By Ashlen Sandoz

This December I am excited to  join Louisiana Right to Life’s team as Operations and Office Manager. 

I started my pro-life journey in high school. I was required to do a school project about a political issue and I chose abortion. By this point I knew I was pro-life, but through researching facts about fetal development, learning how abortions are performed and the magnitude of lives already lost to abortion and thousands more added each day I became convicted and knew I must act. 

As a teen, I was unsure if any effort I made would make a difference but I also knew that one human life has immeasurable worth and learned of enough injustices of the past to recognize that I didn’t want to be someone who apathetic when violence was being carried out against innocent human beings in my community. 

Through doing a group presentation on abortion at my public high school I realized not all of my peers were pro-life and that I didn’t have good answers to all their questions. I started learning more about pro-life persuasion by reading and  listening to apologists like Josh Brahm, Trent Horn and Scott Klusendorff.

I attended Camp Joshua (now Pulse Immersion) and met peers who were also pro-life and working to defend the unborn across the state. I participated in 40 Days for Life, praying outside the Causeway abortion clinic when it was open. I attended trainings on sidewalk advocacy and encountered women outside abortion clinics. I started volunteering at my local pro-life pregnancy center. 

“Your vocation is love.” is a famous quote from Saint Therese of Lisieux. I think this is the universal call of humanity, to love and care for one another. Each of us has a unique way of exercising this vocation.  I knew by the time I graduated highschool mine was to protect unborn children and their mothers. 

I continued pro-life activism through college and as a young professional. I encountered setbacks, challenges and heartbreak. I’ve met leaders and friends I am so honored to know and work alongside. I’ve learned of lives saved through my efforts and the joy of knowing these children are safe is unparalleled.

I’m so excited to join the Louisiana Right to Life team, especially at this time. Roe has been overturned, unborn babies are protected by Louisiana law. As the most pro-life state, the nation looks to us as an example of a pro-life future. Yet, remote pro-abortion groups spread dangerous false information about how pro-life laws affect pregnant women in emergent situations while simultaneously flooding our state with dangerous, unregulated abortion drugs by mail which do cause serious harm to both women and unborn children in our state. 

I will continue to fight for unborn babies and their moms, please join me. Now more than ever Louisiana citizens need to act to protect unborn babies. That may look like volunteering with a pro-life organization, having a conversation with a friend or family member who isn’t pro-life or making a donation to protect unborn children. Whatever type of action you are able to engage in, your contribution to this movement is valued and needed.