Speaker tells the story of a mother who was a victim of gang rape and had the courage to give him life

Steventhen Holland, a national pro-life speaker, was the keynote speaker at the Greater Columbus Right to Life Movement’s annual banquet on Monday, June 10.

Steventhen grew up in a small southern community in the 1980s. But it wasn’t until he was eight years old that he realized he was different. One of his classmates said he had the “wrong” skin color and didn’t belong.

As he thought about it, he realized that he was different from his family. His skin color was different. His body type was different. Even his name was completely different.

So he asked his mother, and she told him that her family had adopted him from foster care when he was only seven days old. At the time, he was frail and sickly, and social workers asked the Holland family if they would take him, even though they knew he probably wouldn’t survive.

It was not until 20 years later, after losing his second child to miscarriage, that Holland began researching his medical history and information about his biological family. He learned that he had been conceived in the gang rape of a mentally disabled 18-year-old girl.

When she and her caregivers found out she was pregnant, they told her she had to have an abortion. His mother, Glenda, was only at the level of an eleven-year-old, but knew she loved her child dearly and had to protect it.

Since she had no other means of help, she ran away from the dormitory and traveled north for several hours.

She was heavily pregnant and living in some cardboard boxes behind a local grocery store when a young man found her. The 16-year-old took her to his family’s house and asked, “Can we keep her?” Soon after, she went into labor and gave birth to Steventhen.

Steventhen told the audience at the banquet not only about his mother’s courage in protecting his life, but also about the day they met and the precious time they spent together.

Greater Columbus Right to Life (GCRTL) Executive Director Beth Vanderkooi said the organization invited Steventhen to speak because “after the disastrous impact of the passage of Issue 1 last November, more than ever we need to hear the stories of ordinary people choosing heroic virtue. And we need to change the culture to advocate for life and protect and support those who choose it.”

Vanderkooi also noted that the banquet, her 12th with the organization, would be her last as executive director. GCRTL is looking for a new full-time executive director to succeed Vanderkooi, who will transition into the role of president.

As president, Vanderkooi will provide guidance on strategy, mission and public policy while overseeing new leadership.

“This is a wonderful time to grow the organization in a fiscally responsible way and allow me to focus on some exciting projects while mentoring and training the next generation of pro-life leaders,” she said.

For more information about the Executive Director position, visit gcrtl.org/about-us. To support the work of Greater Columbus Right to Life, send donations to 4900 Reed Rd, Suite 200; Columbus, OH 43220 or donate securely online at gcrtl.org/donate.