Sol Pitchon’s mother, Garmaine (89), was only 16 when her mother and five younger sisters were rounded up in their hometown of Thessalonica, Greece, by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz. Her father was killed by German soldiers in Greece, her baby sister died in transit to Poland, and her mother and two sets of younger twin sisters died in the gas chamber upon arrival to Auschwitz. Garmaine became a victim of electric shock treatments and other medical experiments and was ordered to undergo surgical sterilization. The infamous Nazi doctor performing Garmaine’s sterilization removed one of her ovaries then ran off during an air raid. He left the assisting doctor to finish up–an old Jewish doctor who was being forced to assist in surgery under the threat of death. The Jewish doctor made the incision to remove the second ovary but did not complete the surgery. Instead, the doctor made her promise that when she had children, to name one after him. After the surgery, Garmaine spent another 3 years in the concentration camps and only managed to stay alive by stealing bits of bread and bargaining with the gold she took from the teeth of dead fellow prisoners. Years later, she married another Holocaust survivor and when they had their first son, she kept her promise to the doctor and named the baby Sol after the doctor who miraculously allowed her to keep her ovary.
Sol believes that his mother survived the Holocaust so that he can help the survivors of today’s holocaust, abortion. Sol is the CEO of New Life Solutions, a string of Christian anti-abortion pregnancy centers in Florida that assist women and men experiencing unplanned pregnancies. They offer free pregnancy tests, sonograms, a birthing center, newborn resources, parenting classes, and post-abortion grief counselling. They do not refer for abortion but they do refer clients to social service agencies that help pregnant women with material assistance, such as diapers, formula, car seats, strollers, and baby cribs as well as counseling.
Come hear Sol and Garmaine speak at this year’s Convention 10:30-11:30am on Friday, March 6th.
