There is something in us, as storytellers and as listeners to stories, 

that demands the redemptive act, 

that demands that what falls at least be offered the chance to be restored.

-Flannery O'Connor

I had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Kathi Aultman over the phone recently. Though I'd heard her testify at the State House a few years ago, we'd never connected. We exchanged stories about our backgrounds and quipped about the seemingly random way we each landed in our current roles; early on in our careers, neither of us had any idea we'd one day dedicate our lives to saving the lives of others. In fact, as a former abortionist, Kathi was once focused on ending them.

I've heard stories within our movement of opened hearts and changed minds. But up until my call with Kathi, I had never spoken with a person who has performed abortions, and I had never heard a conversion story like hers. "How?" I asked after we'd been on the phone for a while, "How do you heal from a years-long experience as an abortionist?" I finally asked, somewhat awkwardly. There was a prolonged silence on the other end of the line. 

Kathi shared her redemption story with me that day. On Thursday, May 11, she'll share it with you, too. I hope you'll join us at MCFL's annual Mother's Day Dinner, at the Springfield Sheraton, where we'll welcome Kathi as this year's keynote speaker. The hotel will offer complementary parking for our guests. Your ticket is tax-deductible.

She is a retired Board-Certified OB/Gyn and is currently an Associate Scholar with the Charlotte Lozier Institute. Kathi is also a member of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, the Florida Medical Association and is a Life-Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She practiced medicine from 1981-2014 in Orange Park, Florida.

She obtained her B.A. at Drew University in 1972, earned her medical degree at the University of Florida College of Medicine in 1977, and completed her Ob/Gyn Residency at the University of Florida affiliated Jacksonville Health Education Program in 1981. 

Dr. Aultman was the co-founder and co-director of the first Rape Treatment Center in Jacksonville, Florida and performed sexual assault exams on women and children as a medical examiner for Duval and Clay Counties. She performed 1st trimester D&C with suction abortions and 2nd trimester D&E’s. She also served as the Medical Director for Planned Parenthood of Northeast Florida, Inc. from 1981 to 1983.

Her experiences doing abortions, and those in her Ob/Gyn practice, led her to a pro-life position. 

Since her conversion, she has testified extensively on a variety of pro-life issues before state and congressional bodies and state courts and has assisted various state attorneys and the Justice Department. She spoke at the 2019 Washington D.C. March for life Rally and was the keynote speaker at the 2019 March for Life Rose Dinner following the special speaker, Vice President Pence. She has been interviewed by CBN, Live Action News, and Focus on the Family, and spoke to students at the 2020 Cardinal O’Connor Conference for Life at Georgetown University. In 2022 she appeared on Dr. Ben Carson’s podcast, Common Sense.

Our Mother's Day Dinner promises to be as inspiring as ever and a wonderful opportunity to engage with pro-life friends both old and new. I look forward to seeing you there -- and hearing your story. 

Enjoy your weekend, Content.

Myrna