There are few lives that so beautifully illustrate the transforming power of God's grace as that of Dr. Haywood Robinson.
For decades, Dr. Robinson stood before audiences across the country with remarkable humility, introducing himself with words that never failed to capture attention: "I used to perform abortions."
He never hid from his past. Instead, he allowed God to redeem it, spending the remainder of his life proclaiming the hope he himself had found. On July 24, the pregnancy help movement lost that faithful advocate when Dr. Robinson passed away after a lifetime devoted to protecting the unborn, ministering to families, and proclaiming that no one is beyond the reach of God's forgiveness.
His story was never simply about abortion. It was about redemption.
Long before he became known as a pro-life advocate, Robinson was an accomplished physician. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology, followed by a Medical Doctor degree at the University of California at Irvine, and a family practice residency at Martin Luther King/Charles R. Drew Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Like many physicians of his generation, abortion was presented during his medical training as another component of healthcare. Alongside fellow physician Dr. Noreen Johnson, who would later become his wife, he learned abortion procedures during residency and later performed abortions in Los Angeles to supplement their income.
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Years later, Dr. Robinson would speak candidly about those days, admitting that what initially troubled his conscience eventually became normalized through repetition and rationalization. And in 1986, God intervened.
Following a Christian concert and a conversation with a family friend who shared the Gospel, Haywood and Noreen surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ. That decision transformed everything.
As he often explained, it was only after coming to know Christ that he fully understood the humanity of the children whose lives had been lost and the gravity of his own participation in abortion.
Rather than allowing guilt to define him, he embraced God's forgiveness and spent the next four decades sharing that same hope with others, and his testimony became one of the most powerful messages in the pro-life movement. If Christ could redeem a former abortion provider, no one was beyond His grace.
He traveled tirelessly, encouraging churches, educating medical professionals, strengthening pregnancy help organizations, and mentoring countless leaders across the movement.
Dr. Haywood Robinson speaking at a 40 Days for Life rally
He possessed a rare credibility. Few people could explain abortion from both the inside of an abortion facility and the perspective of a physician transformed by Christ.
Yet those who knew him best rarely spoke first about his credentials. They remembered his kindness. His humility. His willingness to listen. His unmistakable joy.
Whether speaking before thousands at a conference, standing on a sidewalk outside an abortion facility, or quietly encouraging a pregnancy center volunteer, he carried himself with gentleness and compassion born from a deep understanding of God's mercy.
Dr. Robinson never viewed the pro-life movement as merely opposing abortion.
He believed it was about caring for every person touched by an unexpected pregnancy.
As Director of Medical Affairs and Education for 40 Days for Life over the past seven years, he equipped volunteers and pregnancy help ministries with both medical knowledge and biblical conviction. He patiently answered difficult questions, trained advocates to speak with compassion, and reminded audiences that every conversation should point people toward hope.
In recent years, he also served as Director of Continuum of Care for Journey of a Lifetime, where he worked alongside his wife helping families navigating life-limiting prenatal diagnoses receive compassionate, trauma-informed care. It was a ministry that reflected his lifelong commitment not simply to defending life, but to walking with families through suffering.
That desire to accompany others marked everything he did.
In 2023, Dr. Robinson published The Scalpel and the Soul, the story he and his late wife, Dr. Noreen Johnson, had long shared together. The book recounts their remarkable journey from performing abortions as young physicians to becoming passionate advocates for life after placing their faith in Christ.
After Dr. Johnson passed away in 2021 following complications from COVID-19, Dr. Robinson continued that ministry with his wife, Daphne, faithfully proclaiming the same message that had defined his life–no one is beyond the reach of God's forgiveness, and no past is too broken for Christ to redeem.
The story resonated because it was honest.
Dr. Robinson never excused his past. Neither did he allow it to define his future. Instead, he pointed people toward the God who restores broken lives and gives new purpose to surrendered hearts.
His message offered hope not only to mothers and fathers affected by abortion, but also to abortion workers, physicians, and anyone carrying the weight of regret.
Dr. Robinson's influence cannot be measured simply by the conferences he addressed, the interviews he gave, or the miles he traveled. His legacy lives on in the pregnancy help organizations he strengthened, the medical professionals he mentored, the abortion-minded mothers who chose life after hearing his testimony, the abortion workers who found the courage to leave the industry, and the families who discovered hope through his encouragement.
Above all, his life reminded countless people that God's grace is greater than our greatest failures, and that redemption is never the end of the story. It is often where God begins His greatest work.
"Dr. Haywood Robinson was a tireless champion for the unborn and a living testimony to the redeeming power of Jesus Christ. His life reminded us that God's grace is greater than our greatest failures and that redemption doesn't simply change a person's past, it shapes their future for His glory,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International, the largest association of pregnancy help organizations in the world.
“Haywood's remarkable journey from abortion provider to devoted defender of life inspired pregnancy help leaders around the world to serve with compassion, courage, and unwavering hope,” Godsey added. “His legacy will be as a bold champion for life and an inspiration to many."
Dr. Haywood and Daphne Robinson | Facebook: Dr. Haywood Robinson's celebration of life announcement
His wife, Daphne Robinson, perhaps summarized his life best when announcing his passing. "Protecting and advocating for the unborn and defending all vulnerable life created in the image of God was core to who my husband was."
Tweet This: ”Protecting and advocating for the unborn and defending all vulnerable life created in the image of God was core to who my husband was." Daphne Robinson
Dr. Haywood Robinson lived to see God rewrite the story he once believed was beyond redemption. He entered medicine believing he was helping women. He encountered Christ and discovered an even greater calling–helping women, children, fathers, families, and fellow physicians experience both truth and grace.
The pregnancy help movement is stronger because he answered that call.
Though his earthly work has come to an end, the testimony of God's redeeming power displayed through his life will continue to inspire generations of pregnancy help advocates to serve with courage, humility, compassion, and unwavering hope.
