The story of the radical conversion and transformation of husband and wife abortion doctors

The Scalpel and the soul tells the unlikely story of a husband-wife abortion team who had a dramatic spiritual awakening that turned their lives upside down. After their conversion, they were given a clear and definite belief that they would never perform or refer for an abortion again. Both Haywood and Noreen experienced the dramatic transformation from being providers of abortion to becoming leaders in the pro-life movement: a 180 degree change of heart.

Haywood and Noreen were from completely different backgrounds but found romance at California medical residency. In 1979-1980, they started to perform abortions, moonlighting for Californian abortion centres in order to recover from medical education debt. The pay was extremely good. Noreen’s sister had an abortion growing up, Noreen also performed an abortion on her sister Arlene, while Haywood would also affected by abortion in a previous relationship. Haywood also had a born child prior to marriage.

After marriage they considered abortion for their honeymoon baby, but later came to their senses thanks to a friend. They articulately describe the numbness in being involved without emotion in the abortion procedure, and how they were led into participation by their medical residency one step at a time: see, do, act.

When they set up medical practice in Texas, they were the only Black doctors in the local community. Haywood had a conversion experience attending a Leon Patillo concert, starting attending prayer groups in the morning, leaving the Heineken beer in the fridge! As they started attending Aldersgate Church, Noreen and Haywood went to the altar to pray and ask God to forgive their sins for their involvement in abortion.

Haywood writes of the feeling of desensitization and dehumanization making abortion feel like a cancer. When Planned Parenthood arrived in Bryan College Station, it provided the opportunity to birth a vision and a mission for the pro-life movement, eventually travelling extensively with medical missions and setting up mission in Trinidad.

Once Haywood and Noreen became known an ex-abortionists who had turned to the pro-life cause, they were invited to speak in many different venues. They gained national and international exposure to a great many more people in the pro-life world. They provided expert testimony in states that were trying to liberalize abortion laws like Louisiana and Florida. After being on this journey they realized that there was a great deal of healing to be done.

The book tells the story of the initial days of the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life, which eventually merged into 40 Days for Life, with Planned Parenthood coming to the University town with an abortion centre. They tell the story of Abby Johnson leaving the abortion industry and the closure of Bryan abortion centre.

There was a dramatic prayer meeting inside the building of 72 Ransom Street, Michigan, the former abortion centre which became the headquarters of LIFE international. The volunteers experienced a spiritual transfer of ownership as a large dark spiritual presence seemed to leave during the prayer service.

Haywood described his raw emotions inside 72 Ransom Street of hearing the abortion suction machine in a room where 20,000 abortions had been performed left him with his lower extremities weakened. What was worse for Haywood was the realization that his emotions where nothing but mechanical, cold and desensitized. He had no-one to blame but himself for normalizing the violent death of a pre-born child hundreds of times: it was his choice.

As a lifelong Dodgers fan, Haywood described the Roe vs Wade overturning in 2022 as like a famous home run by Kirk Gibson, often ranked as one of the top ten moments in sports. But he recognizes we need to continue the battle, especially where states are doubling down to ensure access to abortion and adding it to their state constitutions as a right. There is still a lot of work to do.

Sadly Noreen passed away in 2021 and Haywood has since remarried Daphne Harris Robinson  who is now his helpmate and ministry partner. Through their marriage they now have 8 living children and 13 who are with the Lord, a host of “bonus” sons and daughters, five grandchildren and a great grandchild. Haywood finishes the book by saying, “Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of my faith. I am eternally grateful that He rescued me from darkness and welcomed me into His glorious light. Truly God continues to redeem all things for our good and His glory. Without him, this work would not have been realized.” A truly inspiring book, well worth reading!