‘God makes no mistakes’

By Florida Catholic staff - Florida Catholic

MIAMI | Personal experiences with “the miracle of life” characterize the winning essays of this year’s Respect Life Essay Contest.

The writers are all students in Catholic middle schools. One was abandoned, then adopted. Another was suspected of having birth defects and nearly aborted. Another has a sister with cerebral palsy. And another is one of six siblings, who attests that “the most amazing feeling ever (is) to see the face of a newborn baby.”

The contest is sponsored each October by the archdiocesan Respect Life Office and open to students in grades six to eight. Aside from the honor, winners receive a monetary prize: $100 for first place, and $50 for second place.

This year, the judges in the Respect Life Office also chose two honorable mentions.

“Once again, the essays submitted were marked by maturity, wisdom and very personal expressions of their Catholic beliefs on life issues that were important to them,” said Joan Crown, archdiocesan director of respect life. “The essays were all so impressive that it was truly a difficult task to select the finalists.”

The 2016 winners are:

� First place: Isabella Troccoli, grade seven, St. Gregory School, Plantation ($100)

� Second place: Dominic Scarcello, grade seven, Blessed Trinity School, Miami Springs ($50)

� Honorable Mentions: Ella McLaughlin, grade eight, St. Mark School, Southwest Ranches; Hanna Hirano, grade eight, St. Coleman School, Pompano Beach.

Here are their essays. 

When human life begins

Isabella Troccoli, St. Gregory School

Human life is a precious thing, and shouldn't be wasted or taken for granted. Our belief as Catholics is that it begins at the moment of conception. That means that even if a child is unborn, it is alive and deserves the same respect as any other living creature.

Some people abort a baby because the ultrasound reveals a disability or deformation. They think it would be cruel to make a child live like that. However, even if born differently, God has a plan for everyone. My own sister was born with cerebral palsy, but I know she was meant to live. God makes no mistakes, and each child is born the way they are for a reason. We all have a purpose, and killing a baby before it's born is the same as not allowing that purpose to be fulfilled.

An example of God's mysterious ways is my mom's 15-year-old patient. She was pregnant, and consulted my mother, her pediatrician, about an abortion. After deciding not to, she gave birth. A year later, they found she had endometrial cancer, and all her reproductive organs were removed. If she'd aborted, she never would've been able to have a child. It goes to show we should trust in God's divine providence.

At conception, a human being is made. It begins growing, changing, and learning just like us. So why should we treat it any different than a two-month old? The moment a child is conceived is the moment the miracle of life begins. We can create life with this gift He gave us. To disregard that would be a sin.

Especially today with our modern methods, I know of mothers that terminated their pregnancy simply because they didn't want it. A lot of the time, the conception was an accident and the baby is killed for being unplanned. In many countries, daughters are aborted simply for being born female. It's a global issue, and not enough has been done about it, and made it known. As a people, we need to understand that life is priceless, even if it's barely begun.

A child is a gift from God

Dominic Scarcello, Blessed Trinity School

A child is a gift from God. They are beautiful on the inside and out. I am completely against abortion. Approximately 125,000 babies are aborted (killed) every day, and 40-50 million babies are killed within a one-year span. Every baby on this planet has free will. Each of those babies could have made their mark on the world. They could have solved world problems like world hunger or treatment to illnesses like Ebola or cancer. Babies have their own rights, in or out of the womb. I personally believe that abortion is a terrible, terrible thing. You can do so many things to save that baby's life like putting the baby up for adoption or you can also have relatives (ex. mother, aunt, brother/sister) take care of the baby.

It is illegal to take a person's life for no reason. Did they harm you at all? Then why is it legal to take a baby's, one of the most innocent things in the world, life? I don't know why some people think it is fine to take a baby's life. I should know. I have six siblings and have had the experience of a new sibling. It is the most amazing feeling ever to see the face of a newborn baby. Personally it is the best experience I have ever had. A child is truly one of the most amazing gifts from God. 

My family is pro-life

Ella McLaughlin, St. Mark School

My name is Ella Grace Lan McLaughlin and I was born on Oct. 28, 2002, in Chongqing, China. Approximately three weeks after my birth, my mother, who could not care for me, placed me in a basket and left me in a busy business district called Nanping Circle, in the mountain city of Chongqing, in the province of Szechuan, China, so that I would be quickly found and cared for. I am so thankful to God that she chose life. I was immediately placed in an orphanage and lived there until I was two years of age.

The decision my biological mother made impacted my life and others. I look back at her decision and think, “wow,” how brave my biological mother was to risk her life so that I could live mine. The adoptive center said that my biological mother had to have carried me many miles and weeks on foot from the rice-patty farms to get me to safety. I go every year with my adoptive family to the National Walk for Life in Washington, D.C. I do this to support those who cannot speak for their own life, and to try to change the government's mind.

At the Walk for Life you listen to pro-life speakers and march with thousands and thousands of peaceful supporters. We walk pass the U.S. Capitol, through the streets of Washington, D.C. to the Supreme Court building. As we walk, we pray and sing for the sanctity of life. It is my hope that by taking this stand, we will be able to convince others, including our lawmakers and courts, that life is a gift from God and it cannot be taken by man.

A miracle from God

Hanna Hirano, St. Coleman School

Two-hundred fifteen babies are born every minute. Each one of these babies is a direct gift from God. How is it possible that some of these babies will not be given a chance at life? How is it possible that abortion clinics exist? When you were conceived you were about the size of this o or smaller. Your mom held you in her womb for nine months, and then you were born. Now imagine another baby who was conceived at the same time as you. His mom, who is 19 and in college, decides after four months to abort the baby because she will not be able to raise him. You were given the beautiful chance of life, and the other innocent baby wasn't given the chance. And I will raise awareness for this because these poor babies should be given the chance of life.

I was conceived exactly 14 years ago by my mom. After 16 weeks, her doctor told her that the first sonogram and blood test results came out abnormal, so suggested her to go to another doctor for a second opinion. The second doctor also tested with a sonogram and blood test, and the results not only came out abnormal but a new problem was detected. I had a 98 percent chance of being born with neurological damage and handicapped. The doctor suggested the best choice in that case was to have an abortion. He scheduled for my mom to have an abortion in a clinic. My mom was devastated by the bad news and desperately (sought) advice from family. Everyone advised that an abortion was the best option, except for one person, my aunt Jacky. My aunt paid for my mom's ticket to see a doctor in Peru. Before taking her to the doctor, my aunt took her to the Andes, where they prayed to the statue of St. Jude, the patron saint of hope. After that, they went to the doctor and the doctor told my mom that the sonogram showed that I was a perfectly healthy baby.

When I heard this story I was so grateful that I am here today. My mom was certain that she was destined to keep me. And I know there are many people with similar stories, but I just wanted to say that everybody should be grateful that they were given the chance of life. It is so sad that when you look up the word abortion. The Internet says that abortion is the most common medical procedure done in America. I have been telling a lot of people my story to encourage them. Life is a gift that God has given to you. Respect life.