Sixteen years ago I lay in a basket on the side of the road in China. Born into a country where abortions were required and forced due to the one child policy. I was born into poverty and my parents were not able to care for me.
But they gave me something far better than any amount of money or comfort. They gave me the gift of life. It is unknown if I had another sibling who came before me or if they were just too poor to take care of me, but either way they could’ve gone the easy way out and just aborted me. Instead, they gave me a chance at life. I remained with them for 10 days until I was put up for adoption, and 10 months later I was adopted by an amazing family.
I am forever grateful for my biological parents for giving me life and a chance. Without their gift of life to me, I wouldn’t have known my amazing family. I would not know my brother, sister, mom and dad. Without their gift of life to me, I would not know all my friends and extended family. I wouldn’t be able to experience all the joys and sorrows of life. Yes, I might have lost my biological parents, but I can never doubt their love for me because they chose to bring me into the world through difficulty and pain.
Life is one of the greatest gifts of love from God and from our parents. I believe that life should not be given up so easily. I believe that we all deserve a chance. I don’t believe in accidents because miracles don’t just happen by chance. I am so grateful that I am alive today. Life is the right of every child – it is not a privilege for the fortunate and planned. Abortion goes far past any government decision or a woman’s right to chose, it goes back to our Creator, God, who gave us His only Son so that we may have eternal life. Yes, bad things happen, but an unborn child should not be the victim.
I stand for life for every single child in foster care, orphanage, child of rape and every unborn child because I believe that what is broken can become beautiful. Choose life!
Kaia Franks lives in Charlotte.