A young woman facing an unplanned pregnancy came to the Hope House Women’s Clinic for a free pregnancy test. When she heard the news that she was pregnant, her heart dropped. She needed confirmation because her mind was made up. She was going to have to abort this pregnancy.
It’s never an easy decision, although the culture in which we live wants women to think they have no other choice and that the “procedure” is really no different than a heavy period. Incredibly, they’re still told it’s just a “clump of cells,” or worse, “a parasite.” So many proponents of abortion claim that a “fetus” has no value or right to life. But a quick dictionary search will tell you that “fetus” is just Latin for “offspring.” Babies in the womb have just as much a right to life as other stages of our offspring, and their mamas deserve to be surrounded by a village of support willing to help them when they’re facing an unplanned/complicated pregnancy.
The young woman we encountered here a few weeks ago nervously prepared for her ultrasound. She needed to confirm her pregnancy so that she could make her appointment with the abortionist. She was still early in her pregnancy as her estimated gestational age was just about 6 weeks. However, she had her mind made up and our calls to follow up with her were not successful.
She ended up at an abortion clinic. When she arrived, she encountered a prayerful presence on the sidewalk of the clinic. She stopped to talk to the sidewalk counselor and heard something that touched her heart. The counselor told her about their own daughter who 3 years earlier was facing a similar circumstance. They encouraged their daughter to keep the baby along with the support of her family, so she chose life. Now her baby is nearly 3 years old and their daughter is thriving. She held their words in her heart, but still felt unsure and went inside the clinic.
When she met with the abortion counselor, because her estimated gestational date fell very close to the cutoff date due to the possibility of there being a detectable heartbeat, the clinic informed her she would not likely be able to get an abortion that day and would need to return with an ultrasound showing no heartbeat or she could get the pill in another way.
She took the rejection as a sign that she did not need to go through with the abortion and drove back home determined to keep her baby!
A few weeks later, she returned to Hope House, and we eagerly assisted her and her baby. We are immensely thankful for the chance to support her throughout her pregnancy and beyond. We are equally thankful for those who were present on the sidewalk that day. What would have happened if they hadn’t been there? What if there was no Hope House?
Raising a family is a communal effort, and saving one requires the commitment of us all. The families in Moultrie-Colquitt County rely on our collective support during challenging times. Are you ready to offer genuine assistance to families dealing with unexpected pregnancies? Discover ways to contribute at partnersforlives.org/get-involved.