 This month we have been celebrating Respect Life Month and reflect on Psalm 139:13-18. Preborn babies are amongst the most vulnerable and we want to help protect and care for them. Individuals and families facing an unexpected pregnancy are sometimes working through challenging circumstances and we want to provide hope over fear and walk alongside women and their babies to provide support and community. We want to help her say “Yes” to life, despite her fears. We want to help her trust in what God has planned for her and her baby.
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Next month we will be gathering in Lancaster and Columbus to celebrate 40 years of rescuing lives and impacting families for generations together as a community. What a journey it has been.
PDHC's very first center opened in 1981 on the 8th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, and had 309 visits and 2,800 hotline calls that year. In 1981, there were more than 40,000 surgical abortions in the state of Ohio with about 55 abortion clinics providing this service. Fast forward to 2020, PDHC's 4 resource centers had over 6,900 visits and more than 40,000 hotline calls, texts and chats. According to the latest statistics from the Ohio Department of Health, in 2019 there were about 20,000 abortions in the state of Ohio (Franklin county had the 2nd highest abortion rate in the state). In 2020, Ohio had 8 abortion clinics remaining. While surgical abortions are decreasing, chemical abortions via the abortion pill are increasing at a rapid rate and in 2019, represented about 70% of the abortions in Franklin County. In 2018, an abortion pill clinic opened its doors less than 3 miles from our busiest resource center. Beginning in late 2019, PDHC joined affiliate Heartbeat International's Abortion Pill Rescue Network, and began providing abortion pill reversal services to help women who regret starting a chemical abortion and want a second chance to save the life of their baby. Since then, several women have received this service through PDHC and four healthy babies have been born into the PDHC family, with more babies expected to be born this year. Most individuals I talk with in the community aren't aware of this increased trend from surgical to chemical abortions, and that abortion pill reversal is available, how it works, and that it is successful 64-68% of the time. Recently, Students for Life of America and Heartbeat International teamed up with author and producer, Charlotte Pence Bond, (daughter of former Vice President Mike Pence), to create an informational DocuSeries on Chemical Abortion. Hear from the experts by clicking on this link: brightenunion.com/chemical/video-series/ Please join us at our upcoming Galas to learn more as we unite and celebrate the gift of life together as a community. Blessings, Kathy Something you do everyday could help save a life.... Walk. When you join us and stand up for life, you support moms, dads, babies and families locally in the community. Every dollar raised this Saturday can help save a baby's life through a life-saving ultrasound, successful abortion pill reversal service, parenting education, and practical support to empower healthy families. Every step you take will take a stand for the sanctity of every human life and instill hope for future generations. "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news." Romans 10:15  The battle to protect the preborn began in January of 1973, when the Supreme Court of the United States invalidated 50 state laws and made abortion legal on demand throughout the United States in the decisions of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. In response to this decision, the first March for Life took place in Washington D.C. in January of 1974, led by founder Nellie Gray and became a national movement. She made the decision to hold a March for Life every year until Roe v. Wade was overturned, and led this initiative for nearly 40 years until her passing in 2012. The founding of PDHC was also influenced by this historic decision on the 8th anniversary of Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1981, and has continued to save and change lives for 40 years. We want to stand alongside you and make an impact for life here in Central Ohio. In 2019, 70% of abortions in Franklin County were via the abortion pill and we are saving lives and healthy babies are being born into the PDHC family after successful abortion pill reversal. We hope to see you there! Together for Life, Kathy I invite you to watch our new video below that takes us back 40 years to PDHC's humble beginnings and brings us to where we are today. From 309 center visits and 2,800 hotline calls in 1981, to 6,908 center visits and 40,000 calls, texts and chats to our hotline in 2020. Then and now, we have and continue to rescue lives and impact generations together as a community. Together for Life, Kathy Spring is the season of hope! Hope for new life and new beginnings all around us. Cloudy days transform into sunny blue skies, the air turns fresh and clean, the trees and flowers bloom with vibrant colors and fragrant blossoms. The smell of newly mowed grass is everywhere and the warmth of the sun on our face once again brightens our day.
