Client Testimony: Katie Ellis (A Guest Speaker at this year's benefit)

Katy, Braven and Shauna, BC RN Manager

     I never thought I would fall pregnant at such a hard time in my life. I went through a horrible divorce, then a year later I lost my job, and started to lose my house. I broke up with my boyfriend and found out afterward that I was pregnant, which was shocking after preventative measures were taken. I was so scared and embarrassed and filled with shame.

     I found myself at Birth Choice the very next morning to get an ultrasound to see how far along I was. I got more than an answer. I was shown a heartbeat, even at just five weeks. I saw LIFE that was undeniable! I found truth and honesty and women that spoke up for God and against sin. I was a mess and was not ready, but I was given options of adoption if need be. I was set up with Dr. Elfelt who remained my doctor the whole way through.

     And boy did I go through a lot. Two weeks overdue, I was induced, forty-nine hours of labor, thirty-six of those drug-free, then a Cesarean section and then my Lil boy wasn't breathing nor did he have a heartbeat, (talk about praying for miracles).  So he was flown away down to Radys Children's hospital before I could see him, while I was kept at Rancho Springs to recover :(. He was born on 3-5-2013 and I met him on the morning of 3-7-2013, and after holding him I named him Braven Lee Ellis (I was praying for Bravery). Everything was worth it and I would do it all over again. I feel so blessed to be a mommy of a healthy baby boy. I am so glad I was in the hands of people who care about life, as I now can't imagine my life without Braven.

  

I have a dream...

50 years ago, on August 28th, Martin Luther King Jr. made his "I Have A Dream" speech... we commemorate this day with a portrait of Martin Luther King from Johanna Vogelsang's collection.

Check out more of Johanna Vogelsang's civil rights paintings on her website: http://www.vogelsangartwork.com/civil-rightsanti-vietnam-war.html

Work from Johanna may also be found on the cyber-auction page:
http://respectlifebanquet.blogspot.com/2013/08/cyberauction-johanna-vogelsang-art.html

Imagine a world without Beethoven....

Thanks to UCLA Students for Life, "Crescendo" will be screened at the event.

"Crescendo," produced by Pattie Mallette, Eduardo Verastegui and Jason Jones, has won over 11 international awards. It depicts the crisis pregnancy of Beethoven's mother.  

UCLA Students for Life President Joy Romea (right) with Birth Choice client advocates Lauren Campfield (middle) and Carmen Hall (left) at a previous screening of "Crescendo."

Client Testimony: Joleen Tirado

My husband and I were married in October of 2010.  I was told I would not be

able to have children and my husband never wanted children.  In May of 2011 I was

surprised to find out that I was pregnant.  My husband demanded that I have an

abortion.

I found an advertisement about Birth Choice and my husband drove me to the

center.  When I arrived I spoke with Danalee.  She asked my husband to come in from

the car.  Danalee asked him to watch a video called “After the Choice”.  My husband

and I talked things over with Danalee that day.  After that, my husband never brought

up abortion again.

I believe God led me to Birth Choice that day to save my babies life.  We chose

life because Birth Choice helped support us and show us that God supports life.  We are

now a family of four with two little boys ages one and a half and three months.


Jolene Tirado

Cyberauction: The Johanna Vogelsang Art Foundation in association with Windwild Music Studio

This year's Respect Life Banquet features a cyber-auction, featuring some of Johanna's pieces focused on women and the family.

Bids for artwork below close on September 10th. A new series of artwork will be posted on September 2nd.

Johanna Vogelsang was an artist who devoted her life and work to Civil Rights causes in Washington from the 60’s through the 90’s. Her fliers, posters, and paintings have been featured in major newspapers such as the Washington Post and in museums as influential as the Smithsonian. Johanna depicted civil rights and protests through the truth and spirit of the events themselves, illuminating human suffering and injustice around the world.

Our mission is to keep the spirit of her life and work alive by using funds raised through the display and sales of her artwork to promote social awareness and encouragement of struggling arts programs. Our intent is to teach and encourage students who wish to explore their creativity and develop music projects in a culture that devalues artistic expression.


