Holly O’Donnell, ex-Procurement Technician with StemExpress continues to tell her story in the second installment of the Center for Medical Progress’ “Human Capitol” series. O’Donnell, a licensed phlebotomist, was assigned to the Stockton and Fresno Planned Parenthood Abortion Clinics. According to O’Donnell, Fresno had the highest volume of abortions.
“Fresno was in actually an alley, the areas like Fresno, areas where its dirt cheap and the areas not good, there were so many, so many [abortions]. I would work for eight hours and there would be 40 something patients, it really wore me down. The environment, its morbid, like you can feel it. You can hear, you can hear screaming, you can hear crying…”
O’Donnell’s job required her to meet with abortion patients and get their consent to donate fetal tissue. She tells a story of a time at the Fresno Clinic where consent was not obtained for the tissue donation.
“I remember one time was at the Fresno clinic, and that was the most high volume clinic we have, lots of abortions, lots. I had a very gestated woman that was a Lams patient… I consented her and she said no.
However the next day a co-worker “Jessica” proceeded to take blood from the client and collect her “specimen” without consent.
“she [Jessica] came back out holding all these tubes and all I said to her was ‘What did you say to her to get that blood?’ she’s like ‘Nothing.’ I’m like, so basically you just went in there and took her blood and your gonna be taking her fetus without her knowing.”
Under Federal law it is required that patients consent to tissue donation after consenting to the abortion procedure, however, according to O’Donnell it was a common practice at Planned Parenthood Clinics to obtain donations without consent, especially when a woman was farther along in her pregnancy.
“If there was a higher gestation, and the technicians needed it, there were times when they would just take what they wanted. And these mothers don’t know. And there’s no way they would know.”
According to o’Donnell, Planned Parenthood benefited financially from tissue donation.
“For whatever we could procure, they would get a certain percentage. The main nurse was always trying to make sure we got our specimens. No one else really cared, but the main nurse did because she knew that Planned Parenthood was getting compensated.
O’Donnell also revealed disturbing information about abortionist Dr. Ron Berman. she said “He had a reputation for going viciously fast”.
“If there wasn’t a girl in the room, he would get mad, he would pace the hallways if there wasn’t something to do. It’s almost like he wanted to do it, and that made me really concerned.”
These disturbing and horrifying practices are happening in our own backyard. This cannot be allowed to continue in Fresno.
Fresno Doesn’t Need Planned Parenthood
Non-Abortion services provided by Planned Parenthood are also available at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across the nation. In Fresno County alone there are 17 FQHCs compared with Planned Parenthood’s 3 clinics in Fresno/Clovis. FQHCs offer a full range of medical care to women, children and men in our community that goes far and beyond the types of services offered by Planned Parenthood.
In addition to FQHCs there are local community clinics, private medical clinics and private Pregnancy Centers available to women facing an unplanned pregnancy. In Fresno, we partner with Pregnancy Care Center referring women and men to them for free services such as: Pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, options counseling, parenting classes and more.
It’s time for Fresno to embrace non-violent options for it’s health care, It’s time to close down Planned Parenthood in our valley. It’s time to Stand up for LIFE. Time to Stand up for #AnotherBoy, for #ItWasATwin, and for every child who deserves to be treated humanely.
Interactive Map of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Fresno and Madera Counties
What Can You Do?
1. Attend a #ProtestPP Rally
180 cities in 43 states are now participating in the National Protest of Planned Parenthood on Saturday, August 22, 2015.
2. Call your State and Federal Representatives
This may seem simple and unimportant. But when phones ring off the hook and emails fly in, our politicians take notice, even those who are pro-choice. So exercise your rights and tell your representative to represent ALL of their constituents both born and unborn, by ending the inhumane practice of abortion and fetal tissue “donation”.
3. Share this post, flyer, and other pro-life information through social media
Share this post on Facebook or Twitter. Download the flyer above and print it out to share with friends and co-workers.
4. Talk about it!
Never underestimate the impact you can have in your sphere of influence. Ask your friends what they think about Planned Parenthood and Stem Express taking “specimens” without consent. How do they feel about abortion? When do they feel human right begin? If you don’t feel prepared attend a Justice for All Seminar and learn how to have a different kind of abortion conversation.
5. Volunteer on the Front Lines
Abortion Clinic outreach is truly the last line of defense for mothers and their unborn children. Your presence in silence, in prayer or in counseling may be the presence needed to offer hope and alternatives to women and men facing an unplanned pregnancy. Join hundreds of other pro-life people in Fresno and sign up to participate in 40 Days for Life. Or attend our next side Sidewalk Counseling training. Better yet, recruit your friends, small group or bible study to join you!
6. Donate
It takes time and money to continue to raise awareness, train advocates and counselors, and have a continuous prayerful presence in front of Planned Parenthood. If you have been blessed financially, please consider making a donation to Right to Life of Central California. We are especially in need of monthly gifts; these regular gifts enable us to confidently plan our outreaches and campaigns.