Just like the Spring season, hope continues to grow at PDHC as we celebrate 286 life decisions already this year. As we walk alongside these new moms who chose life for their babies, we will continue to provide love and support throughout their pregnancies and beyond, and will joyfully celebrate the birth of their precious babies this year. "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16 Hope is defined as, "a feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best; to believe, desire, or trust." At the end of 2019, PDHC joined the Abortion Pill Rescue Network to become a local provider of Abortion Pill Reversal Services. This new service at PDHC gives hope to women who have taken the first abortion pill, regret their decision, and want a second chance to save the life of their baby. She has about 72 hours to reverse her abortion decision after taking the first pill and PDHC stands ready to help during this critical time. The need continues to grow as the latest numbers show that 43% of the abortions in the United States are via the Abortion Pill and that number continues to rise. According to the Ohio Department of Health's latest statistics (2019):
In 2018, a new clinic offering the Abortion Pill opened less than three miles from our busiest center on the North side. In our first year of providing abortion pill reversal services, PDHC was blessed to provide help and hope to 14 women through this service. We are happy to report that four babies have been born so far - two in 2020 and two this year. One of these grateful moms said, "He is the best thing that ever happened to me, he is literally perfect." Another mom named her son Nathan meaning "Gift from God" and said, "Your prayers changed my life." All four babies are healthy and doing well. We look forward to more babies due this year and many more lives saved through abortion pill reversal. As we celebrate PDHC's first 40 years and the thousands of lives that have been saved, we look forward with hope for the next 40 years of Rescuing Lives and Impacting Generations. In the Bible, hope is the confident expectation of what God has promised and its strength in His faithfulness. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13 Together for Life, Kathy One of the first babies saved at PDHC in 1981 celebrates his 40th birthday this year. His mother came to our very first center, located in the German Village area at the time.
Since then, there have been hundreds of thousands of calls, texts and chats to our hotline, nearly 150,000 visits at multiple centers, and thousands of lives saved. We reflect on each heartbeat that was first heard and seen on an ultrasound at each of our centers over these last four decades. Your kindness, compassion and generosity has made it possible for us to celebrate 40 years of rescuing lives and impacting generations. Despite the challenges 2020 brought, we were able to help women and families through a record high of more than 6,900 visits to our centers last year. We saw an increase in abortion-vulnerable and abortion-minded women and after seeing and hearing their baby’s heartbeat at PDHC, 99% of them chose life for their baby. God has blessed this ministry from the very beginning. “If God has given us the vision, God will accomplish it,” said Peggy Hartshorn, one of the founding members of PDHC. For four decades, God has accomplished His plan through our Life Givers, who provide financial support and sustainability. He has also provided through Prayer Warriors, Community Outreach Partnerships, through Volunteers, the PDHC Team, and the Women and Families who reach out to us for help. Many of you have been with us since the beginning, some of you participate in multiple ways and others are new to PDHC’s mission. We have all been called to this ministry and we all serve a purpose. The shapes in our 40th year anniversary logo above reflect your part in shaping the heart of who we are. Together for Life. Kathy Scanlon and the PDHC Team KathyS@pdhc.org On Jan. 22, Pregnancy Decision Health Centers (PDHC) will celebrate 40 years of rescuing lives and impacting families for generations in central Ohio.
