Attendees to St. Joseph’s Helpers’ second fundraising banquet Oct 27 heard repeated stories of “divine miracles.”
Leaders of the Catholic-operated pregnancy support center across the street from Little Rock’s only abortion clinic shared stories of God’s providence over the past year. The 350 people in attendance at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock also heard the gut-wrenching story of Dr. Tony Levatino, an obstetrician-gynecologist who performed abortions in upstate New York for eight years. He is now active in the pro-life movement and seeks prayers for all who work in the abortion industry.
Maria Maldonado, St. Joseph’s Helpers board president, said the center has seen a 50-percent increase in the clients served so far in 2009. Since the center was able to hire its first full-time, paid director this year, the center is open six days a week and is working with about 20 volunteers.
Director Sarah Holmes said the growing number of clients means the center needs more volunteers, called “client advocates.” In October 2008, they saw 26 women, but in October 2009 they helped 126 women.
“Last year in this county, 1,300 women chose abortion. You and I, St. Joseph’s Helpers, can reduce that number,” she said.
The center had a goal to raise $100,000 during the banquet. Volunteer Carol Godsey said the total was not final by Nov. 3, but she expects it to be more than $90,000.
To illustrate the powerful work being done at the center, a Memphis woman shared her story of seeking an abortion at the clinic in Little Rock.
Before she entered the Little Rock clinic in February, she encountered Maldonado, who offered to assist her if she wanted to keep her baby. After she entered the clinic, the woman said, “I can only describe it as the Holy Spirit coming over me. I could not talk. I am this baby’s mom. I am supposed to protect her.”
She called Maldonado for support throughout the pregnancy. Volunteers at the center began sending her cards of support and even drove to Memphis to throw her a baby shower. At the conclusion of her testimony, the woman showed off her baby, Faith, who was born in October.
When Levatino, a doctor in Las Cruces, N.M., took the podium, he immediately got the audience’s attention by describing a typical second-trimester abortion that he performed in the 1970s and 1980s. With a suction catheter and clamp in his hand, he described the killing of an unborn child and the anxiety it can cause as they collect and count all of the body parts lined on the hospital cart.
In a four-year period in the 1980s, he performed 1,200 abortions. His decision to perform abortions had a terrible effect on his well-being and his marriage. The couple’s struggle with infertility problems while he was killing unborn babies was more than they could bear sometimes.
After the tragic death of their adopted daughter in June 1984, Levatino began to see what he was doing and decided he could no longer do second-trimester abortions. He continued to do abortion up to 10 weeks in gestation.
In February 1985, he completely gave up doing all abortions.
The couple now speaks to the pro-life community around the world. They challenged the Little Rock audience to pray for the doctors, nurses and other employees working in abortion clinics.
“It is easy to pray for moms, and it is easy to pray for babies,” Ceil Levatino said. “How many in this room pray for the abortionists? If it hadn’t been for the faithful people of the pro-life movement praying for my husband, we would not be standing here tonight. Pray for them.”
