Wendy Shelton, center, from the Center for Pregnancy Choices listens to speakers at the March for Life at the Utah State Capitol with her grandchildren. (Katelyn Kenedy)
Men, women and children advocated for adoption at the March for Life at the Utah State Capitol on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Hundreds of people met at Washington Square at 11 a.m. to raise awareness of other options for an unwanted pregnancy, such as adoption.
Speakers Meg Johnson, Laurie Jensen and Bryonna Jones shared personal stories about abortion and adoption in order to advocate for and encourage pro-life options.
Carrie Murphy, her husband and their adopted 4-year old daughter encourage adoption at the March for Life. They encourage would-be mothers to have their babies because they say there are families who would take them in and love them as their own. (Katelyn Kenedy)
The speakers weren’t the only ones with personal stories that caused them to march.
Jessica Bruner and her husband drove to the Capitol from Idaho to make sure their voices were heard.
Bruner said her mother became pregnant with her unexpectedly while in college and could have easily aborted the pregnancy. She said she is grateful her father wanted to keep her.
Bruner and her husband have had 11 miscarriages. They encourage adoption rather than abortion because they would do anything to adopt.
“I would love to convince someone if they are considering abortion that there are other families out there who would love their kids and take them in,” Bruner said. “It’s not about protesting abortion so much as supporting women to pursue adoption instead.”
Pro-Life Utah social media administrator Heather Richey is a mother of eight. She said she needs to be a voice for children and protect the value of life.
BYU sophomore Erica Smith (left) Pro-Life Utah social media administrator Heather Richey and UVU graduate Kimberly Motteshard stand with pro-life signs in front of the Utah State Capitol Building. (Katelyn Kenedy)
“I lost my 5-month-old daughter. I can’t imagine not saving (unborn children) because I would have done anything to save my daughter,” Murphy said. “I had some unexpected pregnancies too, but they have been my greatest joy and made me stronger.”
Many women at the March for Life marched because they felt excluded from the recent women's marches held in Washington D.C. and Park City after a pro-life group was removed from a list of partners on the Women's March on Washington website.
Jessica Bruner is one such woman who felt excluded.
'(The Women's March) doesn't speak for the women's rights that they say they are for. What about the women who have the right to be pro-life or the women who are unborn?' Bruner said. 'Who is speaking for them?'
Yvette Adams and her twin Yvonne Ruiz Diaz also wanted to make sure they could voice their opinions.
'Don't march for me,' Diaz said.
Yvette Adams said she wanted to represent herself at the March for Life because she felt the Women's March didn't include her views.
'They don't represent me, or my beliefs, or my wants or desires,' Adams said.