of National Right to Life. This fantastic, diverse network of grassroots volunteers and professionals allowed us to tap into the talents of countless medical, legal and media experts, all of whom worked to save this baby’s life.
Perhaps, seeing Cierra’s picture today will give them a glimpse of their own choir.