Press Releases

Mysterious Abortion Ads Appear on New York City Subways

New York City, NY, October 27, 2008 – George Zallie wishes the ads running in the New York subway system were on every mass transit vehicle in the country, every highway and byway, every billboard, every bus station. Mr. Zallie wishes these ads could be seen generously by the men and women who have had an abortion experience. He believes such an ad with such a message could have saved his daughter Stacy’s life. “Stacy committed suicide in 2002. Unknown by me and the rest of our family, Stacy ended an unplanned pregnancy virtually alone. She received no after abortion care and descended into a major depression,” says Zallie. “If she had known that she was not alone, that resources were available to her, I believe Stacy would still be here.”

New Yorkers have found the ads difficult to label. On one ad, an Asian female shares "I thought life would be the way it was before," while a tattooed male on another says, "I often wonder if there was something I could have done to help her." The ads point observers to a website, www.AbortionChangesYou.com, where they can participate in interactive content, learn how to build a support system, explore a range of emotions, identify unhealthy behaviors, and anonymously share about their experiences through stories, artwork, poetry, and songs.

Since the ads appeared, the site has spiked with visitors contributing their stories. One young woman writes, “I’m 24, confused and alone…I felt like I was the only one suffering until I found this website on the train.” Another man shares he was 18 when his girlfriend got pregnant and he never thought about the abortion they chose until he married in his 30’s, “When our son was born 9 months after we were married, I couldn't help but think about my first son. He would be 20 years old now.” And a grandmother writes, “I had to deal with my own grief in a way that would not make things worse for her [speaking of her daughter]. It was, and to a lesser extent still is, something I am working through.”

Michaelene Fredenburg, author of Changed: Making Sense of Your Own or a Loved One’s Abortion Experience, is the creator of the ads and stresses the non-political, non-judgmental mission of the subway cards and the website. "My desire to talk to someone after the abortion was checked by fear of how people might react. What if they denied my feelings? What if they condemned me? It can be a very difficult time for people, like myself, who have been there. I hope the ads will continue to direct people to this safe place,” Fredenburg says.

What both Fredenburg and Zallie found following their experiences with abortion is a world filled with people who have made difficult choices. Some are comfortable with their decisions, but others experience a range of conflicting emotions, including guilt, embarrassment, loss and intense grief. Of the latter, most have nowhere to turn because of the lack of awareness of after abortion resources. And unfortunately when they do reach out, they receive what Mr. Zallie refers to at http://www.stacyzallie.org/ as either "pro-life condemnation" (how could you do such a thing?) or "pro-choice denial" (abortion is never problematic). Fredenburg and Zallie know that this isn’t about debate, labels, or politics – they both hope that the ads lead to more men, women, grandparents, siblings, and friends knowing that they are not alone and that healing resources are available.

For more information or to schedule an interview with Michaelene Fredenburg, please call (619) 787-3571.