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Pete Baklinski

EXCLUSIVE: Jailed pro-life grandmother Linda Gibbons helped me choose life. Today, I'm supporting her in court

By: Pete Baklinski Director of Communications
October 7, 2024 @ 11:30am

Maria with Dora a few months after her daughter's birth in 1994.

As Christian grandmother Linda Gibbons is on trial for her peaceful and prayerful witnessing to life outside of a Toronto abortion centre, one woman has come forward with a remarkable story about how Linda helped her to choose life for her baby 30 years ago.

This summer, Linda was charged with “interfering” with the Toronto Abortion Clinic’s business of making money by killing preborn babies. While owners of for-profit abortion mills hate Linda because she takes away from their bottom line, the women she ministers to have nothing but love and respect for her. 

One such woman is Maria Odete Nunes. 

Thirty years ago, in 1994, Maria’s marriage of 18 years was quickly coming to a disastrous end. Her husband was an alcoholic and abusive. The 39-year-old Maria had tried to leave him a few times previously but had always returned. She had now decided to leave him for good, along with their two children, aged 11 and 15. 

Three months after the separation, Maria was introduced to a man at a birthday party for her cousin. They began a relationship. One thing led to another, and Maria found herself pregnant with this man’s child.  

“I wasn’t expecting such a thing to happen so suddenly,” Maria told Campaign Life Coalition in an exclusive interview. The mother was worried about what her conservative-minded extended family would say. She was afraid to tell them. “I was so scared,” recounted Maria. 

The father refused to take responsibility for the child. He told Maria to get rid of it. He encouraged her to get an abortion. 

Maria first went to a counsellor who also encouraged her to get an abortion. The counsellor told Maria that she would certainly lose her job if she had this baby and that she would be forced to start her life over again. “You don’t need this child,” Maria remembers the counsellor advising her. 

It was around this time that Maria providentially crossed paths with Linda Gibbons, who was helping out at a pregnancy care centre. 

Linda Gibbons, May, 2024.

“Linda was like an angel beside me. I felt supported by her, like I was doing the right thing in keeping my baby,” remembered Maria. “She was just supporting me, telling me that I should not worry about losing my job. She was like a mother to me.” 

With Linda’s help, Maria went on to have a daughter, who she named Dora, a name meaning “God’s gift.” Dora, who is now 30, has two children of her own. Maria’s grandchildren are one of her greatest joys. 

Maria's daughter Dora.

Maria, who now lives in North York, has only gratitude in her heart for the way in which Linda helped her to choose life for her daughter. 

When Maria recently learned that Linda was on trial for trying to help women in the way that she herself had been helped, she decided to support Linda by attending her trial in person. Even though Linda had drifted out of her life, and Maria had not heard from her for 26 years, she knew that she must now go and show support for the woman who had shown support to her so many years ago. 

“We need more people like Linda who reach out to pregnant women in crisis,” said Maria. 

“She’s courageous. She thinks nothing of herself. She gives of herself. When a woman faces a crisis pregnancy, she is very scared. Women need people like Linda to talk to, and to help them make the right decision.”  

Maria's grandchildren.

Maria said that if she had the opportunity to testify on Linda’s behalf during the court proceedings, she’d tell the judge that Linda should not be in jail since she has done nothing wrong in reaching out to women with the offer of alternative choices before they make an irrevocable choice of abortion.  

Maria will always be grateful that Linda was there for her in her greatest moment of need. What Linda does is she gently changes hearts and minds. Over one hundred lives have been saved because of her outreach.

“Women who are thinking about going through with an abortion need people like Linda,” said Maria. “They need the kind of counselling she offers, to hear about different avenues.” 

Inspired by Linda, Maria desired to help others as she had once been helped. She went on to found a successful business in which she, along with the help of her daughter Dora, care for the elderly and infirm.

Linda is currently imprisoned at Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, Ontario. Her September trial was paused due to Linda having contracted COVID while in jail, but it will resume on November 6.

Sign our petition to free Linda Gibbons here.

Read more about Linda's heroism at the links below:

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