How a Former Abortion Doctor Became Pro-Life

Get involved in promoting the sanctity of human life with Focus on the Family's See Life 2021. It's a six-episode digital experience to help you embrace the pro-life cause with truth, compassion, and empathy. See Life 2021 premieres on Focus on the Family's websites and social media channels on Friday, July 16th at 7 p.m. Then each week we'll debut a new episode to equip you on the pro-life issues of our day. You'll hear from respected leaders and see amazing testimonies from women and men whose lives have been impacted. So join us for this life-changing six-week experience online premiering on Friday, July 16th.

Also mark your calendar now for the culmination of See Life 2021 with a Celebrate Life live experience in Dallas-Fort Worth on August 28th. For more details, visit focusonthefamily.com slash see life. And I just intensively was studying the Bible with direction and understanding it.

And at some point, and I don't exactly know when, but it became so clear to me that God is a God of life. That's his character. That's his heart.

There should be no question. That's Dr. Patty Giebink, a former abortion doctor for Planned Parenthood. And she joins us today on Focus on the Family to share the powerful story of how God brought her out of the abortion industry and transformed her life. Thanks for joining us. Your host is folks, President and author Jim Daly.

And I'm John Fuller. John, the Christian apologist, Francis Schaeffer, he was prophetic when he warned over 40 years ago about the slippery slope of abortion and how it can lead a society to devalue all human life. And I think we have witnessed that the importance of this issue.

It really can't be overstated. And as you mentioned, our guest today is a former abortion doctor. She believes she was helping women until she started reading the scripture and came to know God for herself, who is the author of life. And today she's passionate about sharing God's heart for life and offering women alternatives to abortion.

Yeah. And of course, that's one of our goals here at Focus on the Family as well. And we're just six weeks away from our pro-life event, the Celebrate Life live experience. And every week leading up to that event, we're posting an inspiring pro-life video episode on the website. We are. And we encourage you to check out that first episode available today and make plans to join us for the live event happening in Dallas, Fort Worth on Saturday, August 28th. It's our prayer.

God would use the event to raise up winsome advocates for life. We do hope you can join us on the 28th and you can find out more about that event. And you can view the new online episode today. It's all at focusonthefamily.com slash broadcast. And Dr. Giebenk is an OBGYN and worked at Planned Parenthood for three years. And she's actively now involved in the pro-life movement and has written a book called Unexpected Choice, An Abortion Doctor's Journey to Pro-Life.

And you can look for a copy of that at our website. Patty, welcome to Focus on the Family. Thank you. I'm actually thrilled to talk with you because you have such a unique perspective, given the journey God has put you upon.

I mean, it's amazing. How were you first exposed to abortion? Let's start there.

Oh, that's a good question. I grew up in a very liberal household. And I remember talking to my dad when he was an intern. And he was, he talked about the illegal abortions and women coming to the ER and infected and bleeding. And so I kind of went down a path of being pro-choice, never really thinking I would become an abortion doctor.

That wasn't, it really wasn't my plan. With all the history, pre-Roe v. Wade, women dying or becoming physically injured by illegal abortions, you know, that's what was so prevalent among these women's groups when I was in medical school. And I studied Roe v. Wade, read a lot of books on it. And the interesting thing is, and so between my dad and what I was hearing, and I didn't know that the numbers were inflated of the number of women dying every year from illegal abortion. Correct.

They just picked a number. Well, I suppose I had my aha moment when I was reading Bernard Nathanson's book. Dr. Nathanson is a former abortion doctor.

He has since died. But he talks about pre-Roe v. Wade, how they knew that the only way they were going to get public support was to inflate the numbers. Of women dying from back alley abortions. Of women dying from illegal abortions, the deaths and the injury and because I had to really rally support for Roe v. Wade.

And so they really inflated the numbers. And of course, I didn't know that. And it just really stopped me in my tracks.

And I thought, okay, the foundation for doing what I was doing was gone. Because it was predicated on saving women's lives, providing good health care, saving women's lives, keeping them from some unsafe thing. And I remember the women in the pro-choice women's groups had significant history.

And they would talk about their experiences. And it was awful. I think we have learned so much since Roe v. Wade. Ultrasound was probably not even available in early Roe v. Wade. It was just in its infancy. And so there wasn't that option. And we didn't know everything we know now. So in the mid 90s, 1990s, when I was working at Planned Parenthood, and I said, it was just tissue, you know, it's just tissue.

