The failed abortion had also provided the “gift” of cerebral palsy, as she calls it: “It allows me to really depend on Jesus for everything.”

It also labeled her a hopeless case—an infant who was a ward of the state and for whom the expectations of achievement were extremely low. Doctors predicted Gianna would never even lift her head. She showed them: she began walking at three and has grown into a woman who has run marathons.

And that’s just the beginning of the places where her grit and determination have carried her. Though the horrific hours of her birth initially drew attention, Gianna has so much more to say: “My life and my story didn’t begin and end at my birth.”

Overcoming the challenges and sharing life in an honest and uplifting way has resonated around the world. Since 2012 she's been speaking to millions.

No matter who the audience, she shares her strong faith. “I’m invading the culture as an unconventional woman, just being me,” she says. “The beautiful thing about having cerebral palsy is it’s part of my sermon. It’s my way of reminding the earth that heaven is real. My legs have become a net to act as a fisher of men.”

While the obstacles she’s overcome have inspiration on their own, she’s also been a living, breathing face to the horrors of abortion. She’s one of the rare survivors and frequently relays her story—speaking for those who can’t speak for themselves.

She’s testified before Congress four times and watched as President George W. Bush signed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which provided safeguards for those born during failed abortions. Witnessing such an important moment in protection of the unborn—and meeting the president—left Gianna uncharacteristically speechless.

In 2012 the movie October Baby, loosely based on her life story, was released. But audiences also saw more than a depiction of Gianna’s birth. They heard her music. The single, “Ocean Floor,” provided one of the emotional touch points during the film and was sung by Gianna.

For a voice that was never intended to speak, it not only speaks and sings, it laughs. Why? “I am honest, with myself and with Jesus. To the point where one might mistake my honesty for irreverence. But I would rather risk that and give Him my truest self than live life thinly veiled. I find most of life very funny indeed. I would say I laugh most of the time and cry at other times. But the crying is merely sowing seeds of joy for the future. My goal is to live the impossible since nothing is impossible for God."