Melissa Ohden, now 40, was born weighing just 2lb 14oz on August 29, 1977, in Sioux City, Iowa. Her birth mother had undergone a five-day saline abortion at eight months pregnant, believing the procedure had been successful. However, Melissa survived, and a nurse discovered her weak cries and gasps for breath as she lay discarded as medical waste, rushing her to intensive care.
Melissa spent nearly two decades searching for answers about her traumatic start in life. She discovered that her birth mother, then aged 19, had been forced into the abortion by her own mother, who was a nurse supervisor at the same hospital. In a macabre twist, that grandmother was the one who instructed others to 'leave the baby in the room to die'.
Melissa was adopted by Linda and Ron Ohden at three months old. She later reunited with her birth mother after a 17-year search. Despite the painful revelations, Melissa says she has found it in her heart to forgive both her mother and grandmother. 'It's been a long and painful journey from shame and anger to faith and forgiveness,' she said. 'But I refuse to be poisoned by bitterness – that's no way to live.'
The saline abortion method used is a type of instillation abortion, which has largely been discontinued due to its failure rate and serious adverse effects. Melissa suffered jaundice, respiratory distress, and seizures, but defied expectations of long-term disabilities.
