"Brandi Steedley is passionate, persevering, energetic, talented and beautiful!"

At least that is what Caryl Swift, president of Georgia Right to Life and member of the Georgia Baptist Convention Committee on Public Affairs, says about the brave and industrious young mother from Waycross.

You might find Brandi using a chainsaw to help her husband, Tim, who manages rental property. She might be singing a solo with the choir at Jamestown Baptist Church in Waycross. She might well be getting a bride to pose with her groom for her new photography business; or she very well could be found behind a podium giving her testimony at a "Right to Life" rally.

And indeed Brandi's testimony is powerful! In June of 2000 she was scheduled to have her thyroid removed along with some enlarged lymph nodes. She knew at the time that there was a possibility that she had cancer. Five days before the surgery, she had the pre-op blood work done and found out that she was pregnant.

Brandi immediately went to see her OB/GYN. The physician was interested in knowing how far along she was in her pregnancy. The next day she went for a sonogram, but there was no evidence of a heartbeat. (Typically there is a heartbeat 21 days after conception.)

What Brandi did not know at the time was that the doctor actually thought the pregnancy had ended and that a miscarriage was inevitable. She was advised to go ahead with the surgery and come back for another sonogram in a few weeks.

 

Cancer and a tough decision

On Monday, June 26, 2000, Brandi had a nine-hour surgery. Her thyroid was removed as well as 33 lymph nodes. There were signs of cancer in 29 of the lymph nodes. The cancer had already damaged one of Brandi's vocal chords and was found in three of her four parathyroid glands, the glands which regulate the body's calcium.

Hours after the surgery, Brandi awoke in the intensive care unit only to hear one of her doctors saying that an abortion would be necessary because of the unusually aggressive nature of the cancer. They had concluded there was no way she could receive the treatment required and remain pregnant.

Numerous doctors had been consulted and arrived at the same conclusion: The abortion should be performed because the baby had already been exposed to many tests that could severely disable a child.

But when Brandi went back for the sonogram, she discovered that there was a heartbeat. The tears began to roll down her cheeks for two reasons. One was that Tim was in the waiting room and he, like most everyone else, wanted her to have the abortion.

At the time, the Steedley's already had three children ages 3, 2, and 1. Brandi knew that she had to tell her husband she was going to keep her baby regardless of the circumstances or prophets of woe. The baby's heartbeat was in itself a miracle.

Brandi also knew that if she had an abortion she would be the one standing before God to answer for what she had done. She emphatically said, "I knew I would have to carry the weight of the sin if I had an abortion."

 

An indescribable peace

Brandi continued, "I had already experienced many difficult things in life, but Jesus was always there to sustain and comfort me. God had used some 'ugly' things in my life to draw me to Him. I had learned to trust and depend on Him at an early age, and now I was going to need Him more than ever."

Brandi made the decision to continue with the pregnancy and not receive any kind of treatment during that time. She recalled, "God gave me an indescribable peace. While some were telling me that God would give me peace if I had an abortion, I knew that God would not give me peace if I did something that was completely contrary to His word."

The week before Thanksgiv-ing, Brandi's husband, Tim, was told his job was being eliminated and he was dismissed after 21 years with his company. The Steedley's were devastated.

Brandi's admits, "It was all a part of God's plan. Tim was able to be at home with the children and me for over a year. That was a blessing from God."

Brandi's pregnancy went well and on Jan. 23, 2001 a healthy Emily Ann Steedley was born. She was born the day after the Roe v. Wade anniversary, during the Sanctity of Human Life Week. God's timing is perfect!

Two weeks after Emily was born, Brandi had another nine-hour surgery. Four weeks later she had a cancer treatment. On April 17, 2001 she was declared cancer-free and continues to be so today. Emily is now three years old and the picture of health.

Brandi declares, "I still believe that even if I had not been healed and Emily had not been born healthy, I made the right decision. I believe God superintended it all because He was simply demonstrating His love to me.

"I cannot tell you how my life has changed in the past three years. Even though it was a difficult time, it was worth it. Every time my little Emily climbs in my lap and gives me a kiss and tells me she loves me, it is as if God Himself is embracing me and saying, 'Brandi, never forget how much I love you.'" Brandi admonishes Georgia Baptists, "We have sat in silence too long. Georgia is tenth in the nation regarding abortions. We are in the Bible belt. We should be one of the states with the least abortions, not the highest.

"Abortion is the number one cause of death in our nation. If we as God's children cannot and will not stand for life then who will? How can we be Christians and not be pro-life? God is life!"