Rosemarie Fenchel’s Abortion Survival Testimony

On April 10th, Rosemarie Fenchel, a wife, stepmother, healthcare professional, and New Jersey Awareness Advocate for The Abortion Survivors Network, came to Boston College to share her story of how she survived chemical and saline abortion attempts on her life. 

When her mother found out she was pregnant with Rosemarie, she didn’t know what to do; she didn’t know if she and her husband had enough space in their apartment for another child, let alone enough money.

When she told her husband she was pregnant, he said, “You should get an abortion!” She responded, “Of course not, we’re Catholic!” But she became desperate and felt it was the only way she could keep the family financially afloat. 

She went to her doctor, and he gave her poison and saline injections into her uterus. When she was still pregnant a few weeks later, her doctor said there was nothing more he could do to help her get rid of the baby.

In 1961, Rosemarie Fenchel was miraculously born with only a slight birth defect of her feet being turned inwards, a side-effect of the abortion drugs. Over time, and with her mother’s care, her feet grew normally, and she learned how to walk.

Fenchel didn’t learn about any of this until a week before her mother’s 91st birthday, when she herself was 59. When she called her mom, as she did at least once a week to check up on her in her advanced age, Fenchel’s mother told her about what she had tried to do. 

Her mother told her about the desperation and poverty that she was facing and the unsuccessful abortion attempt, calling Rosemarie her “miracle angel,” because she was so grateful that the abortion was unsuccessful. Rosemarie, hearing this bombshell confession for the first time, was shocked. She told her, “Thank you for telling me, Mom. I forgive you, I love you!”

Reflecting on what her mother had told her, Fenchel realized the immense guilt her mother must have been carrying around for decades. She discovered later that her mother had told her older sister about the abortion attempt 20 years prior. 

Fenchel realized that her mother had been trying to tell her for years, sometimes hinting at something, sometimes only telling her older sisters, but never—not until now—telling her the full truth of what had happened.

Fenchel talked about how extremely hush-hush abortion is; we live in a culture of secrecy and silence when it comes to abortion. Women aren’t allowed to properly grieve their miscarriages, and especially not their abortions. Even if a woman has regrets, to come out against abortion publicly is seen as a betrayal to all women. Many remain silent.

Fenchel said, “No one goes through life untouched by trauma… but we have a savior, Jesus, who suffered and died for us… He rose again, He is victorious!… The life of joy and freedom is possible with forgiveness.” If we can just talk about the “A” word, and reveal our darkest secrets, people can find forgiveness and compassion, and not have to suffer in the dark anymore.

Rosemarie Fenchel now works with the Abortion Survivors Network, promoting awareness of the fact that babies DO survive abortion. Since the legalization of abortion under Roe v. Wade, more than 85,000 babies have survived abortion. Tragically, most of these babies—even after surviving an abortion attempt on their lives—are just left to die in a cold, medical waste bucket. 

Fenchel encouraged abortion survivors, women struggling in the wake of having an abortion, and anyone looking to support abortion survivors to go to AbortionSurvivors.org to learn more about the support available to them.