My name is Joseph W. Mele; I'm twenty years old and a junior at the University of Scranton. That in itself is an accomplishment never thought achievable by the Doctors and Nurses when I was born. I was born February 13, 1983, which wouldn't out of the ordinary, except that my scheduled due date was May 13, making me 3 months premature. My mother was in a nervous state, my father was beside himself. While my mother was waiting to give birth, the head neonatologist entered my mother's room while she was alone. The neonatologist said "I recommend that you have an abortion (abortion papers were in her hand and completed, they just need my mother's signature) at 28 weeks abortions are legal. Your son probably won't live through the birth, if he does he'll be in pain, his spine could be exposed, his lungs could collapse, he most likely won't walk and if he does it won't be until age 6 with the help of leg braces, he'll be mentally and physically disabled. Why would you want to put him through all of that pain and suffering? Your child still is not considered viable. It is for the best, I don't want you to become attached to your child, and it is for the best." My mother replied "get out"(the neonatologist left), then my mother said a prayer "Lord, I'm, not going to make any deals, please let my son be okay, after this I am going back to church."

I was born at two pounds three and a quarter ounces, my APGAR(a test preformed at birth to assess child's health, a scale from 0-9, 0 equaling dead) was 0, but I was brought to 3(which is very critical, but alive). I would stop breathing at points, to get me to breathe wasn't caused by a machine or some medication, but human touch, I would stop breathing and a nurse would simply touch my arm and I'd breathe again. I remained in the hospital until the summer and I went home with my parents.

For the first two years of my life I was deaf, my hearing (by the grace of God) developed. I under went speech and physical therapy for most of the early part of my life. On my wrists I can still see scars left by the IVs, they are a constant reminder. As for the rest of my life, I grew up with family and friends who love me. I went to New York Military Academy (because I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy), there I played Football, was a Raider (a JROTC intense physical and mental sport), I graduated as Alpha Company commander; I was in charge on average 90 cadets. I was involved with the Catholic Youth Organization; my youth group was based in St. Thomas of Canterbury. I became an officer in the youth group after a few meetings, that spring I was elected to Orange County 1st Vice President, and later nominated to Blair Co-Chair for the Archdioceses Board. Under guidance of my Headmaster I choose to attend the University of Scranton, now I'm a double major Counseling/ Human Services and Theology with a concentration in Pastoral Studies. I'm Public Relations officer for Students for Life, Treasurer for Counseling Human Services Association, a Alcohol and Drug awareness Peer Educator, Young adult Youth advisor for a Youth Group in West Scranton, and still have time for my amazing friends and family. Last semester my GPA was a 3.6 and that previous fall semester was 3.5. Not bad for someone who had a 0 for their APGAR.

My life hasn't been easy either, in junior high I was picked on because I was "different", high school I had to rise to occasion to be a leader at 17-18, and in college I lost my ROTC scholarship because I have mild sports induced asthma. Last summer I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, which I had since birth from a blood transfusion. My family and friends have supported me as they've always done and most likely always will do. The viral load present in my blood and liver damage is very minimal (which I completely chalk up to God for that Grace), so I will undergo a year of treatment starting in May. Providing it does not take me out completely, I'll continue through my senior year, if not I'll stop treatment and wait until later in life. Treatment consists of a shot once a week and a pill everyday.

All of the bad times were not fun, but it is all a part of God's providence and there is meaning to all of it, so I accept it and go day by day. I sometimes wonder why I have voice, why I was not silenced like so many aborted or disabled children. After the Pro-life conference in Scranton I understand now, there are others out there who were "unviable and deemed okay" for an abortion. We have a voice that was failed to be silenced and we are living proof that the quality of life can not be measured by "societies" standards because for all the trials in my life and difficulties I would not trade them in at all, not one. The reason why is because all that I have, that I get to wake up each morning, go to sleep at night, breathe in the morning air, watch a sunset, have best friends, a wonderful family, eat a meal, go to a class; I would not be where I am today if my life was without one second of suffering and pain. I would also not have the same relationship with God that I have right now and I can not even fathom my life without my relationship with Jesus. I am proof that Doctors can be wrong, that one life can have unlimited possibilities if just given a chance, you can never be sure.