Yeah. Let's go back to 1995. You began working at Planned Parenthood. Describe, I think the first two years you were part time and then you third in your third year, you became full time. So just describe that decision and your own practice. You sold it and then you moved into full time eventually with Planned Parenthood. Well, I had my own practice. I was very busy in obstetrics, delivering babies. And the solo abortion doctor wanted to retire. So he made an arrangement with Planned Parenthood. And they approached me and asked me if I would do abortions one day a week, their abortion day, they didn't do abortions every day, they did them only as often as they had people. So I would be doing, delivering babies, like the day before and the day after, and then I'd go do the abortion day. Which at the time, wasn't too bad. I mean, when I think back, and I think, well, that's kind of mentally schizophrenic, you know, working really hard to save my OB patients and their babies. And, and then the next day going in and doing pregnancy terminations. Did that plant a seed of doubt for you? I mean, you describe it like that now was at the beginning of your uneasiness or your wrestling with this was that contradiction that you had to live through? Not really. I think sometimes, as in order to do abortions, we put pretty thick blinders on, you know, stay focused.

That's, that's the big part of the story, right? I mean, you're just in essence, a scientist, and you're performing a scientific routine to take care of this woman's difficulty. In that regard, while you're at Planned Parenthood, you wanted to do more to invest in women's health care and and Planned Parenthood didn't respond that well to that. What was that contradiction that you saw working at Planned Parenthood? When they made me an offer to close my practice and work there full time, I don't even remember how I considered it.

But I did. And I ended up closing my practice and working there full time. And again, still just doing abortion day, and then doing non abortion things on the other days that I was working there, which could be OB ultrasound, dating ultrasounds, GYN exams. But in that health care desire, you kind of were met with a cold shoulder is the way I read it, that they weren't as interested in providing health care. They were about queuing up the abortions and let's keep it moving forward. Basically, did I read that correctly?

Yeah. Make no mistake, they're about money. And abortion is their top moneymaker. And I remember that we had a point where we break even we had to do at least I can't remember eight or 10 procedures to break even on abortion day. And of course, then we had considerably more procedures.

So then anything above that would be profit. At the at that time, it was pages and pages in a big thick manual about protocol and what you can do and what you can't do, you can say what you can't say what your job is. And it was very clear to me that I was a technician. It wasn't my job really to counsel or do anything that isn't in the manual. In fact, you had a woman show up at the clinic who was struggling with that decision.

Describe that interaction and what was the outcome? Well, like I said in the book, I didn't really see the patient until she got into the exam room, the procedure room, which was a very small room. And she'd already been paid her money, been counseled, signed all the forms, had her labs or ultrasound. And then she comes into the and then she comes into the room.

And I have about two minutes to talk with them before I start the procedure. And I always kind of get a feeling for if she was really ambivalent, she was clearly undecided. And I said, you know, you seem to be struggling. She said, Well, she really didn't want to do this. But she already paid her money.

And she traveled to get there. And so she might as well just go through with it. And I said, Well, you know, you can reschedule.

If you're unsure, reschedule, come back and when you're sure take more time to think about it, you know, you don't have to do this today. She was so afraid she wasn't gonna get her money back. And I said, you will get your money back. But she said, No, I just want to go through with this.

And so I did. And I probably said that one too many times where I said, you know, you you don't seem to have your mind made up. And, and maybe you should just reschedule.

That was kind of what I would say if they seem to be kind of uncertain. And I guess that wasn't the company line. The handlers weren't happy with that.

Yeah, that's terrible. You do in the book describe that tumultuous environment of Planned Parenthood. Just speak to the clinic itself.

A lot of a lot of people listening have never had that experience, obviously. And maybe they've had a friend but describe what your experience was as a physician working in there the cleanliness or the lack thereof the orderliness or the lack thereof with the clinic itself. It was a small building. It really wasn't all that clean. And in the three years that I was involved with Planned Parenthood there, I never saw anybody from the health department.

Never. And the the people that they had counseling were not necessarily professional counselors, but all they had to do is read the script and get them to sign. I many years later, I went back into the same building and it had been converted first into a branch of the Pregnancy Resource Center, which is a pro-life life group.

And but the first time I went into the building, I think I lasted about 20 seconds before I had to run back out. And that was after it had been cleaned up. And I know the Pregnancy Resource Center and the founder is a good friend of mine. And she was telling me about when, first of all, they bought the building anonymously.

A name, actually cattle on a thousand hills. They bought the building and she said when they went there, it was just filthy. And I said, yeah, I mean, I it just didn't have that level of cleanliness that a private clinic would have.

Well, let me just add in there, Patty, which is so important. So many states that support abortion do so little to regulate those clinics that they are they're just filthy and so far under the standard. And there have been some courageous people that have had to, you know, try to document that on video. And they are the ones that end up in jail. It's so bizarre. And everybody's claiming to be pro-woman. And yet they let these women go into these environments that are disgusting, that are so far below even third world standards, in some cases, that it's terrible. It shows you their support of the ideology over truly the well-being of a woman. And that that's plain to see if you fight in this arena, spiritually, you see it as clear as day.

