Maria Anna Schicklgruber was born in 1795. She was one of eleven children, only six of whom survived infancy. When she was forty two and still single she became pregnant by a married man. There is no way of knowing if she considered taking steps to try and end the pregnancy. One would imagine that friends and/or relatives probably had some suggestions. However, she bravely faced the stigma head on and gave birth, refusing to name the father.
My Facebook page is often peppered with anecdotes about women who almost had abortions but changed their minds and went on the have perfect lives with their wonderful children. In fact, Justin Bieber's birth to a single mom was once held up as an argument AGAINST abortion.
There are certainly a lot of considerations when one is facing an unplanned pregnancy, and sometimes keeping the child is the best choice. But it should also be remembered that for many women in difficult circumstances these Facebook anecdotes are nothing more than fairtytales. Giving birth to a child one can not afford, especially if that child has medical problems, is no more likely to lead to a perfect life than marrying a man you know nothing about, but is rumored to be a prince of a guy, will lead to Happily Ever After. In fact statistics show that unplanned pregnancy is more likely to lead to a life of poverty and a limited education.
The Facebook anecdote du jour came courtesy of Andrea Bocelli whose mother was allegedly advised to get an abortion after treatment for a ruptured appendix. She chose "life" and was rewarded with a child who has the voice of an angel.
Now do not get me wrong it is wonderful that the Bocellis made what turned out to be the right choice, and I would advise anyone to scrutinize the advice of doctors and get second opinions. What concerns me about this "heartwarming" story is that it is even being used as a weapon against women who are facing not just the advice of a doctor that something might go wrong, but rather absolute certainly that going through with a pregnancy will result in horrible suffering and/or death.
If you are poor, your partner is abusive, or you have been given a dire medical diagnosis, you are unlikely to raise a future superstar who will support you for the rest of your life. Even for those privileged enough to be pregnant under the best of circumstances, it is probably not going to happen. The best we can do is try and pass laws to ensure that all mothers have decent healthcare along with educational and job opportunities.
Oh and Maria Anna Schicklgruber? No one could have ever predicted how that would turn out. Thanks to the birth of that son, she has gone down in history as Hitler's grandmother.