In an unprecedented event in Times Square on Saturday, nearly 20,000 people gathered in New York City to watch a 4D ultrasound of a baby and hear the baby’s heartbeat. Focus on the Family and the March for Life, both non-profit organizations focused on promoting life and strengthening families, held the event, dubbed “Alive in New York.”
The beautiful, sacred moment when tens of thousands of people in Times Square and around the world watched and listened as a live ultrasound was performed … and then found out it was @AbbyJohnson’s precious little one whose heartbeat made us all cry.#AliveFromNewYork pic.twitter.com/bfNxAVELge
— Focus on the Family (@FocusFamily) May 4, 2019
Before showing the main aspect of the event (the live ultrasound), several survivors of abortions spoke. Other speakers included Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York. The crowd watched as a baby’s face appeared on several screens located around Times Square, via a backstage ultrasound. Abby Johnson, whose conversion from Planned Parenthood employee to pro-life mother is featured in the recently released film “Unplanned,” offered her baby for the ultrasound. She is due to give birth in a few weeks.
Focus on the Family Vice President of Communications Paul Batura told me that production staff were initially unable to get a good image for the ultrasound. “People backstage started praying for a clear image, the baby turned, and the image was clear,” he said.
Even though Focus on the Family had officially secured a permit for approximately 10,000 people, officials working the event estimated more than 20,000 attendees — a mix of people already in the area and folks that had flown in for the event. Although the group did not receive the physical permit until the day before the event, they had a walk-through of the premises a week prior.
Batura said, “Our sources told us that the mayor’s office was not pleased with the concept of the event, but they thought if they objected to it, it would not be politically advantageous to do so.”
James Dobson, the psychologist and best-selling author, founded Focus on the Family decades ago as a way to encourage family values in the public sphere. Even though he later became very politically active and is no longer actively involved at Focus on the Family, he was active in the early stages of the pro-life movement, speaking at events in Washington, D.C.
“I think Dr. Dobson would be very proud of this,” Batura said. “This builds upon the foundation that he laid. This event is a full circle example of the work he started.”
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