And again, you've seen both sides of this. And it's it's what's so amazing about your story. In that context, let's move to your spiritual development. I mean, you're working at Planned Parenthood, a friend, I believe, invites you to come to a church around the corner from the clinic, if I remember the story correctly, um, just mentioned, there was a new pastor at this church, and I wasn't really looking for a church.

I was kind of going down the New Age path, searching, you know, people who are in New Age and other things are searching. And he just kind of offhand said they have a new pastor, you might like this church. And I had I didn't know anybody in the church, very small.

And but they had a new young pastor. And I was just captivated. And for the first time in my life, I just felt so drawn to this church, and to the Bible.

And I it's like they talk about in the Bible about the scales coming falling off your eyes. And so I started reading the Bible and and starting to understand it. And I for about a year and a half, I just intensively studied the Bible. I didn't have a real job at the time. And I just intensively was studying the Bible with direction and understanding it.

And at some point, and I, I don't exactly know when. But it became so clear to me that that God is a God of life. That's his character. That's his heart.

There should be no question. That's powerful. Yeah, people can't miss that. I mean, you're coming from a being an abortion doctor, going to this church, reading the scripture deeply, perhaps for the first time. And your conclusion as a very smart person, is God is a God of life. That's what that is what we proclaim. That's our only beef with the abortion industry is that it's the exact opposite of God's heart for his creation.

Yeah. Then what happened? Well, that's all God. I mean, I, I can't take any credit for any of this journey, because I wasn't, I wasn't looking, I was searching for something bigger than you know what, at the beginning. Another piece of the puzzle that's so important is that in 2004, I started working with a very solid pro life Catholic doctor in our small town. She was unapologetically pro life. And I was still kind of in that I wasn't admitting that I had changed and I because basically all my friends and most of my family were pro choice and but just listening to her and her courage.

And she gave me strength to start thinking more of of that. And so by 2006, which was the first vote yes for life campaign, were really kind of the first time I really stepped out and said, you know, I've changed. So that's from 2001 to 2006. You know, that's five years of gradual, of gradual, painful realization. Yeah. And that's, you know, that's the sanctification process. That's what happens.

Yeah. And that's what's so wonderful about the Lord, removing the scales from our eyes, right. And then we begin to see what is true, that he is a God of life, as you said, and that's what's so beautiful. You found out that a pro life woman, I think she was a nun had been praying for you for 10 years.

I love this aspect of your story. Because it shows that the prayers of the righteous avail of much right. And so this is awesome that people were praying for you by name. They knew what was taking place, but they still took the time to in really a fair definition to love you enough to pray for you. She still prays for me.

That is good. She's 90. She'll be 91 this month. And you had never met her.

I had no process. No, she wrote me a letter in December 2006. And I was stunned. And she said this was now 10 years that she had been praying for me, based on an article in the local newspaper. And she saw my name and, and what caught her attention was I said something, well, it wasn't my goal to do abortions full time. And she hung on that statement and started praying for me, and then wrote me a letter.

When through the Vote Yes for Life campaign, I actually ended up doing a TV commercial where basically I said who I was and what I used to do and that I was asking them to vote yes for life on this ballot initiative. And so she saw that which was confirmation of her 10 years. And then she took the initiative to write me a letter, didn't have the right address, I went to the wrong clinic. But it found me. And I was just flabbergasted.

I was just stunned. Yeah. And it's a beautiful story of the things we can do. And, you know, also the things we should not do. In that regard, when you look at the battle, and we see this as a spiritual battle, you know, we're all created in God's image, even those that are on the abortion side are created in God's image. And we need to respect that, certainly as believers in Christ. So what are the things that you've learned, Patty, about the battle, and especially being in both camps, as you have been? What are the lessons that you can share with us in ways to be effective in communicating God's truth, that he loves them, he cares for them, but that he is a God of life?

I love that description. What have you learned from both perspectives? When I was doing abortions, and there would be people protesting on the sidewalk as I would be driving in, they never really screamed at me or anything, but it never made me reconsider what I was doing. And the more I think about it, we're not going to make progress if we just stand on opposite sides of the street, calling each other names. And so really, the reason I wrote the book was, I want both sides to see the other side. I want people to challenge their thinking. Because I hear things that aren't quite true on both sides. So I really want people to have a little more understanding. In that regard, because, again, I want people to walk away with something in their hands, that specificity of what to do.

