An interview with Carol Everett, former abortion clinic owner and founder of The Heidi Group

The Heidi Group is an organization that counsels post-abortive women and men while also acting as a crisis pregnancy center that works with people all over the country through a network of pregnancy centers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, which is two miles east of Austin.

The group’s founder and president, Carol Everett, had an abortion in 1973, soon after Roe v. Wade. She then spent the next several years working at (and owning) various abortion clinics, selling abortions. [For more of her personal story, go here.] Everett said:

(I) saw 35,000 abortions and saw one woman die from a legal abortion. God came into my life and showed me through a man who was brave enough to come into the abortion clinic and to tell me that God loved me and that this wasn’t a place I wanted to be.

She left the clinic in 1983 and worked with pro-life groups and pregnancy centers until 1999 when she founded The Heidi Group. “We work with anyone and anybody who contacts us,” Everett said. “We set them up with the pregnancy center nearest them (and) we use a program tailored to that individual so it can be very different.”

Hundreds of men and women go through their program because, according to Everett, after an abortion both men and women go through a period of denial. At first there’s a sense of sometimes unexplainable relief that they feel and then at some point – some are immediate and some take from five to fifteen years – the person comes to grips with their abortion. There is no norm on how long it takes.

During that time all sorts of things can happen that can be self-destructive or self-punishing. Since they know the world isn’t going to punish them, they punish themselves. Drugs, alcohol, suicide attempts, promiscuity, and mutilation are all common during this time. Self-destructive tendencies can continue for five to fifteen years until a person finally says, “I killed my baby.” When they admit they killed their baby instead of “I had an abortion,” they’re ready to start the grieving/healing process.

So then we assist them and work with different groups across the country. We find out what’s closest to them, what’s best for them. Killing your own baby is a sin against your body and a sin against God and all women internalize that very differently.

To women considering an abortion, Everett advises them to stop and take a deep breath. There’s no rush. Pregnancy is a long period of time and this is a life-changing, life-altering, life-taking experience. The first thing is to see that the baby is growing and developing and realize that she’s a separate human being.

Get some counsel from someone who is not inclined to make money from your decision. Don’t go to an abortion clinic where they’re going to make money, go to a pregnancy health center. [They don't charge you for their services.] Sit down; discuss all your options because an abortion is not your only choice. Life is a choice, adoption is a choice, parenting is a choice. Consider all the choices. Do not rush into anything. Someone else’s life and your life depend on your decision.

If someone is pressing a woman into an abortion, Everett advises that she get away from that person.

Find a pregnancy center. Find someone who has nothing to gain by you having an abortion. You do not want to be part of anybody gaining from your abortion. Go to your pregnancy center, go to your church, go to somebody. Sit down, and work through those things. [Your body is telling you] that baby is already beginning to grow into a normal baby – a human, a boy, a girl, a different blood type from you – so I would say find that support system that will walk with you and help you with the choice of life.

If a person is pressuring a woman into abortion, Everett says they should ask themself:

Why are you trying to get her to abort this baby? What sort of threat is that baby bringing to your life? Are you being selfish? Is this all about you? Or is this about her? Or is this about the baby? Why in the world would you force anyone to have an abortion?

Even if conceived in rape, she’s no less a baby. The woman is a victim, but making the baby a victim does not change anything. At some point the woman is going to discover that she killed her baby, not just the baby of the rapist, but also her baby and she will be traumatized by that, Everett says.

She shares that if a woman under the age of 18 has an abortion, she risks breast cancer by 50%; if 19 or older she risks it by 30%. If multiple abortions or a history of breast cancer in her family then it’s raised by 100%. Human child at 7 weeks of development.Human child at 7 weeks of development.

Everett says that other problems include a chance of sterility and that over 90% have “post-abortion syndrome.” She explains that abortion is no safer for a woman just because the baby is conceived in rape. If the baby is conceived in rape, then Everett believes God still has a plan for that baby and that there are millions of childless couples out there waiting for a baby who they can take in and love if the mother is not able to. From personal experience, Everett knows that abortion is not the answer. Abortion destroys women. She says that women should take care of themselves and give their babies life.

When asked about inconvenient pregnancies, Everett says that babies are born at inconvenient times all the time. The ability to really “plan” to have a baby is a fairly recent development. So inconvenience is not a valid excuse. The babies are still gifts from God that Everett says He ordained. Enjoy your gifts, she says, and give that baby life.

If you want to join a similar group to The Heidi Group, Everett suggests praying for where God wants to put you because there are a lot of roles you can fill. Go where the Lord tells you. Pregnancy centers are probably the most important because they work with women and girls every day.

Find one that fits you and get involved. This is a sin that is touching (everyone) in the nation. We can humble ourselves and pray but if we don’t turn from our sins, our wicked ways, God can’t heal this land so it’s time for us to end abortion. Use the gifts and talents God’s given you to do that.

If a woman were to find herself suddenly pregnant, the first thing Everett would counsel her to do is go to a crisis pregnancy center and discuss her options. Find a church, ask a friend, or ask for someone to drive you if can’t drive yourself. Crisis pregnancy centers are one of the fastest ways to get help with an unplanned pregnancy.

For those wanting more information, go to The Heidi Group’s website or contact them on the phone at 512-2550-2088. You can email the group through their webpage.

The root of Christianity is to evolve as a spiritual being by following the teachings of Jesus. Christ showed us that it wasn't simply following the laws of the Old Testament, we need to live our lives selflessly. We need to put others in our lives ahead of ourselves.

Jesus taught us that all sins are selfish, and all selfish acts are sinful. Sinful is synonymous with selfish.

If you believe in God, then you must believe that there is a purpose to life. You can't believe in God, and think the purpose of life it simply to do whatever feels good. If you believe in Christ, and his teachings, you know what this purpose is - live your lives for others, selflessly, and evolve into a higher spiritual being. I don't see how you can consider yourself a Christian and not accept that simple truth of the teachings of Jesus.

Many people consider themselves Christian who are no such thing. They simply want to cover their bases - feel like they are Christian, maybe go to church once in awhile, and don't rob a bank, or murder someone, and they think if there is a God, they will go to Heaven. Those people have done nothing with their lives! They waste the gift they have been given, and I feel great sorrow for them.

I can think of no more selfish act, than to create a life, simply out of the desire for one's own physical pleasure, and then to destroy that life simply because it exists!

Everyone sins, and every sin is forgivable. There is nothing magical about absolution, it's simply accepting the fact that you have committed a sin, and regret it. The main danger to a person who has an abortion is that they will almost never accept that. They feel the guilt of what they have done, but instead of finding true absolution in accepting the fact that what they have done is wrong, they delude themselves into believing what they have done was justified.

I was taught that God will forgive any sin,or any number of sins,if the sinner expresses true remorse (and God obviously knows if it's "true") and that the sinner solemnly vows to genuinely try to avoid sinning in the future.

Perhaps my doubts regarding His willingness to forgive *her* means that I need to reflect more carefully on that willingness.

No one is going to flame you. Just seek God’s forgiveness for what you already regret and believe that, KNOW that you don’t have to keep asking/telling Him. Once is forever. Go to confession if you are Catholic....you wont hear unforgiveness in his voice but love and mercy.

Call Heidi or Project Rachael and you can secretly attend a weekend for free that is undisclosed to all but the attendees to get unquestioned help and healing.

I pray to God you will consider what I write here. He wants desperately for you to experience his unfathomable Mercy and Love. These groups are His arms to help you!!!

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