Terri Nordone’s abortion experience happened in high school.
She remembers that on a bright and sunny day, one girl walked into the abortion clinic and another girl walked out, she said. Now Nordone speaks about her experience with abortion at events and teaches support classes for women and men who have had experiences with abortions.
A pro-life group at the University of Oregon, called Students for Life, brought Nordone and two other speakers to an event on Thursday night called “Women Speak! The Abortion Experience No One Talks About.” All three speakers were from Save One, a religious program for abortion support.
Students for Life hosted the event at Lillis Business Complex, but they also meet Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the EMU. According to the group’s Orgsync profile, they focus on providing resources and information about abortion alternatives.
When she was fifteen years old, Nordone became pregnant unintentionally. Her father made her an appointment at an abortion clinic. Nordone returned to school a few days later.
The family didn’t talk about that day until years later. Nordone said that she has still never spoken to her father about the abortion. She has never had kids and said that she has to deal with the fact that her “only child” was aborted.
Nordone said that she had been a student at the University of Oregon at one point, but the abortion experience caused her to drop out. Depression and eating disorders accompanied her time as a student.
“No one can dispute how it affected me, that is reality,” Nordone said about her experience.
Nordone said she fulfills a purpose by speaking at Save One and teaching classes. She said that telling her story has gotten a little easier with time; in the beginning she would tear up when she would tell it.
Melody Durrett, director of Students for Life, said it is important to challenge the “predominant narrative” of abortion on campus.
“The predominant narrative is that abortion is no big deal and that you shouldn’t really feel bad about it,” said Durrett, who is the director of Students for Life.  
“I think that in reality a lot of women have really negative consequences from their abortions,” Durrett said, “and people really don’t talk about that.”