We attended a pro-life conference for Respect Life Directors in Crystal City, VA over the weekend and came into contact with numerous resources that are spelled out below.

These resources are good for anyone considering starting a pro-life ministry and are wondering what to do, or for someone who just simply wants to further their own education on pro-life matters.

Carol Franz is an Adult Stem-Cell Transplant Survivor. At least, that's what her shirts say and her testimony is an indication of the powerful transforming, regenerative power of not only the human spirit, but the human body as well.

After enduring several chemo treatments for myeloma cancer she was injected with adult stem-cells at a hospital in Syracuse and in her words, was "reborn." Here cancer went away only to come back several years later and after another treatment with adult stem cells, she has been cured once again.

Carol has a compelling testimony and along with her friends, Doug Rice and Stephen Sprague, who also experienced miraculous healings via adult stem cells, are available to come and speak about their experiences.

Hands off Our Ovaries are a group of pro-life and pro-choice women who have come together to seek a moratorium on egg extraction from women for research purposes until "such time as global discourse and scientific research yields information sufficient to establish adequate informed consent."

Their concern stems from 25 women who have died as a result of egg harvesting and the FDA's non-interest in investigating these deaths. Also, there have been no long-term studies to show the possible risks of the procedure (which is painful to hear described) and whether or not cancer or infertility may develop from them.

Jennifer Lahl is on the Board of Directors for Hands Off Our Ovaries and spoke at the conference. She is very-well spoken and had an excellent grasp of the issues as they relate to the research and harvesting of eggs involved. I am sure she would love to come to your area to speak about this as well.

Here is an editorial in the Dallas Morning News written by Ms. Lahl.

SaintMax Worldwide uses modern technology to inject the word of Christ into pop culture. They have developed a 12 minute DVD about stem cell research that they will make available for you or your diocese at a minimal cost. The idea is to further raise awareness about what embryonic stem-cells have done (or rather not done) and to encourage the use of adult stem cells.

The diocese of Phoenix has used the video and showed it in every church in the diocese and are raising money to get a series of TV commercials on air locally. You can see some of these commercials and the 12 minute DVD on their web site.

I will have more resources up in the days to come.

Labels: Pro-Life Resources