“Do something pro-life every day” was the motto of the late Joe M. Scheidler—the God-father of pro-life activism. Now his teen granddaughter is carrying on his legacy.
As she grew up, the pair enjoyed discussing several topics—their favorites being abortion and faith.
“As I got older, the conversations between him and I just got richer and richer,” Ms. Miller told The Epoch Times. “Once you are confronted with the evils of abortion, you can’t go back, and you have to do something about it.”
The teen firmly believes the path to this tough journey ahead is based on “love and forgiveness” rather than on “judgment, criticism, or condemnation.”
“I was holding a picture of a baby named Baby David, who was a victim of abortion,” she said. “It just really struck me, and so I started digging deeper and deeper into what I had been fighting against my whole life.”
Being ‘Simply Pro-Life’
Ms. Miller’s grandfather left behind a pro-life legacy that spanned over 40 years. An “expert on the abortion culture” and the related issues including the spiritual realm of the pro-life cause, he spoke to large audiences, published two books, and was actively saving unborn babies until he breathed his last at the age of 93.It was in January of 2021. Mr. Scheidler and Ms. Miller were scheduled to speak at a pro-life march in Rockford, Illinois. Tragically, Mr. Scheidler passed away the Monday before the march.
Ms. Miller was given the chance to recite her speech in front of her legendary grandfather on his deathbed. In his last words to her, Mr. Scheidler called her a “dynamo.” Little did he know what he said would soon prove true for all of the world to see.
In 2023, Ms. Miller launched Simply Pro-Life, a nonprofit helping youth find simple ways to live out their pro-life values.
Empowering the American Youth
Ms. Miller believes that sharing the pro-life message with youth is highly important since their worldviews are still being shaped, and they are reaching their peak years of fertility. With most abortions being performed on women in their 20s, Ms. Miller said, educating teenagers about the issue is critical.“It’s so important that they know the truth,” she said. “It’s so important for them to understand and know what abortion is, and what it means.”
Her nonprofit has hosted multiple events so far, among them are the Simply Pro-Life Teen events.
Mary Sanfilipo, who attended both teen events, says she was inspired by Ms. Miller and her work.
“Hope definitely helped me get a bigger perspective on all that’s out there, and the different ways that I can help moms and babies through the pro-life movement,” she said.
Ms. Sanfilippo credits Ms. Miller with helping her take the plunge into activism and get involved in different forms of outreach when they both were teenagers.
“Hope grabs the attention of all ages, but she really shows teens that they are more than just a student in school,” she said.
Anastacia Smith, another teen event attendee from 2023, believes that “pregnancy is one of the most beautiful things and the fulfillment of why a woman was created.” Ms. Smith finds it encouraging to hear stories of people from all different backgrounds—men, women, and even college students—who attend these events and to see Ms. Miller interacting with them. Ms. Miller’s passion for the unborn is palpable, she adds.
“You can see that it’s something that she really truly cares about and that it’s something that she’s not going to let go of—ever,” Ms. Smith said.
Ms. Miller says there are many ways the American youth can “do something pro-life every day,” including prayer, talking to others about abortion, or activism.
Ms. Miller provided one example of a “simply pro-life” activity that she has done in the past. She buys pro-life pamphlets about the abortion pill and then visits pharmacies with the flyers in tow. She hands them out at the front of the store or sticks them in the pregnancy test or birth control sections. She boldly encourages others to do the same.
“That is a very simple action and very relevant to what’s happening right now,” she said, citing the news about the abortion pill being sold in pharmacies.
The Path of ‘Forgiveness, Compassion, and Truth’
Every year, the Pro-Life Action League hosts its “Face the Truth” tour, during which volunteers display images of aborted children and healthy preborn babies on sidewalks. On the 2022 tour, Ms. Miller was in Naperville, Illinois, when an angry woman emerged from her home and told the young activist to get off the sidewalk.Ms. Miller, only 17 at the time, refused to move since she was on public property. The enraged homeowner responded to Ms. Miller with a threat, saying she would have her dog attack her. It was a frightening situation, but the teen chose an extraordinary response.
“I wanted to show her that I was everything that she thought I wasn’t,” Ms. Miller said. “I wanted to show her that I was merciful and loving and forgiving. And so, when the cops showed up and told me I could press charges, I decided to simply just forgive her.”
Two years later, Ms. Miller’s love for people who don’t support or understand the pro-life cause has not faded. She firmly believes that the pro-choice movement “is in deep need of love, forgiveness, compassion, and the truth.”
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Another incident happened in downtown Chicago during the 2023 Face the Truth Tour. Ms. Miller was handing out flyers when a woman approached her and her sister, insulting them and aggressively invading their personal space. Ms. Miller took out her phone and began recording, so she would have evidence for the police in case of an unfortunate event.
The woman, somehow, grew even more violent upon seeing Ms. Miller recording.
“She ripped the phone out of my hand and smashed it on the ground, breaking my phone,” Ms. Miller said.
The teen’s hand had scratch marks on it from how violently the woman snatched the phone. Later, charges were pressed, and there is currently a warrant out for the woman’s arrest.
“It was definitely wild,” Ms. Miller said, recalling the frightening incident. “And one of the only times I actually was truthfully very scared.”
Although hurt by this stranger’s actions, Ms. Miller never lets fear stop her from doing her work. She said faith is “essential” to pro-life activism and emphasized that angry and misled women, like the one who smashed her phone, are in need of prayer.
“People are going to be angry when you’re doing something good,“ she said. ”And truthfully, the only way to sometimes get over it is to simply give it to God.”
Through her unrelenting work, the young pro-life advocate encourages others to get involved in saving unborn lives. Ms. Miller is driven by her faith and passion for reaching youth with the pro-life message, and, she says, she is certainly not going to stop anytime soon, just like her iconic grandfather.
