And then it was too late. In December 2012, Shelley began to tell me the story of her life. How could you possibly talk to someone who wanted to abort you? Norma told one reporter at the time. Her identity was only made public in September by The Atlantic. The news that Norma was seeking her child had angered some in the pro-life camp. Norma had told her own story in two autobiographies, but she was an unreliable narrator. The daughter of Jane Roe the woman whose case was used in the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision says she has no regrets about never meeting her biological mother. Shelley Lynn Thornton has 'no regrets' about not meeting Norma McCorvey Enquirer stating that we have no intensions of [exploiting] you or your family. According to detailed notes taken by Ruth on conversations with her lawyer, who was in contact with various parties, Norma even denied giving consent to the Enquirer to search for her child. She gave her up for adoption the day after giving birth, then continued fighting for the right to abortion afterwards. And Hanft and Fitz warned ominously, as Chavez wrote in her neat cursive notes on the conversation, that without Shelleys cooperation, there was the possibility that a mole at the paper might sell her out. After all, they told Chavez, the pro-life movement would love to show Shelley off as a healthy, happy and productive person. This past weekend, thousands of women across the country marched to protect their abortion rights in 650 cities, including Manhattan and Albany. Shelley now saw that she carried a great secret. 'Roe Baby' At Center Of Landmark Abortion Case Is Identified For 1st She had been among only five women out of a class of 1,600 to graduate with a law degree from the University of Texas in 1967. She was born in June of 1970, a few months after Norma McCorvey filed Roe and a few years before the case was decided. Thats what Id say.'. Ruth named the baby Shelley Lynn. Reporters tricked 19-year-old Shelley Lynn Thornton into meeting them and then demanded to know where she stood on abortion rights. It became apparent to me really quickly that the only reason why she wanted to reach out to me and find me was because she wanted to use me for publicity, Thornton said. Still, the Dallas waitress' challenge to the Texas law resulted in a sweeping change of the laws across the country. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, She didn't deserve to meet me. The child was not identified but was said to be pro-life and living in Washington State. But Shelley let the hours pass on that winters day. Being born-again did not give her peace; pro-life leaders demanded that she publicly renounce her homosexuality (which she did, at great personal cost). 'I took their money and they took me out in front of the cameras and told me what to say. She went with her adoptive mother, Ruth. Thanks for contacting us. To come out as the Roe baby would be to lose the life, steady and unremarkable, that she craved. McCorvey began searching for Thornton in 1989, appearing on the "TODAY" show expressing her hope to find her third child. She. Instead, I called her adoptive mother, Ruth, who said that the family had learned about Norma. Shelley Lynn Thornton, 51, has come forward to reveal that she is the youngest daughter of McCorvey - the woman known as Jane Roe. Of those, 22 states already have total or near-total bans on the books that are currently blocked by Roe, aside from Texas. Controversial NHS Tavistock transgender clinic is threatened with court action by watchdog after failing to 'If I didn't build it, somebody else would've': The Godfather of A.I. Biological daughter of 'Jane Roe' slams Supreme Court decision to 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. After the Roe v. Wade ruling, McCorvey lived quietly for several years before revealing herself as Jane Roe in the 1980s. Months after filing Roe, Norma met a woman named Connie Gonzales, almost 17 years her senior, and moved into her home. The history of the Roe v Wade, which has proved controversial since it was made in 1973, dates back half a century. I want to hold you now and give you my love, but Im still upset about the fact that I couldnt abort you? But speaking to her daughter for the first time, Norma didnt mention abortion. My whole thinking is that, Oh God, everybodys going to hate me because everyones going to blame me for abortion being legal. You know, its like Its all my fault, is pretty much what I was thinking, she said. BREAKING:Treasury Department says U.S. could hit debt ceiling as soon as June 1, sooner than expected. Im supposed to thank you for getting knocked up and then giving me away, Thornton recalled saying. She charged clients $1,500 for a typical search, twice that if there was little information to go on. We've received your submission. Thornton, who never met her birth mother in person before her death in 2017, told journalist Joshua Prager she had decided to speak out after more than half a century because she wanted to free herself from the 'secrets and lies. Thornton never met her birth mother, although they had several telephone conversations. ', Thornton said she was unhappy with this description because she regarded pro-life as'a bunch of religious fanatics going around and doing protests. Her depression deepened. 'She never did anything in her life to get that privilege back.'. The Courts decision alluded only obliquely to the existence of Normas baby: In his majority opinion, Justice Harry Blackmun noted that a pregnancy will come to term before the usual appellate process is complete. The pro-life community saw the unknown child as the living incarnation of its argument against abortion. You tell me. He sent a letter to the Enquirer, demanding that the paper publish no identifying information about his client and that it cease contact with her. 'Secrets and lies are, like, the two worst things in the whole world. Fitz loved his work, and he was about to land a major scoop. Shelley wanted no part of this. She had to remind herself, she said, that knowing who you are biologically is not the same as knowing who you are as a person. She was the product of many influences, beginning with her adoptive mother, who had taught her to nurture her family. It was like, Oh God! Shelley said. Abortion rights activists are anticipating copycat laws sprouting up across dozens of other states whose legislatures are hostile to the procedure. When you buy a book using a link on this page, we receive a commission. Already getting in the party mood! Shelley was distraught. Now that Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion is likely to remain legal in liberal states as more than a dozen states currently have laws protecting abortion rights. Shelley Lynn Thornton: What we know about the Roe v. Wade Baby The next year, she had a boyfriend. In early June 1970, the lawyer called with the news that a newborn baby girl was available. Now I understand that it has nothing to do with me, she told ABC News. In a television studio in Manhattan, the Today host Jane Pauley asked Norma why she had decided to look for her. Though she was still against abortion, she said she had reservations about the group's confrontational style. But she got through ninth grade, shedding her Texas accent and making friends at Highline High.
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