Ex-Abortionist Shares Story at Reachout for Life Gala

On Sunday, November 6, Reachout Women’s Center welcomed 220 people to their annual Gala, themed Reachout for Life! Our community rallied to raise over $90,000 to support pregnant and parenting women who come to Reachout in need of services and support.

Dressed in their boots and bling, guests perused six outstanding larger-than-life raffle baskets. As the MC, Bishop Gerald Kicanas summoned both laughter and introspection throughout the evening.

The keynote speakers, Dr. Anthony and Cecilia Levatino, shared their impactful story. Anthony is an ex-abortionist and began with an honest explanation of the abortion procedure. Though graphic and rightfully disturbing, it was good for the audience to understand the reality of what takes place during an abortion, especially considering the amount of misinformation available today. 

Before his involvement in the pro-life movement, Anthony just went to work each day like most professionals. He performed over 1,200 abortions as part of his OB-GYN practice in New York. Though abortion was not the primary function at his practice, Anthony – like many obstetricians and gynecologists – was trained to perform abortions during his medical education. His practice was one of the only in the state to perform late-term abortions.

His wife, Cecilia, was a nurse and felt instinctively pro-life from a young age. When the couple was unable to conceive children and they pursued adoption, Anthony began to see the babies he aborted differently. What if just one of these women would allow Anthony and Cecilia to adopt their child? How much joy it would bring!

But still, Anthony continued working as an abortionist. He and Cecilia were able to adopt and right away also conceived a child! With the desire for children of his own satiated, Anthony continued his abortion practice as usual. He never spoke about work at home, though Anthony’s inexplicable anger and dissatisfaction increased so that their home was often tumultuous and tense. He blamed his frustration on the women for getting pregnant, the government for allowing late-term abortions, the practice for facilitating them. Anthony never confronted his own role as an abortionist.

A few years later, his family was devastated when their daughter died suddenly after being hit by a neighborhood car. The loss of their little girl triggered a chain reaction for the Levatino family.

“When you lose a child, your child, life is very different. Everything changes. For the first time in my career after all those years and all those abortions,” said Anthony, “I looked… I really looked at that pile of body parts on the side of the table... And I didn't see her wonderful right to choose, and I didn't see what a great doctor I was, helping her with her problem, and I didn't even see the hundreds in cash I just made in 15 minutes. All I could see was somebody's son or daughter. I lost my child, someone who was very precious to us. And now I am taking somebody's child and I am tearing him right out of their womb. I am killing somebody's child.”

He stopped performing second and third trimester abortions but continued with first trimester abortions. Anthony’s anger had become unbearable for Cecilia, so she prepared to leave. That night she finally confronted her husband: if he hated his job so much, why didn’t he just quit? This was the first time they ever spoke about Anthony’s work as an abortionist. He realized he had to quit immediately. His coworkers were not supportive; the Levatino family lost all of their friends and connections because of their change of heart.

Though Anthony stopped doing abortions, he was not yet pro-life. But soon, their family was invited to a pro-life potluck. It was the last thing Anthony wanted to do, but they dropped by on a whim. Every person there knew about his role as an ex-abortionist. 

That initial invitation has grown into a new mission to share the reality of abortions, the risks they pose to women both physically and emotionally, and the consequences of abortions on the entire family. Cecilia and Anthony are one of the few sources to draw back the curtain on the strain and damage that abortion caused their family. They testified to the power of prayer from strangers and patients who kept the entire Levatino family in prayer over the course of many years. Cecilia encouraged the audience to pray for local abortionists and their families. Those prayers do make a difference – just ask the Levatinos!

Anthony and Cecilia are now speakers at pro-life events to spread awareness and to encourage the work of pregnancy resource centers like Reachout. Anthony has even appeared in the pro-life film, Unplanned.

Anthony and Cecilia’s testimony at the Reachout for Life Gala was devastating, inspiring, and much needed. Women need a reliable, loving, and safe place to go when they feel alone and uncertain in their pregnancy. In 2021, Reachout served 1,650 women, and prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Reachout served over 2,700 women annually. Over the past 50 years, Reachout Women’s Center has been a steadfast and resilient presence in the Diocese of Tucson.