What is that, or the two or three things that actually do make a difference? Words are important. I think of the women who've been hurt by abortion. And they don't come up to you and say, you know, I've been hurt by abortion.

Well, now they come up to me because I think they feel like I'm safe. But I think of the churches, and nobody wants to add pain to women and people who've been hurt by abortion. But in churches, oftentimes, the things that the pastors say or the other very well-meaning people are very hurtful.

And I think we need to make our churches a safe place for all sinners. I think of the women who've had an abortion, it could be five years ago, 10 years ago, 20 years ago. All families, I believe, have been affected by abortion.

They just don't know it. It might have been a grandmother who might have had an abortion pre-Roe v. Wade or post-Roe v. Wade. I just really believe that everybody has been affected.

Sure. Patty, right at the end here, I'm mindful, as we always are, John, that people listening, women particularly, but men too, where abortion has impacted them directly. A woman that made that choice. She may have never shared that with anybody. And she's in a church now. And she's given her life to the Lord.

And that was a decision that may have been made 10 years ago, 20 years ago, who knows, 40 years ago. And she still carries that burden. And obviously, as a doctor, but also as a Christian woman, what would you say to her now? Tell someone, speak up, confront your pastor, not in front of the whole church, you know, pull them aside and say, you know, I respect that you're pro-life and everything, but I've been hurt by abortion. I'm sure there's other people. And we need to find a different language. We need to find compassion.

We are all sinners. If a pastor of a church doesn't hear now and then from somebody in his church who's been hurt by abortion, then that pastor should wonder, why aren't people speaking up? How can I be a safe place? Maybe you just need to announce that, you know, that you're open to meeting with people who've been hurt by abortion.

You're not judgmental. And you want to lead them to a path of healing or provide resources. And I remember a friend of mine said something about making our neighborhoods safe. You know, do you know your neighbor?

Do you have a young woman who might be in a crisis? Are we reaching out to them? Or are we just in our own little world where we're surrounded by other people that look and act like us? I quoted Moshe Diane at a conference I did a couple weeks ago, and he was a freedom fighter for Israel. And he said, if we want to make peace, we don't talk to our friends. We have to talk to our enemies. So we have to reach out in some way, even if it's not about this topic. For me, I have to force myself. I have to think, okay, how can I reach out, talk about the weather, talk about something. And so for my family, I just try and love them where they are, love them where they are, and hope that they will see the change in me and eventually ask, you know, or read the book.

That's a good starting point. Patty, this has been great. I'm reminded of that wonderful scripture, Romans 2, 4, don't you know it's God's kindness that leads one to repentance. And that pulses through me when I'm engaging with people from Planned Parenthood or the abortion industry or NARAL, for that matter, the LGBTQ community as well. That's how they're going to be attracted to the gospel. And that's what the Lord does. And just knowing that he cares for every person again, and that nobody's beyond his reach.

That's what I hear you saying loud and clear. And we need to pray for those people. And I want to congratulate you again for, you know, again, you had to have an open heart.

You're in the mire of the battle when you were working for Planned Parenthood. You could have easily kept the blinders on, but something in your heart kept you moving in a direction toward God's heart. And I'm very intrigued by that because that is the great part of the journey for everyone who sees the truth and embraces God's love and moves forward in that regard. And I want to encourage the listener, get Patty's great book. It is a wonderful read, Unexpected Choice.

If you can make a gift to focus on the family for any amount, we'll say thank you by sending you a copy of her book. And let me just reinforce the fact that the average abortion, Patty, is probably $600, $700, I would think, maybe a little more now. We can actually work together to save a baby's life for $60.

And that's what it is. The metrics are there. We've been at it now for 17 years. We've saved almost 500,000 babies lives through our Option Ultrasound program. And we know the numbers, working with the wonderful pregnancy resource clinics around the country, putting those ultrasound machines in those clinics, allowing an abortion-minded woman to see that baby. And about 60% of those abortion-minded women will choose life once they see the baby. Patty knows that. She's been in it.

She knows exactly how those women will react when they see that baby growing inside of them. Step up and let's do it. $60. Let's save a baby's life. Join the support team for Option Ultrasound. As Jim is describing, it's a $60 gift to save a baby's life. And our way of saying thank you, as he mentioned, is to send a copy of this book, Unexpected Choice, An Abortion Doctor's Journey to Pro-Life. Call us today to donate and support Option Ultrasound and get your copy of the book, 800, the letter A and the word family.

Or check the episode notes for all the details. Patty, again, thank you for being with us. Thank you for your courage and bless you in your future. Thank you. Thank you. Well, on behalf of Jim Daly and the entire team, thanks for joining us today for Focus on the Family. I'm John Fuller inviting you back as we once again help you and your family thrive in Christ.