PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Nearly 200 pro-life advocates in Port St. Lucie packed a Port St. Lucie commission meeting Monday night.
They wanted to tell city commissioners to stop Planned Parenthood from coming to the city at a new location on Hillmoor Road.
However, Mayor Greg Oravec, while appreciative of their passion, told the crowd they were not bringing their concerns to the right place. The city has no say in whether or not Planned Parenthood comes to Port St. Lucie. They are already moving into a building zoned appropriately for their use.
“You’re going to be advocating to a group that has no power to intervene on this application. So, I would personally encourage you to continue to be passionate and advocate at the state and federal level where you can actually influence the laws that control it,” Oravec said.
That did not stop some people from still sharing their concerns and deeply personal stories during public comment.
That included women like Clair Faunce.
She explained the story behind her own abortion, and the decision she made later in a second pregnancy to give up a child for adoption.
“And now she’s (the child she gave up for adoption) an actress and singer on Broadway ... she sent me the most beautiful thank you letter thanking me for giving her life. And an amazing life,” Faunce said.
“Any kind of information that’s given will make a difference. I always say to people together we make a difference,” said advocate Rob Stevens.
The Stuart Health Center is a Planned Parenthood location, closing on Jan. 14 and relocating to Port St. Lucie on Jan. 22.
In a statement Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida said the following:
For more than 100 years, Planned Parenthood has been America’s most trusted provider for reproductive health care and is committed to providing women, men and young people with high-quality, affordable services. Planned Parenthood of South, East and North Florida (PPSENFL) provides health care and education to more than 57,000 women, men and teens across our service area and has proudly served patients on the Treasure Coast for more than 40 years.
In response to the pressing need for reproductive health care services in St. Lucie County, PPSENFL is excited to announce we will be relocating our existing Stuart Health Center to a nearby location in Port St. Lucie. We will continue to offer a full range of reproductive health care services, including lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, breast exams, and pap tests. We are committed to ensuring that women have accurate information about, and access to, all of their health care options.
Unfortunately, those who oppose the mission of Planned Parenthood continue to make false claims intended to mislead the public and ban safe and legal abortion. The truth is nearly 1 in 4 women will have an abortion in her lifetime, and the majority of Floridians stand with Planned Parenthood and believe in a woman’s right to control her own body.
We will continue to provide care for the patients who rely on us. If those who oppose our mission were serious about reducing the rate of abortion, they would work with us to reduce unintended pregnancy rates and increase access to vital preventive health care.