Former Republican presidential candidate
Carly Fiorina rose and a primary polls
following her strong pro-life debate
performances. How did the former
Hewlett-Packard CEO come to be so
outspoken on the life issue? In our
"Pro-life Focus" this week, Carly Fiorina
opens up in a new personal way about her
journey to the pro-life cause. "Carly
Fiorina, thank you for taking the time to
speak with us today." "My pleasure." "You are not
shy about sharing your pro-life views. How
did you come to be so passionate about
this issue? " "Well, you know, it was experience,
a whole set of experiences. First perhaps
was an experience I had my early 20s
right here in Washington DC actually I
had a very good friend who decided she
was going to have an abortion and
despite my talking with her she was
adamant about this and so we went to a
Planned Parenthood clinic I observed
that she was given no options there was
no conversation about whether or not
this was the right thing for her and
what her other alternatives might be it
was a callous experience and I saw the
impact of that abortion on her not just
physically but emotionally and
especially spiritually honestly she was
not the same since. I met my
husband a couple years later and when I
married him I learned that his mother
had been told to abort him she had him
quite late in her life she had a great
deal of difficulty with her previous
pregnancies and so her doctor told her
her life was in danger and she should
abort her unborn child she refused she
was a brave and faithful woman she spent
a year in the hospital after his birth
but I thought often about how different
her life would have been how different
my life would have been had he not been
brought into the world I learned I
couldn't have children in my own later
so I understand that life is a precious
gift
and then on top of all of that personal
experience science is proving us right." "A
vast majority of babies who are
diagnosed with disabilities or special
needs are aborted in the womb. You, Carly,
after high school volunteered at a high
school for children with special needs.
What kind of impact did that have on you?"
"I volunteered in a school for
children that were severely disabled in
some way whether it was physical
disabilities or mental challenges every
single one of these children was gifted
by God. And I can remember in particular
a little boy who had so many challenges
so many challenges and yet joy radiated
out of this child." "Every life has value."
 
"That's right." "Carly, you have battled
and you have beaten cancer. Can you share
more with us about that specific time in
your life?" "Well anyone who hears the word
cancer about themselves from a doctor
experiences this moment of or maybe many
moments but when you first hear that
word is sheer terror you know it's a
word that terrifies us. I would not wish
cancer on anyone. Having said that and
having survived it I can say now that
cancer was a blessing in some ways it
was a blessing because it reaffirmed my
faith I relied on my faith and my faith
didn't let me down. It strengthened my
family you know what love really is when
you're in a very difficult situation not
when you're an easy situation and it was
a blessing as well because I experienced
the kindness of so many strangers again
I wouldn't wish it on anyone but when
you have an
experience that starts out as terrifying
and you end up getting through it and at
the end of it all your faith is stronger
your family is stronger and your belief
in your fellow human being is stronger
that's a blessing." "Planned Parenthood
supporters say defunding the abortion
giant would prevent more women from
getting breast exams and from detecting
cancer this is an issue that's obviously
very close to you so how do you respond
to those claims?" "Well first of all of
course it's untrue it's a lie Planned
Parenthood doesn't provide mammograms
they provide references for mammograms
but so do pregnancy centers community
health centers there are all kinds of
centers available for women most of
which are not funded by taxpayers
actually although they are funded
frequently by the generosity of donors
that can provide a woman access to the
holistic health care that she needs
including mammograms there is no reason
that a woman cannot have access to a
mammogram we don't need Planned
Parenthood to provide that I served for
a period of time on the board of the GW
hospital in Washington DC and just as
one example this is the hospital that
has a tremendous program of outreach to
the community african-american women are
more subject to breast cancer than our
Anglo women we're not sure we understand
this but GW took it upon themselves to
make sure that they have mobile
mammograms that move into communities
here in Washington DC and make available
to women on their literally on their
street corner in their neighborhoods
screaming so this is a myth that Planned
Parenthood puts forward but obviously
it's a myth that has a big impact
because we all want women to have access
to early detection which is the key to
survival in cancer." "Carly Fiorina,
thank you so much." "You're welcome thanks
for having me."
