Delaware Planned Parenthood Closing

Breaking: Planned Parenthood in Delaware Closing
 
While Planned Parenthood has not made a formal announcement, reports from patients were confirmed with a phone call by Greater Columbus Right to Life that the Delaware, Ohio, office of Planned Parenthood is scheduled to close at the end of September/beginning of October. The Delaware office does not perform surgical abortions, but does refer patients for abortion to Planned Parenthood abortion facilities. Last year, 149 women living in Delaware had abortions.

​The news was cheered by Greater Columbus Right to Life volunteers, many of whom have regularly prayed for the clinic’s closure as individuals, with church groups, with other organizations, or as part of GCRTL’s recently organized, “Delaware County Prays for Life,” an intentional hour of prayer focused on affirming the dignity of human life and closing the Delaware abortion referral clinic.

​Planned Parenthood has built up a steady drumbeat of support by insisting that its offices are more than just abortion clinics, that they are places that provide caring, compassionate care to women in rural communities and medically underserved areas, and that any effort to remove taxpayer subsidies to the abortion giant will have an immediate detrimental effect on women’s health. For example, just last week, Planned Parenthood tweeted against efforts to eliminate the taxpayer subsidy, noting that “closing women’s health centers in rural areas blocks access to basic care (and) costs the state more money.” In the meantime, the group quietly planned to close yet another rural health center. Do not be confused– this is not the first rural health center closed in Ohio in recent years. This isn’t even the first rural health center closed in central Ohio THIS year, as the offices in Chillicothe were closed down in January. In recent years other offices to have closed include Galion, Withamsville, Oxford, and more. In fact, Planned Parenthood appears to have closed or merged 38% of its Ohio offices since 2005, most of them rural, small-town, or under-served areas.

Hypocrisy in action in this Planned Parenthood tweet from August 28, 2017

It should be noted that while the Planned Parenthood in Delaware offers only a limited number of reproductive health care services and abortion referrals, and while the next closest Planned Parenthood office is located about a 45 minute car-drive away, women in Delaware have a number of places that they can go for pregnancy help and comprehensive medical care on a reduced or sliding scale. Pregnancy Resources of Delaware County (PRDC) is available to help pregnant or possibly pregnant women of all ages and incomes with confidential and caring help and friendship. There are also numerous medical clinics that offer comprehensive medical care within a 25 mile radius – the same distance as the next-closest Planned Parenthood. We recommend WWW.GetYourCare.Org as a resource for anyone to locate nearby medical, dental, and other services.   

​GCRTL executive director, Beth Vanderkooi, noted, “While it is likely that profit motivated Planned Parenthood to close the doors of the Delaware Office, without a doubt this closure – whenever it happens - can ultimately be attributed to the thousands of prayerful volunteers who have witnessed to the beauty of human life in Central Ohio. While we give thanks for these victories, we can never forget that the work is not yet done. As we are reminded in Galatians, let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” ​

​Greater Columbus Right to Life will hold a prayer vigil at the location once its closing date is confirmed.

In the interim, we are inviting friends and neighbors to join us at the GCRTL/PRDC booth at the Delaware County Fair (Sept 16-23rd) at the Coliseum, north side. You are also invited to visit the St. Joan of Arc Memorial display of crosses from September 23rd until October 1st. The display of nearly 4000 crosses is a visual representation of the approximate number of abortions each day in the United States. Individuals and churches are also invited to join in the 40 Days for Life Campaign, from September 27th through November 5th. Nationally, 89 vigil sites for the 40 Days for Life campaign have closed. The campaign will be held at Founder’s abortion clinic, 1243 E Broad Street.
 
Note: The closure of Planned Parenthood was confirmed after reports from current patients and by a phone call placed to the scheduling office. That notwithstanding, it has not yet been announced or publicly affirmed by Planned Parenthood and is subject to change.

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