At 19 years old, Danielle walked into an abortion clinic convinced she had no other choice. Years later, she would face her third unplanned pregnancy — this time as a Christian leader who had publicly spoken about faith and purity. The fear and shame threatened to pull her back into the same decision she had made before.

But Danielle’s story was far from over.

Today, she is a wife, mother of two, and a passionate voice encouraging women to choose life and find hope in Christ. Her journey — from instability and loss to faith and redemption — has become a testimony she now shares with others.

A childhood marked by hardship

Danielle grew up in the small Midwestern town of Lima, Ohio, where life at home was often unstable.

Her father struggled with drug addiction, while her mother carried trauma from her past. As a result, Danielle’s family moved frequently, bouncing between homes, schools and even domestic violence shelters.

Despite the challenges, Danielle does not blame her parents. Looking back, she says she believes they were doing the best they could with the tools they had.

Faith existed in her home, but only on the surface. Danielle describes her family’s early relationship with God as being “fans,” rather than followers.

“There was no discipleship,” Danielle recalls. “We had Bible studies, but no one really took that seriously. I [was] a Christian by tradition, but not by relationship.” 

Searching for a new life

By the time Danielle finished high school, she knew she wanted something different for her life. Just days after graduation, she left Ohio and moved to Atlanta, Georgia, determined to start over. 

But independence came with its own struggles.

At 18 years old, Danielle had no stable housing and often slept on friends’ couches or floors. She eventually found a job at an airport, but most of her energy went toward simple survival — paying for food, finding a place to stay, and navigating life alone.

Although support was available, Danielle did not reach out for help and soon found herself drifting into the kind of lifestyle many young adults fall into during difficult seasons.

“I was hanging out, drinking and having unprotected sex,” Danielle says.

Within about a year of moving to Atlanta, Danielle found herself facing an unexpected reality: she was pregnant.

Pregnant at 19

When Danielle saw the positive pregnancy test, she felt consumed by fear. She barely had enough stability to support herself, let alone a child.

“I just thought the only place you can go is to [an] abortion clinic to help you because you don’t want to have a baby,” she says. “I had no idea. Nothing crossed my mind that there were options for me at all. The first thing that came to my mind was abortion.”

She searched online for a clinic and scheduled an appointment.

During the visit, the staff performed an ultrasound and gave her a due date. Danielle remembers holding the strip of ultrasound photos, but feeling no connection to the baby growing inside her.

Fear had overshadowed everything else. After the appointment, she returned to the house where she had been staying and hid the ultrasound pictures among her belongings.

Soon after, someone in the house discovered them and sent photos to Danielle’s father. By then, however, Danielle had already scheduled the abortion.

When she returned to the clinic for the procedure, she noticed something she would never forget.

“I remember going into the clinic looking around, and all the girls in there just looked devastated,” she says. “No one was in there smiling and happy to be there. I was so devastated. It started to click for me then that this is a baby — this is my baby.”

As Danielle began crying uncontrollably, a staff member told her the doctor could not proceed while she was in that emotional state. She was then given a Valium pill to calm her down. Once the medication numbed her emotions, the procedure went forward.

Later, when Danielle’s father called after seeing the ultrasound photos, the conversation was painful. He reacted with anger, cursing her out before hanging up.

In the aftermath of the abortion, Danielle says she had no support.

Her second unplanned pregnancy

In her early 20s, Danielle experienced another unplanned pregnancy. This time, the decision felt almost automatic.

“I knew what to do,” she says. 

She scheduled another abortion and went through the procedure again — this time feeling emotionally numb.

For several years afterward, Danielle continued living her life without addressing the pain beneath the surface.

A life-changing encounter

Everything changed when Danielle was 28 years old.

She was married and worked as a police officer. Although she still considered herself a Christian, she admits her faith remained superficial.

Then one night in April 2014, Danielle experienced a life-altering encounter with God.

She recalls sensing the Lord calling her to fully surrender her life to Him. But Danielle says she asked for more time. At the time, she was still drinking, navigating a divorce, and exploring relationships with women while wrestling with her Christian faith.

But the very next day, during her birthday celebration at a nightclub, something happened that shook her to the core.

A young woman approached Danielle, saying she followed her on social media and wanted to take a photo. Moments after the picture was taken, the woman suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Danielle immediately began CPR as they rushed her to the hospital. Despite the medical team’s efforts, the 20-year-old woman died. Standing in that hospital room, Danielle realized how fragile life truly is.

“The Lord was showing me His power,” she says. “I had just asked him for more time the day before. And to see that this girl quite literally dropped dead … I gave my life to Christ in that moment.”

A new season

Danielle began speaking and preaching, growing bolder in her faith. As she shared her testimony, she gained a larger following on social media and eventually began writing books.

Years later, she experienced deep grief after her father passed away in 2019. The loss led her into a season of spiritual struggle, and she began drinking again.

During that time, she became pregnant. The moment she saw the positive test, familiar thoughts returned.

“The enemy, the familiar spirits from all those years back, came back and said, ‘Do it again, kill this baby, it’s easy for you now,’” she says. 

Danielle felt overwhelmed by shame. As a preacher who had written books and encouraged women to honor God with their bodies, she feared people would see her as a hypocrite for being pregnant and unmarried.

But this time was different.

Danielle had grown in her relationship with God, and she recognized the lies she once believed.

In her bathroom, she prayed and asked God what she should do. She felt the Lord remind her of Mary, the mother of Jesus, who also faced pregnancy outside of marriage and trusted God through it.

At that moment, Danielle made a decision.

“I dedicated my child to the Lord,” she says.

Danielle chose to continue the pregnancy, and the baby’s father committed to supporting her. Though they were not married and unsure about their future together, she says they focused on preparing for their child. 

In January 2022, Danielle gave birth to their son, Jaden.

Life today

Today, she and Jaden’s father are married and have another child together.

Danielle now focuses on her calling as a wife, mother and ministry leader. She speaks openly about her experiences with abortion, helping other women who feel trapped in fear or shame.

Her message is simple: abortion is often chosen out of desperation, not cruelty — and women deserve compassion and support.

“I want to be a voice to women to let them know that [abortion] is not your only option,” Danielle says. “I want to be the person that I needed at the time.”

Through sharing her story, Danielle has helped 50 women reconsider abortion and choose life.

And for her, that mission is just beginning.

Danielle’s encouragement to those facing an unplanned pregnancy:

“You will have trials in this life. Understand that through every trial in life, we have a Savior. We have a God who has overcome any trial, any situation, even unto death. So cling closely to the Lord. His word is a light and a lamp to our feet. So if you’re in a place where you feel like you’re in darkness [and] you feel like there is no hope, look unto the word of God to light your path.”

You can follow Danielle’s journey on Instagram at @danielletashae.

Written by Melina Nicole