Australian teenager April-Lee Gillen, 17, was discovered unconscious and critically injured after an attempted abduction last Easter. Gillen, who was walking home from her boyfriend’s home, was left for dead on the side of the road after what appeared to be a failed abduction. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that a motorist found Gillen and brought her to a nearby hospital where she was treated for her injuries.
Doctors placed her in an induced coma and discovered afterwards that Gillen was four weeks pregnant, but from the beginning, Gillen was a fighter. As she posted on Facebook about the situation, she recalls likely putting up a fight during the attack and following the advice her mother had once given her.
Because Gillen suffered serious head injuries, she had to be reminded daily that she was pregnant. From Mirror:
“I woke up from my coma [and] she goes, ‘April you’re pregnant. Did you know that?’”
April replied: “Am I pregnant? Oh my goodness.”
In an interview with the television program A Current Affair, Gillen recounts:
“And then I would forget because I had that thing still where I’d forget each day, and they’d tell me each day.”
Despite her severe injuries, the young lady never considered aborting her child.
“I said to mum, ‘It’s a little baby!’ And I said, ‘Oh, I’m giving birth to him!’ or ‘I’m bringing him into this world, so I’m not going to think about getting rid of him at all.”
April’s mother expressed initial concern, but was convinced by her daughter and stood by her decision. Gillen’s son, Jacobie, was born on Christmas Eve.
Gillen’s story is truly a remarkable one. Here is a young woman who went through a harrowing experience and suffered injuries because of it, but Gillen never considered an abortion and has no regrets on carrying her child to term.
The Sydney Morning Herald, which also includes a video of Gillen and Jacobie, contains a statement from her mother expressing similar sentiments. She said: “It’s the best decision we’ve made.”
Not only is the decision to give birth to Jacobie something April decided despite her injuries, out of this tragedy comes bravery and celebration of the miracle of life.
