Abortion zealots use the flaws of the foster care system as a cruel way to justify killing preborn children in the womb. They frequently (and cruelly) argue that a child who might end up in the foster care system is better off dead. But rather than getting rid of disenfranchised children, we need more awareness about the foster care system, and we need more good people to step into the role of giving children a better life.   

What many abortion supporters may not realize is that some of America’s most significant and influential icons grew up in some form of foster care, with some of them being placed with an adoptive family. A life begun in foster care—with all of its challenges—is far better than a death sentence. To argue otherwise is the ultimate form of defeatism, and it has no place in America, where we believe hardship can be overcome and your origin doesn’t have to define you. 

As National Foster Care Awareness Month wraps up, Students for Life of America (SFLA) celebrates foster families and the children in them as we take a quick dive into some of the world’s cherished figures with a history of foster care or adoption.   

Cher  

American singer Cher was supposed to be aborted.   

Before Cher (Cheryl Sarkisian) was born, her mother, Georgia, regretted her marriage to her husband. Georgia sought shelter with her mother, but was only allowed back if she had an abortion. Choosing Life instead, she returned to her husband and gave birth to Cher in 1946. When Cher was ten months old, her parents divorced. Cher later faced poverty and instability, as well as being put in foster care at two years old and a children’s home for several weeks. She was later reunited with her mother.   

These challenges didn’t stop her from becoming a successful musician worldwide, selling over 100 million records.  

John Lennon   

Despite a fraught early childhood, singer-songwriter John Lennon went on to be a significant part of the worldwide music phenomenon The Beatles.   

Lennon was born in 1940, and his parents separated legally in 1942. He was later raised by his mom’s sister, Julia, whom Lennon affectionately called “Aunt Mimi.”   

Though The Beatles have sold an estimated 600 million records worldwide, with 1.6 billion singles and 177 million albums in the United States alone, one of Lennon’s most important accomplishments was fathering his two sons.   

After his tragic assassination in 1980, he left behind a son with ex-wife Cynthia Lennon, Julian Charles John, and his youngest son with widow Yoko Ono, Sean Tara Ono. 

Willie Nelson   

Country music icon Willie Nelson was raised, alongside his sister, by their grandparents after their parents left the children due to personal struggles during the Great Depression. His grandparents were music teachers, sparking his interest in music. Willie got a guitar at six years old and from then on, he was on his way to revolutionizing American music, eventually selling nearly 40 million albums worldwide.  

Nelson has eight beautiful children: Lana, Susie, Paula, Amy, Renee, Lukas, Micah, and Billy.   

Steve Jobs   

Without Steve Jobs, we wouldn’t have iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and beloved Pixar movies. Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955, and his parents–a graduate student and Syrian teaching assistant–made the brave and loving choice to allow Jobs to join an adoptive family.   

Knowing he was adopted his whole life, Jobs expressed his deep affection for his adoptive parents and adoption before he died in 2011. 

“I’ve always felt special,” Steve later said. “My parents made me feel special.”  

Simone Biles  

Before Simone Biles rose to fame as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, she had a challenging start to life as both her parents struggled with alcohol and drugs. While her birthmother was unable to provide for her children, especially after their father abandoned them, she lovingly allowed Biles’ grandparents to raise her.   

“My journey to the 2016 Olympics started on a daycare field trip,” wrote Biles. “You might think that going from a girl in foster care to being an Olympic gold medalist in Rio de Janeiro is the most amazing part of my journey. It isn’t. It’s how I got there — or, more accurately, who got me there — that is most miraculous. I’m going to tell you a story. My story. How my faith and my family made my wildest dreams come true. And how embracing a dream can give you courage to soar.”    

Marilyn Monroe   

Born Norma Jean Baker, Marilyn Monroe bounced between foster homes and orphanages, but that didn’t stop her from chasing her dreams. Despite suffering from sexual abuse at a young age, she triumphed over her tragedy. She went on to become one of the most iconic actresses of Hollywood’s golden age. Before she died in 1962, her films grossed $200 million, around $4 billion today.   

Eddie Murphy   

Eddie Murphy had a difficult childhood. After his father was murdered in 1969 and his mother became ill, he and his brother were placed in foster care for a year. Despite every reason to lose his sense of humor, Murphy found it during his time in foster care and years later exploded onto the comedy scene with Saturday Night Live.   

Foster care and unfortunate childhood circumstances are no reason to end an innocent preborn life, and these inspiring celebrity stories (which are just a small sampling of many) prove just that. It’s true that the foster care system is imperfect and could use reform; fixing its flaws should be the shared goal of both pro-life and pro-abortion Americans, instead of using it as an argument for preborn death.  

Every child, regardless of circumstance, deserves a chance at Life, and we’re thankful these cultural icons received one.  

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