The Big Fish
Norma McCorvey was "Jane Roe" - the plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in America. Her story didn't end with that case.
For years after the decision, McCorvey worked in abortion clinics. She became a symbol of the pro-choice movement. She seemed an unlikely candidate for conversion.
An Unlikely Friendship
But in 1995, an unlikely friendship began. Operation Rescue, a pro-life organization, moved their office next door to the clinic where McCorvey worked. Instead of conflict, something unexpected happened.
Emily Mackey, a seven-year-old girl from Operation Rescue, befriended McCorvey. The child's innocent friendship disarmed her. Emily's family invited McCorvey to church.
That August, McCorvey was baptized by Rev. Flip Benham. She left her clinic job. She devoted the rest of her life to advocating against abortion.
The Rest of Her Life
"I was the big fish for the pro-choice movement," she later said, "but they never cared about me. I was just a means to an end."
McCorvey spent her remaining years speaking about her regret for her role in Roe v. Wade and her gratitude for the grace she found in Christ. She testified before Congress and filed legal motions to reverse the original decision.
The woman whose pseudonym defined abortion law became one of its most prominent opponents. A child's friendship opened a door that arguments never could.
