Life empowers women, not abortion, and Melissa is one of likely tens of thousands of abortion survivors who exemplify this. Melissa is the survivor of a failed saline infusion abortion, but like every survivor, she is so much more than a survivor.

Melissa is a Master’s level prepared Social Worker and the author of the award-winning book featuring her life story, You Carried Me: A Daughter's Memoir and Abortion Survivors Break Their Silence, releasing on January 9, 2024. She is the Founder and Director of The Abortion Survivors Network, the only healing and advocacy organization for abortion survivors and their families worldwide. Melissa and her team have connected with nearly 700 survivors as of October 2023.

Melissa is a frequent contributor to pro-life and conservative news outlets and a regular guest on radio and television programs around the world. Although Melissa’s heart is for providing help and hope to all affected by abortion, she also strives to humanize the unborn and abortion survivors through activism. She has testified before Congressional committees numerous times.

Melissa is a devoted wife to Ryan and mother to her two daughters, Olivia and Ava. They reside in Kansas City, Missouri.