Focus on the Family with Jim Daly Finding Healing After an Abortion
Oct 30, 2025
Camille Cates, an author and speaker who shares her powerful journey of loss and healing after abortion, opens up about her experiences. She candidly discusses the intense grief and guilt that followed the tragic murder of her daughter and subsequent abortion. Camille emphasizes the importance of turning to God for healing and forgiveness, and how churches can foster safe spaces for sharing these stories. She also highlights the need for supportive parental responses to teen pregnancies and explores the emotional toll of abortion on men.
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Teen Faith, First Pregnancy, And Single Motherhood
- Camille described coming to faith at 12 and later becoming sexually active in high school, then choosing to keep her first baby at 16 despite pressure for abortion.
- She graduated early, became a single mom, and returned to dating leading to another pregnancy within a year.
Keep Ongoing Conversations About Sex With Teens
- Parents should lean into ongoing, awkward conversations about sex and values rather than a single 'talk.'
- Use resources (like ministries) and discuss peer situations and media to keep guidance current and practical.
Loss, Betrayal, And A Painful Choice
- Camille recounted the horror of discovering her daughter had been killed by her boyfriend and then feeling pressured toward abortion while pregnant with his child.
- She buried her daughter and had an abortion four days after the funeral, which led to years of spiraling grief and substance use.
