Posted on 05/04/2005 2:49:20 PM PDT by BenLurkin
PALMDALE - While "Everybody Loves Raymond" character Debra Barone will live on in television reruns, a generous gift from actress Patricia Heaton will live on in the lives of babies born to Antelope Valley women who were considering having abortions. Heaton, who has won two Emmy awards for her role in the hit sitcom, was honored Tuesday for donating a $25,000 high-tech ultrasound machine to the AV Pregnancy Counseling Center, which was renamed Women's Clinic of the Antelope Valley.
Ultrasound machines offer pregnant women a detailed view of their unborn children, even at only a couple of months along, and have helped convince many women leaning toward abortion to change their minds, center director Marc Boileau said.
"We needed a miracle, and we got one in Patricia Heaton," Boileau said.
"Since opening with the ultrasound machine, our clients have tripled. This ultrasound machine has really, really made a difference and is saving lives."
Heaton, who is honorary chairwoman for Feminists for Life, offered to donate money for several machines at a fund-raising dinner for the Right to Life League of Southern California.
Heaton's donation purchased four machines, and the organization Focus on the Family provided funds for a fifth, said former Right to Life League leader Bernadette Gonzalez. Besides Palmdale, pro-life medical centers in Monrovia, Santa Monica, San Gabriel and Ridgecrest received the machines.
Heaton said the pro-life perspective is perfectly compatible with feminism, saying she believes women should be able to choose to have their babies without risking their educations, their employment or their relationships.
"Women deserve better, and should be able to have children, have an education and have their jobs," Heaton said.
"This has enabled me to be in Hollywood and challenge people if they are pro-choice to help people have a choice."
Heaton recently traveled to Washington to meet with members of Congress on pro-life issues, something the actress has more time to do now that "Raymond," in its ninth and final season, has finished filming.
Heaton said Feminists for Life is hitting college campuses with the message of changing society to become more supportive of parenting and children, so women who didn't plan to be pregnant feel supported in having their babies.
To use the ultrasound machine, the center applied for and received medical clinic status from the California Department of Health Services and began offering ultrasounds in June.
On Tuesday, the name change was celebrated with a second grand opening and a ribbon-cutting by Heaton.
Doctors Christine Cambridge and Beatrice Lauria are the center's medical directors; other medical staffers and volunteer counselors also help run the facility.
Women who decide to go through with their pregnancies are offered baby supplies, cribs, formula, maternity clothes and more, while counseling is offered to women who will give birth as well as to those who have had abortions.
Boileau said in the first four months of 2004, six women decided to give birth after leaning toward having an abortion; in the same time span this year, 36 women have made the same decision.
The center is on pace to see 130 women give birth after planning to have abortions, he said, compared to a previous high of 46 women changing their minds in one year.
Ping.
"It's sad that the words "pro life actress" was enough for me to know who it was without reading her name."
Yes, I knew it was her too.
God bless this terrific lady!
NO! NO! NO! STOP IT!
If she wants to go into politics, let her do it on her own, like Sonny Bono did when he was at odds with the mayor of Palm Springs. He got into the arena, learned his stuff, and won. Eventually, he ran for Congress and won, his last time defeating "Pa Walton" (actor Ralph Waite), a Democrat.
Rob "Meathead" Reiner is expected to challenge Demo slimeball Phil Angelides for the Demo Goober nomination. Michael Moore has been publicly calling for Tom Hanks to throw his hat in the ring somewhere in California. I hope and pray R-nold hasn't inspired better actors to ride on their stardom to statehouses and Washington. If a trend begins, American legislatures may very well look like an episode of The Surreal Life!
Patricia says, "Sorry Ken!"
I don't know how current the contact information is but I sent a thank you to her.
With these new high-quality ultrasound images, it is no longer possible for Planned Barrenhood to call a developing baby a "blob" or "not a baby yet."
BUT considering letting an innocent disabled woman die of thirst by court order is now okay, why shouldn't the killing of innocent babies continue, no matter how compelling their images?
"So let it be written, so let it be done!
Rameses II (Yul Brenner) "The Ten Commandmants"
Patricia Heaton lives in South Central LA? :-) ("LA" has probably 30+ congressional districts)
The friction between them on the show may not be acting.
GOD BLESS PATRICIA HEATON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll second that motion.
What's Albertson's?
What's a DH?
Cool.
Albertson's is a Supermarket Chain (like Safeway, Raley's etc) and Patricia Heaton has done a few ads for them.
Designated hitter, the bane of baseball purists.
Well, I know what it stands for in baseball terms, but in the context Diana was using, I'm not sure.
Albertson's is the supermarket chain she does TV and radio ads for.
I did wonder why LA was here and there! But I figured, it's California, they're whacky out there... ;-)
Heaton's bio didn't say north or south, east or west LA, so I'm lost, but thanks for the geography lesson!
Pay no attention to my above post Ken, I am clueless.
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