By Sammie Gallo, Creator of Abundant Life: You Were Made for More
I stumbled across an organization online unknowingly and following their content for the past few months has truly rocked my world in the best way. Abel Speaks is an organization with the following mission:
“There are no words to describe the moment where you learn that your child’s life may be far shorter than you’d ever hoped or imagined. It feels impossible to know where to turn, and even take another step. Founded by a couple who found themselves in that very position, Abel Speaks was born out of this experience and exists to walk with parents who have chosen to carry a child with a life-limiting diagnosis. Every child’s life can be beautiful and meaningful, no matter the length. On this road where you never thought you’d find yourself, you are not alone. We are here to walk with you.
The founders of the organization have created a powerful community all surrounding the idea of giving newborns a voice. Here is some of their story reflected in the testimony of a college student who was ministered to by them in college:
To quote Jane Austen, “I was in the middle before I knew I had begun.” If I had to pinpoint one reason, one person, that moved the needle permanently for me, it would be Abel Paul Crawford. And yet, it may surprise you to know that I never actually met Abel in person—I knew of his story while he lived, but before he was born.
– Abel speaks Blog
Daniel and Kelly Crawford hosted a Bible study at SMU, my alma mater in Dallas. My friends invited me to attend the study when I was a freshman drowning in chemistry midterms. The music was soulful, the message was timely, but what really stuck with me was Daniel’s reminder to set our alarms for 1:29 pm to “pray for Abel.”
I left the study asking my friends what he had meant and learned that the Crawford’s unborn son had a genetic condition called Trisomy 18. The doctors had counseled Daniel and Kelly to terminate the pregnancy. Instead, they had rallied people to pray for Abel each day at 1:29 pm, symbolizing his projected due date of January 29th.
My friends dropped me off at my dorm, and I suddenly found myself researching Trisomy 18. Terms like “life-limiting” swam in front of my eyes. Many babies with Trisomy 18 do not make it full-term. Many do not live more than hours after their birth. My blood pressure was in the 200s simply googling, and I couldn’t help but wonder, “How were they still experiencing joy in the midst of this diagnosis?” My world was rocked.
For so long, the sanctity of life debate had seemed, ironically, too inhuman to stir my heart.
I knew all the statistics, the rhetoric, the pertinent philosophy. This was different. I was watching two people–young, first-time parents–navigate a devastating diagnosis for a third person, their unborn child.
Daniel and Kelly spoke candidly about Abel’s diagnosis. More importantly, they spoke Abel’s name. They treated his presence in their lives as valuable and important, viewing and treating Abel’s life as a gift. This approach was unprecedented to me. So, I did what any Millennial would do. I followed Daniel and Kelly on Instagram and watched Abel’s life unfold…
I watched Abel be born a week shy of his due date, on “National Sanctity of Life Day”, alive and adorable.
I watched him breathe his first breath and cry his first cry.
I watched Daniel and Kelly walk through the earliest hours of caring for a newborn.
I watched as Kelly and Daniel announced that Abel had passed into the next life fifteen days after his birthday.
I watched Daniel and Kelly begin the long and lonely journey that grief can be – compounded by the reality that they were first-time parents mourning the loss of their first child.
I watched them celebrate answered prayers, a joyous birthday, and a heart-wrenching loss all within one month’s time.
Their honesty and vulnerability changed me. I cried in my car the day I saw the news of Abel’s death on Instagram. This small boy’s life was changing the landscape of my heart. See, Abel’s life showed how desperately human this entire discussion must be. To this day, when I am asked why I believe what I do about the sanctity of life, my immediate response is Abel’s name.
This my friends is a powerful testimony. A testimony to the fragility of human life. A testimony to the sheer miracle that each and every baby is. A testimony to the power that we have when we live with Christ at the center of our lives.
I know first hand how difficult it can be to really live out the pro-life ideals that you have in your head. It can be so challenging and at times heartbreakingly isolating. Being a pro-life nurse is incredibly challenging in today’s climate – there have been times where I’ve really questioned whether what I believe is true and right, as I’ve been forced to stand for a position that is not widely accepted in the healthcare field. After reading the stories from the Abel Speaks community, I will never underestimate the impact a child’s life can have. To open up in the way that Dan and Kelly Crawford have about their son, Abel, is unimaginable to me. But the above testimony is evidence of the fact that children in the womb can change hearts, change perspectives, and change lives.
Follow Abel Speaks on Instagram here, to hear more about giving unborn children a voice in the womb: https://www.instagram.com/abelspeaks/.
Sammie graduated from Robert Morris University in 2017 with a background in biology and psychology and started working with Anglicans for Life (AFL) shortly after. In addition to her work with AFL, she spends time pouring into high school students in her community and works as an ER nurse.
Sammie married her best friend, Juan Gallo, in May 2019. During her free time, she cares for their sweet daughter, Ofelia, who joined their family in August 2020, and is expecting their second baby this year.
Sammie spends her day-to-day making sure that every person hears and believes the words: “you were made for more.” You can follow Sammie on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! She’d love to get to know you!