Connect with us

Kansas

Kansas City area mother shares story of being an abortion survivor

Published

1 year ago

on

Kansas City area mother shares story of being an abortion survivor


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Melissa Ohden was born premature. She always knew that. She was adopted and she always knew that too.

She was 14 years old when she learned her birth was the result of a failed saline infusion abortion back in 1977. She weighed less than three pounds.

“There is nothing that prepares you for a moment like that. There’s so many questions of, how does it happen? Why did it happen? Does that mean I’m so unlovable, I’m so unworthy,” said Melissa Ohden.

Ohden is the author of the book “You Carried Me” which outlines her journey of self-discovery and healing.

Advertisement

She eventually tracked down medical records documenting the failed procedure which led her to connect with her birth mother who also lives in the Kansas City area.

“She lives in Missouri. My birth mom, Ruth, lives in Odessa. I have a half-sister, Jennifer, and her kids that live in Blue Springs,” said Melissa.

Melissa Ohden and her birth mother, Ruth.(KCTV5/Angie Ricono)

Melissa says her birth mother never knew she was born alive and suspects her birth father didn’t know either. She wrote him a letter, but he died shortly after she sent it.

“My birth father passed away not long after I sent him a letter back in 2007, and I don’t know if he knew that I had survived that abortion,” said Melissa.

Abortion Survivors

Melissa now runs the Abortion Survivors Network. She says many people don’t have documentation backing up their birth stories. It’s mostly family secrets that are handed down. Survivors often struggle when learning the truth.

Advertisement

Not every state keeps track of efficacy- meaning did the procedure work?

Missouri included that information in its last annual abortion report in 2022. The information is in the “abortion complication section.”

It states that 12 abortions “failed, pregnancy undisturbed.”

Post-Abortion Complication Report: Missouri, 2022.
Post-Abortion Complication Report: Missouri, 2022.(KCTV5/Angie Ricono)

Planned Parenthood’s own website reveals the effectiveness of medication abortions by how many weeks a woman is into her pregnancy and the combination of medications prescribed. The effectiveness is anywhere from 87% to 99% effective.

Saline-infused abortions are now quite rare due to side effects and the procedure requires hospitalization. More effective procedures are now available.

Upcoming Amendment 3 vote

Melissa has strong feelings about the upcoming Amendment 3 vote. She will vote “no.”

Advertisement

Click here to read the exact language.

“I want people to read through this language and be educated about it, to know what the impact of a yes or a no vote on it would be,” said Melissa.

She questions what limits will be in place if Missouri chooses abortion services. She also points next door to Kansas which now provides abortion services for women from numerous states. She does not want Missouri to be a major abortion provider.

She also points to her birth mother, Ruth and what she went through.

“There was a pain in her eyes that I will never, ever forget. And if there’s one thing I could change about my whole story, it would be her pain. I wish I could take that away from her,” said Melissa.

Advertisement
You Carried Me, by Melissa Ohden.
You Carried Me, by Melissa Ohden.(KCTV5/Angie Ricono)

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Kansas

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography

Published

7 hours ago

on

March 5, 2026

By

Former Kansas high school wrestling coach charged with producing child pornography


WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – A former Kansas wrestling coach was charged with creating child sexual abuse materials by secretly recording minors showering during an athletic competition.

According to court documents, 37-year-old Ryan Brungardt of Salina is charged with two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography.

Brungardt is a former employee at Lakewood Middle School and former wrestling coach for Salina Central High School.

Brungardt is accused of using a cellphone to record three minors while they showered in a locker room during the Tournament of Champions, a wrestling tournament was held at Newton High in January 2024.

Advertisement

Brungardt made his initial court appearance for the criminal complaint on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brooks G. Severson.

A detention hearing is scheduled for Monday

Investigators are in the process of reviewing additional seized cellphone videos in this case that are suspected to have been recorded at wrestling meets in Newton, Hays, Garden City and Salina during the 2023-2024 wrestling season.

Anyone who believes they witnessed crimes or any suspicious activity at these events is asked to contact the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at (785) 600-8790 or report at www.kbi.ks.gov/sar.

Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

Published

19 hours ago

on

March 5, 2026

By

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins


TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Wednesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

6A Boys West Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Advertisement
  • Topeka High 57, Washburn Rural 50 (will play Maize Saturday)
  • Junction City 70, Dodge City 56 (will play Derby Saturday)
  • Manhattan 58, Wichita-Northwest 56 (will play Wichita-East Saturday)

4A Boys East Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Rock Creek 62, Louisberg 57 (will play Bishop Miege Saturday)
  • Atchison 74, Wamego 43
  • Hayden 72, Independence 56 (will play Atchison Saturday)
  • Eudora 76, Santa Fe Trail 68

GIRLS

5A West Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Hays 80, Topeka West 18
  • Eisenhower 55, Seaman 41
  • Kapaun Mt. Carmel 71, Emporia 41

5A East Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Shawnee Heights 89, Sumner 15 (will play Pittsburg Saturday)
  • Basehor-Linwood 74, Highland Park 28 (will play Piper Saturday)

3A Pomona-West Franklin Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Osage City 75, Columbus 31 (will play Frontenac Saturday)

3A Sabetha Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Silver Lake 48, Nemaha Central 26 (will play Riley County Saturday)
  • Riley County 51, Jeff West 40 (will play Silver Lake)

Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

Published

2 days ago

on

March 4, 2026

By

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins


TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Advertisement
  • KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
  • Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
  • Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
  • Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
  • Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
  • Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
  • Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
  • Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
  • Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

  • Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
  • Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
  • Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

Copyright 2026 WIBW. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending