College student, WND columnist among award winners

Lila Rose

A WND columnist and a 20-year-old student whose undercover activities have exposed Planned Parenthood's willingness to accept racist donations and to hide felony assaults are among the winners of a new pro-life award.

The Life Prize awards, presented by the Gerard Health Foundation, are honoring WND columnist Jill Stanek and Lila Rose, who for several years has conducted undercover investigations into Planned Parenthood, the U.S. abortion industry's largest player.

WND reported just last week on Rose's latest investigation, focusing on a Bloomington, Ind., abortion business.

Rose's probe revealed a "nurse" ignoring an apparent felony of statutory rape and coaching the "patient" to protect the assailant. The video, released by LiveActionFilms.org, showed Rose posing as a pregnant 13-year-old.

Rose's previous investigation of several other Planned Parenthood facilities, including in Los Angeles, produced similar results. She also previously released a series of reports when Planned Parenthood officials agreed to accept a donation that would fund the killing of an unborn black baby.

The video shows the "patient," accompanied by a friend, going into a Planned Parenthood facility in Bloomington to ask about abortion. She meets with a nurse, identified only as "Diana," whose face is blurred to conceal her identity.

The video can be viewed here:

It also is embedded here:

Indiana Planned Parenthood Covers Up Sexual Abuse of 13-year Old -

The nurse, who is told the girl is 13 and her "boyfriend" is about 31, explains that in Indiana, if a girl is 13, the law requires a report to state authorities.

"You're 13. It has to be reported to Child Protective Services. OK. I didn't hear the age. I don't want to know the age," she said.

The nurse then shows Rose information about a clinic in another state where such reporting isn't required.

WND has featured Stanek's columns and also has reported on her discoveries about the abortion industry, including when Planned Parenthood started offering "gift certificates" that could be redeemed for abortion facilities.

"It is difficult to think of a more tasteless, ghoulish thing to give anyone. I refuse to refer to these financial instruments as gifts as they are nothing more than a legal way to put a hit out on someone," said a participant in a forum at the online Lone Star Times.

"Planned Parenthood, this generation's King Herod, you know, the guy who ordered the mass slaughter of babies when Jesus was born," added Stanek.

The prizes are the first of their kind. Life Prizes is overseen by Executive Director Cathy Ruse, who worked with members of a selection advisory committee to evaluate more than 100 nominations and select the winners of the shared $600,000 in prize money.

The advisers on the committee included Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, Rev. Dr. Alveda King, Ambassador Ray Flynn and Hadley Arkes of Amherst College.

"We were impressed by the exceptional caliber of all those nominated for the initial year of Life Prizes, and reminded of the heroism, sacrifice, and valor in the efforts of leaders from across the country," said Ruse. "The six winners that were chosen are examples for us and for our children of the type of initiative and action that is needed to promote life throughout our country. We are thrilled with the work they have been doing and are excited to see how that work will continue."

Other winners for 2008 are the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Richard Doerflinger of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Margaret Hartsthorn of Heartbeat International and Kay Coles James of the Gloucester Institute.

"The accomplishments of these pro-life heroes are diverse, valiant, and nothing short of inspiring," said Raymond Ruddy, president of the Gerard Health Foundation. "They are the movement's most successful champions of life and their achievements will inspire future pro-life generations to be bold and brilliant in undertaking the many challenges that lie ahead in spreading a culture of life."

The award winners will be honored at an event in Washington Jan. 23.