Editor's Note: Contrary to the statement above, Teresita's Choices is not a true autobiography of one person. Page 227 of the book explains:
This book is a dramatic testimony. Teresita's character is a composite of several women who have confided their true stories to the author. All of the abortion experiences and the healing experiences really happened substantially as told. Otherwise, names, characters, places, and incidents are fiction or used fictiously.
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(Marlene Gillette is an Associate in Development at HLI. This article courtesy of HLI Reports, a publication of Human Life International.)
A Story of Sorrow and Hope
Rewritten and edited by Dan Lynch, national guardian of the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Teresita’s Choices tells the true story of Teresita Gonzalez, a Hispanic American girl whose entire life has been marked by abortion. After surviving an abortion attempt while still in the womb herself, Teresita later endured the effects of post-abortion syndrome due to an abortion that she had as a teenager.
As she states in the preface, “This book is an expanded and revised version of a journal that I wrote at my lawyer’s insistence. He wanted it for legal support in a case he was handling for me. After reading it, my lawyer said, ‘Teresita, this story is too amazing to be heard by only twelve jurors. Everyone should hear this!’…This is my personal testimony. It is the story of my life, my choices and their consequences.”
This book tells a riveting and dramatic story — a story of both sorrow and hope. Lynch allows the reader to glimpse into Teresita’s most private thoughts and experiences, including her struggle to find God in the midst of her pain.
Deceived by the Lies
Teresita narrates her lonely and abusive childhood. She tells of a reoccurring childhood nightmare, which she later realized was the result of the attempt on her life by abortion. Although she survived, her twin brother did not:
“I am floating freely under water…I have this strong feeling that I’m not alone…It seems that I have a companion—a friend nearby. I feel peace…Suddenly, it seems that my water sanctuary is invaded. I sense aggression…It seems as if something is searching for me. The water gets rough…I want to communicate my terror but I can’t. I want to scream but it’s a silent scream — nobody can hear me. I am completely helpless. I can’t help myself and I can’t help my friend. The sense of my friend’s presence diminishes…”
Deceived by the lies of the Culture of Death, Teresita became pregnant at the age of 16. Under pressure from the baby’s father and other friends, she chose abortion as a way out. After her abortion, Teresita struggled with post-abortion syndrome and all of its known components. She nearly underwent a second abortion, only to be pulled away by confronting the memory of her sporadic devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe. That is the point at which her healing began and continues to this day.
Miracles Great and Small
Another interesting part of the book is Teresita’s immersion in the pro-life movement. She encountered sidewalk and crisis pregnancy counselors, pro-life attorneys, doctors who abandoned their abortion practice, rescuers and midwives. She herself eventually became a midwife, aiding mothers in the birthing process.
Teresita’s story is not just a story about surviving abortion. It is also a story of small and great miracles. In Teresita’s life, the Most Blessed Virgin Mary did not forget this child who once prayed to Her, and thus came to her rescue. This book is a must-read for everyone who needs to understand how the sin of abortion can easily enter into a person’s life. Also, every teenager should read this book, if only to learn the truth about teenage abortions and the consequences of premarital sex. Teresita’s Choices gives everyone all the reasons they need to defend life.
