HealthCare reform

I received an email today forwarded by a local social worker - in response to a series of other forwarded emails regarding health-care reform:

"So before you vote, campaign or whatever it is you may do against abortion, first ask yourself, these questions:1. How many children without a family to love them have YOU adopted.2. How many children that you have seen that needed help, in one way or another, have you turned your back on; because it wasn't any of your business? BEFORE we debate if abortion is right or wrong, shouldn't we be sure that all the children that are already here in this world, wanting love from anyone that will give it, is given a home and a family. After we have fed, clothed, loved all the children that have already been brought into this world and there are still people willing, and able to take in more children, that the parents are unable to care for or simply cannot care for, then lets debate abortion. For now I want the choice to me mine. I can't imagine that you cannot trust me with a choice, and yet you would trust me with such a precious thing as a child! Obama is offering the country a way"

This hit too close to home - I felt compelled to reply, as follows:

Unwanted, neglected and abused children are certainly a huge concern for our community and nation as a whole. I would love to have a positive dialog on how we can help these children, and partner social services with citizens to help these children and families break the cycle. I'm quite certain, however, that abortion is not a viable alternative to positive action, nor its legalization is a worthy means of reducing abuse. According to our Bill of Rights, there are 'certain inalienable rights that are bestowed by the Creator'.... I can't see the right to abortion being one of them. However, the question here is not only about whether abortion is right or wrong, but additionally, whether we, as free citizens, should be forced to pay for someone else's 'choice'. I once had a choice to make, that personal choice would have forced California taxpayers to pay for my irresponsibility. When I was 17 years old (35 years ago), I got pregnant and went to planned parenthood. They gave me a pregnancy test and automatically scheduled an abortion, giving me the paperwork necessary to apply for MediCal, even though I was still a dependent on my parents' medical plan. Thanks to the providence of God, I was given information by BirthRight about what abortion actually involved, something Planned Parenthood did not have the courage to tell me. I decided not to abort, got married instead, and 35 years later have 4 children and 6 grandchildren. I lost my job last year, and am now self-employed because I couldn't find a job. I am the primary breadwinner - my husband (yes, same guy from 1974) is a stay-at-home Dad to our 12 year old. I lost my health coverage with my job, so now we pay $500 per month for a high deductible plan for our family. It is an HSA compatible plan, so if we happen to have some extra money, we put it into our health savings account in order to pay for any future doctor visits. Since we keep the money we don't use, there is an incentive to understand what our health care is costing us and to keep those cost to a minimum. We go to the doctor when we need to, not for every little sniffle. If more people became concerned with the cost of their own health care decisions, then health care costs would most likely come down. As direct payers to Doctors and other medical providers, we in a sense decide how much they get paid. By taking responsibility and paying for our own family's health care, we don't need to concern ourselves if we are paying for procedures that we object to, perhaps a faceless and nameless 17 year old somewhere getting an abortion..... Again, I would love to have a constructive and positive conversation about how to truly help abused, neglected children and assist needy families to obtain health care. I among many others believe we as citizens and neighbors need to step up to the plate and take action to contribute time and money directly to our local community needs, not through bureaucratic government systems where much of the end benefit is eaten up along the way. Blessings to all, Connie Schmaljohann

Letter to BirthRight

July 26, 2009

BirthRight Concord
3106 Clayton Rd.
Concord, CA 94521

Dear Friends,

This is a letter I have been meaning to write for years. But it was the 35th birthday of my daughter-in-law this month that finally brought it to a head. You see, it was because of BirthRight of Concord and the providence of God, that in July 1974, my boyfriend, Michael (now husband) and I decided not to abort our son, the very week that his future wife was born.

I was barely 17 and pregnant, attending summer school at Concord High, so that I could graduate a semester early (this is yet another story.) It was a Government class that all seniors are required to take. The teacher of this class normally taught ‘Social Issues’ during the school year, so although we covered the Government topics, mostly we discussed social issues. We had two options for our class project: write a report on a current issue or invite a guest speaker. One of my classmates invited a representative from BirthRight to speak during the third week in July.

Back in 1974, there were no over-the-counter pregnancy tests. Planned Parenthood in Walnut Creek, however, offered pregnancy tests for $5. During the second week of July, Michael drove me there. We went to get a pregnancy test – we left with an appointment for an abortion, and the instructions on how to apply for MediCal so that all we’d have to pay was $50. There was no counseling; no other options were presented. The ‘procedure’ was scheduled for the fourth week of July.

God intervened. I don’t really remember what the BirthRight speaker said. I do remember the pictures – of a six week aborted fetus (I was six weeks pregnant). Yes, they were traumatic for me – to say the least. But… they saved my son’s life.

We were married on August 31, 1974. A traditional ceremony at First Lutheran Church on Concord Blvd. and a reception at my parents’ home. Our son, Jeffrey Michael Schmaljohann, was born March 2, 1975. I attended Concord High the 1974 fall semester, completing all the required classes to graduate with my class on June 11, 1975, my 18th birthday. My husband and I went on to have 3 more children, in 1977 (Jolene Heather), 1979 (Justin Daniel), and 1997 (Jayman Joseph). (Yes, the last one was a bit of a surprise.) Our sixth grandchild was born last week.

Jeff and Willow Schmaljohann were married October 23, 2004, and have two daughters, Marisa (3) and Hailie (8 months). Willow was born on July 24, 1974. Although I cannot remember the exact dates of those critical events, I can definitely draw a parallel between Jeff and Willow, affirmed in the scripture “Before I formed you in the womb I knew and approved of you, and before you were born I separated and set you apart.”

We firmly believe that none of our children would exist, that our lives would have gone a completely different path, had it not been for God’s intervention through BirthRight.

We are truly blessed beyond measure, and wanted to let you know how your ministry impacted us – not just during those critical moments in July 1974, but for our whole lives.


Blessings to you all,


Connie (and Michael) Schmaljohann
16831 China Gulch Dr.
Anderson, CA 96007
connie@mercyswing.org