Emily Lyons
Emily Lyons | |
---|---|
Born | Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. | July 18, 1956
Alma mater | University of Alabama at Birmingham |
Occupation(s) | Nurse, abortion activist |
Known for | Surviving anti-abortion bomb attack |
Spouse | Jeff |
Emily Lyons (born July 18, 1956) is an American nurse who was gravely injured when
Early life
Lyons was born in 1956 in
Bombing
The morning of January 29, 1998, Lyons was approaching the clinic, when Robert Sanderson, an off-duty police officer and security guard, bent to inspect an unfamiliar potted plant in the front yard. The flowerpot contained a remote-controlled nail bomb,[3][4] which exploded and killed Sanderson immediately. Lyons was severely injured: one eye was destroyed and the other damaged, her hand was mangled, a hole was torn in her abdomen that necessitated the removal of 10 inches of her intestines, and most of the flesh was blown off her legs and hand.[5][6] She was badly burned, her leg was shattered, and shrapnel and nails are permanently buried in her body.[2] Lyons spent eight weeks in the hospital[7] and has had over twenty surgeries; even years after the blast, she continued using a wheelchair and had poor hearing and eyesight.[6][8] She does not remember the blast.[9]
Lyons and her husband, Jeff, were the focus of media attention after Rudolph's capture: Lyons expressed a hope of speaking to him and letting him know that he "failed."
Activism
Lyons has said that the bombing "flipped a switch in [her] mind," changing her from a quiet person into an outspoken activist.[12] In 1998, she testified before Congress in support of applying the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) to anti-abortion terrorists,[6][7] and has spoken in other venues in support of the right to an abortion.[15][16]
In 2005, Lyons appeared in a
Lyons is the recipient of
Media
Lyons was the subject of a year-long documentary project by the ABC News program Nightline, filmed from the day of the blast throughout her recovery during her first year.[20] Lyons's experiences also formed part of the 2006 documentary Lake of Fire, whose title comes from threats and hate mail Lyons received telling her that she would go to hell.[8] Becoming Emily, a dance piece, is also based on her story.[21]
References
- ^ "Biography of Emily Lyons". Emily Lyons. 2005. Archived from the original on 2011-07-10. Retrieved 2011-01-15.
- ^ a b Gonnerman, Jennifer (November 10, 1998). "A Survivor's Story: Bombing Victim Emily Lyons Battles Back". The Village Voice.
- ^ Bragg, Rick (January 30, 1999). "As Clinic Blast Is Recalled, Chilling Evidence Emerges". The New York Times.
- ^ "'The Rachel Maddow Show' for Monday, June 1". The Rachel Maddow Show. NBC News. June 1, 2009.
- ^ Borger, Julian (February 3, 1999). "The bomber under siege". The Guardian.
- ^ a b c "Application of the Rico Law to Nonviolent Advocacy Groups". U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Crime Subcommittee. July 17, 1998. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
- ^ a b c "Lake of Fire". Intelligence Report. Southern Poverty Law Center. Summer 1998.
- ^ a b Pilkington, Ed (October 23, 2007). "Right to choose? British director tackles the debate that divides US". The Guardian.
- ^ "Lyons: Smiling since Rudolph's arrest". CNN. June 2, 2003.
- ^ a b "Bomber Eric Rudolph Pleads Guilty". CNN. April 13, 2005.
- ^ "Rudolph gets life for Birmingham clinic attack". CNN. July 18, 2005. Archived from the original on 2012-02-07.
- ^ a b "Emily Lyons: 'Why that day, that place?'". CNN. December 11, 2003. Archived from the original on 2012-01-21.
- ISBN 9780060598624.
- ^ "Plea leaves Lyons 'extremely disappointed'". CNN. April 8, 2005. Archived from the original on 2012-10-03.
- ^ a b Lyons, Emily (December 2001). "The Religious War Against Reproductive Rights". Freethought Today. Freedom From Religion Foundation.
- Orange Coast Magazine. p. 166.
- ^ "NARAL Falsely Accuses Supreme Court Nominee Roberts". FactCheck.org. August 12, 2005. Archived from the original on August 11, 2005.
- ^ "Emily Lyons, Nancy Keenan - NARAL Unveils Ad Campaign Against John Roberts Nomination". Life. August 8, 2005.
- ^ Nam, Mary (January 23, 2006). "Dozens Of Pro-Choice Women Rally In Seattle". KOMO. Archived from the original on 2012-04-02.
- ^ "Nightline: The Survivor". Vanderbilt University Television News Archive. Retrieved 2011-12-04.
- ^ Wilson, Calvin (June 17, 2009). "Dance piece tells story of nurse hurt in abortion clinic bombing". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.