In order to bid, please type the following information into the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page:
1. The name of the piece
2. Your bid
3. Your email address 

MAMA AND BABY SKETCH - OPENING BID $25

ANGEL SKETCH - OPENING BID $25

HANDS SKETCH - OPENING BID $25

MOTHER AND CHILD SKETCH - OPENING BID $25

GIFT CERTIFICATE - OPENING BID $75

SUSAN BROWNMILLER -AGAINST OUR WILL 3' X 2.5' 1976  OPENING BID $300

MOTHER & CHILD 1996 2' x 4' OPENING BID $300

An adopted child shares his gift: Photographer John Tobin

Birth Choice of Temecula welcomes John Tobin to this year's banquet. John will be providing a FREE 5X7 FAMILY PHOTO to banquet attendees! Below, John shares his story:

"My parents were so proud of me they couldn’t wait to show me off, and had professional portraits done just a few weeks after bringing me home. They would then take me and my sister to photography studios as I got older and I have always appreciated the quality of my baby pictures, it really made an impact on me." - John Tobin

When I started my photography business I was looking for an organization to support. I was happy to discover Birth Choice right away because I have a heart for the unborn. I was adopted myself when I was three months old. When I was an adult I was able to locate the woman that gave birth to me. At the time I was born she was barely 17 and still in school. I was to find out that she had pressure from family and friends on both sides of the abortion issue, and she had to make that decision on whether to abort me or not. She told me that it was her decision to have me and give me up for adoption. She had to stay at a maternity home far from her friends and family for months until the pregnancy was “over." On the day her mom drove her home she had to duck in the car until they rolled into the garage and closed the door so the neighbors wouldn’t see her. She was ashamed. Her family was ashamed. But God wasn’t. I know because he created me, and I was meant to be the son, the husband, and the proud father that I am. Our paths in life may keep us apart, but this sacrifice on her part was worth it. I was raised in a good home by loving parents (my Mom and Dad), and I have a wife and three children of my own. Our family would also like to adopt a child (or two) that is in need of a loving family, and this has been difficult but we know if it’s meant to be, the opportunity will come. Where God guides, God provides.
I have been a photographer ever since I could walk, and it is a blessing to document these babies that have been assisted by Birth Choice, as well as the families that share the joy of life.

John Tobin


To view samples of John's photos, please visit www.thephotographyspecialist.com

Featured artist: Kirsten Vogelsang

Birth Choice of Temecula is thrilled to have Kirsten Vogelsang and her cello students providing entertainment at this year's banquet. Below are the words and music of Kirsten Vogelsang. Her albums, "I Stand Transformed," and "She Spirals," will be available for purchase at the banquet.
 

As the daughter of Johanna Vogelsang, accomplished artist and activist, I grew up in a home where artistic expression was upheld as the highest form of achievement. My mother used her gifts to illustrate civil rights, human suffering and injustices. My father was a musician (pianist) and writer who was not so caught up in politics but in the “finer things in life."



I evolved my own artistic identity in the midst of this and during my first years of college where I attended Bennington college. Bennington also placed being in touch with one’s creativity as a pinnacle achievement.


As a composer/cellist for over 25 years, my musical creations have been rooted in the deepest of human expression. In my early years as a fledgling artist in NY, many of my colleagues passed due to the Aids epidemic, and so my early works pay tribute to this. I worked in collaboration with dance companies, creating scores based on this, the “disappeared” in South America in the 80’s, addiction, etc.


Moving to CA in 1990 after a residency at the Sundance Institute for film composers, I created scores for over 15 films, most of the epic, high drama genre. “heartbreakers…”


Simultaneously I worked on my own stand-alone or album pieces. The first album I STAND TRANSFORMED, however, is a collection of my film music. The second album, SHE SPIRALS are pieces featuring cello with electronica backdrops….utilizing my experience in film and dance, creating transcendent pieces. I am now working on my third CD and am seeking backers to complete this, which will be the pinnacle of my career. It is titled LET GO, and I have completed 2 of the pieces so far, one of which you will hear tonite.


As an educator now in my 50’s, I dedicate myself to passing on my dedication and musical experiences, providing the best possible experiences for my students, as you will hear at the banquet.

Key Note Speaker: Pastor Scott Scharpen

A photo of our Key Note Speaker, Associate Pastor Scott Scharpen of The Rock Valley Christian Church, with his wife, Carolyn. Pastor Scott will be presenting the ICU Mobile RV unit that God inspired him to bring to the Temecula Valley.

Birth Choice of Temecula will be partnering with ICU Mobile and other pregnancy resource centers to GO to, rather than wait for women. ICU Mobile seeks to offer women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy an opportunity to receive a free ultrasound to confirm their pregnancy and see their unborn child in a convenient and comfortable environment.

Welcome!

Check back for testimonies and photos from clients, as well as artwork, music and stories from those contributing to the event!