Why I march for life: Column I stand for the unwanted. Our lives matter.

Deanna Wallace | USA TODAY

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At the March for Life on Friday, I will join tens of thousands of pro-life warriors of all ages, races, genders, religions and political viewpoints to mourn the loss of more than 57 million innocent children since Roe v. Wade made abortion legal nationwide. These thousands flock from across the nation, and each of us marches for different reasons. Some march because they’ve experienced the pain of abortion themselves, some have lost brothers and sisters to abortion, some come for religious reasons, some in support of non-violent choices, and still others come to promote pro-life feminism. But me … I march for the unwanted.

Imagine that there are three little children, two girls and a boy. They are unborn, unplanned and, for all intents and purposes, unwanted.

Baby #1 will be the oldest; her mom will have her at only 14 years old. She will grow up neglected and sees things that no little child should see. She will be placed in foster care about the age of 5.

Her little brother, Baby #2, will be born two years later, when their mom is 16. He too will be neglected, but he will also be physically abused by some of Mom’s boyfriends. He is 3 when all three kids are put in foster care.

Last comes the baby of the family, Baby #3, who is born when her mom is 19. She will not spend much time with her mom, but what little time she does spend will be marked by neglect. She will be placed in foster care before she is even a year old.

All of this sounds pretty horrible — a lot of suffering, a lot of neglect and little love. Would it be better for these three little children to never have been born? After all, then they would never suffer from neglect, never be hungry, never be hurt, never have to cry themselves to sleep. Many abortion advocates will talk about how it would be better to abort than to bring unwanted children into this world, and would argue that the fate of these three children proves their point.

But this is only half of their story.

They are adopted, all of them at the same time, by two amazing parents. Their parents love and adore them. They do more than just feed and clothe them: They teach them right from wrong, kiss boo-boos, take them to Disney World, take them hunting and fishing, teach them to ride a bike, help them with algebra homework, and cry as they watch them walk across the stage at graduation. They are a family, a close and loving family. These three little children grow up to be adults.

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Baby #1 is now a strong, independent, military wife. She loves photography and has a beautiful son of her own.

Baby #2 is a caring, intelligent man who loves to read, play video games and has a steady job he enjoys.

Baby #3 went to law school and is now an attorney with the nation’s leading pro-life legal team at Americans United for Life. She gets to spend every day helping state legislators and policy groups pass laws that protect other unwanted children, giving them the chance to overcome the circumstances of their birth, just like she did. Baby #3 is me.

This is my family. This is my story. This is why I march.

Deanna Wallace is an attorney with Americans United for Life.

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