By Deanna Wallace
Today is my favorite day of the year: National Foster Care Day! You see, I was born into poverty to a teenaged mother and spent the first five years of my life in the Louisiana foster care system. Despite this rocky start, my life story is still one of hope. My siblings and I were all adopted, and three of us were placed with the same amazing family. I grew up knowing without a doubt that I was loved, and that I could achieve whatever goal I put my mind to.
But if it were not for AUL’s legal work on the Hyde Amendment, I might not be here to celebrate National Foster Care Day with my amazing family. In 1980, Americans United for Life’s legal team defeated the abortion industry at the Supreme Court, preserving the Hyde Amendment that prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to pay for abortions. This was a huge victory for AUL and for the pro-life movement, but it was an even bigger win for me personally – instead of offering to kill her unborn child, free of charge, our government sent my birth mother a message of hope by paying for my prenatal care, birth, and care as an infant.
I am so humbled to have the opportunity to be an attorney with the nation’s leading pro-life legal team at Americans United for Life. Because of the dedication of those AUL attorneys who came before me, I get the privilege to spend every day helping state legislators and policy groups pass laws that protect other children, giving them the chance to overcome the circumstances of their birth just like I did.
My family and I thank each and every one of you for your support of AUL’s mission – the legal work you allow us to do saves lives – and mine was one of them!
