Heartbreaking Ohio Case of DIY Abortion

This guest post is offered by Regent Law 3L and current Family Law Student Teresa Kuryn-Kohler:

A heartbreaking case has arisen in Licking County, Ohio where a young adult couple face felony charges after their intentional efforts toward aborting their unborn child caused their child to be born alive. 

This tragedy raises so many concerns.  Is this what happens society devalues life? There are people all over Ohio who would have loved to adopt this child.  Could this case expose a failure of proponents of adoption to get the message out that babies are indeed wanted?  And should this young couple be indicted on something tougher than involuntary manslaughter?  Making a conscious and knowing decision at 26-28 weeks to purchase drugs from India to induce abortion is a very intentional act.  According to police, the couple just decided they didn't want another child because they already have a three year old.

While it is understandable that a child can be a costly expense, this tragedy seems unnecessary at best.  If this couple had the wherewithal to use the internet to purchase life ending drugs, then they had the ability to find an adoption agency. Sadly, the angry chants of “my body, my choice,” appear to have drowned out the voices of the more than 2 million couples waiting to adopt in the United States. Adoption is a better choice than abortion to move toward family restoration.