PDHC is known as a pioneer in pregnancy resource centers, the first of its kind to open in Columbus in 1981, on the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade. Founders Mike and Peggy Hartshorn of St. Mary Parish in German Village and other passionate pro-life friends joined the pro-life movement after this historical decision. Sitting together around the kitchen table, they envisioned the first pregnancy help center to provide abortion-vulnerable women the compassionate care, hope and practical support needed to choose life for their babies. Before the first “Pregnancy Distress Center (PDC)” even opened its doors, they answered its first hotline calls from their home. In the first year, they had 309 visits to their center and answered 2,800 hotline calls. One of the first women to receive help said, “The Pregnancy Distress Center is the best thing that happened to me at my time of need. There was love, understanding and guidance. I will never forget what you and the center did for me.” Now, 40 years later, that first center has grown to become PDHC, with four locations and a thriving 24/7 hotline, saving thousands of lives since its founding. In 2020, PDHC had record highs of more than 6,900 center visits and over 35,000 calls, texts and chats to its hotline. PDHC celebrated many “firsts” in 40 years. PDHC was the first pregnancy center in the United States to have multiple sites and branch offices. In 1984, PDHC became the first comprehensive pregnancy resource center of its kind in Ohio by providing four pillars of service to care for the whole person: mind, body, and soul. This includes pregnancy support through free personalized consultations, pregnancy tests, prenatal vitamins, linkage to community resources and outreach programs, and a 24/7 hotline. In 1995, PDHC was the fourth center in the United States to add ultrasound services. This is important because 90 percent of women who see and hear their baby’s heartbeat on an ultrasound choose life. PDHC was the first pregnancy center in Franklin County and surrounding areas to provide abortion pill reversal services. Forty percent of all abortions in the United States occur through the abortion pill. Abortion pill reversal gives a woman who regrets taking the abortion pill a second chance to save her baby. PDHC saved lives in 2020 through this new service. “PDHC is a place where women can feel support and not judgment. … The space was full of love and encouragement. … They made me feel welcomed and at home,” said Alissa, who gave birth to twins after coming to PDHC for help during an unexpected pregnancy. PDHC’s family empowerment services provide women and families with practical support throughout their pregnancy and beyond with parenting education programs, free maternity and baby clothing, diapers, car seats, pack and play cribs and other needed baby items. In 2020, PDHC had a record-high 2,746 parenting class visits, up 62 percent from 2019. “I loved all of the classes, teachers, nurses and volunteers. You were so kind and helpful to me. We will not forget all your kindness and support. We will miss you forever,” said Mia, 2020 parenting class graduate. PDHC’s youth development services provide healthy choice education programs in middle and high schools to teach students about making healthy life choices to reduce the risky behaviors that lead to teen pregnancy and abortion. PDHC was the first pregnancy resource center in the United States to receive a federal grant for abstinence education. PDHC’s abortion recovery programs provide hope and healing to women and men struggling in silence from the pain of a past abortion experience. PDHC was the first pregnancy center in the United States to develop a post-abortion support program. One in 4 women have experienced abortion and need to know where they can go for support and healing. “I reached out for support. I look back at my journey and I’m overwhelmed by how I have grown stronger and feel more at peace,” said a program participant. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10. We look forward to continuing the mission of rescuing lives and impacting generations for another 40 years. To learn more, become a volunteer or to support the life-saving services of PDHC, visit SupportLifePDHC.org. Together for Life, Kathy Scanlon and the PDHC Team
Through November, PDHC has a 15% increase over last year in visits to our centers. Texts and chats to our 24/7 hotline are up 44% and 61% to last year.
PDHC’s parenting classes are bursting at the seams, up 55% to last year. Currently, more than 360 moms are registered and with the addition of our dad-focused education classes, 45 new dads have registered. With these record highs, we are also seeing an abundant increase in material aid needs from the families we serve, especially to those affected financially during the pandemic. With this extreme need and continued growth expected, we have outgrown the ability to hold in-person parenting classes, adequate parking, material aid pick-up appointments and baby boutique shopping and expansion at our centers. It is critical that our nurses, staff and volunteers at the centers focus on time-sensitive, personalized consultations, critical life-saving ultrasounds, and communication of available community outreach resources and programs to every abortion-vulnerable and abortion-minded woman who walks through our doors for help. To continue to provide the best care to women and families, we are excited to announce the opening of our new Family Empowerment Center, located in an adjoining suite to our administrative offices. This expansion will allow for our ever-growing parenting class programs, baby boutique storage, shopping and material aid orders and pick-ups to be in one location near, but separate from, our busiest pregnancy center. We expect to resume in-person parenting classes when it is designated safe for all involved in this new space next year. Our middle school and high school educators will also have space here to conduct virtual classroom instruction, and our Abortion Recovery groups will have private gathering spaces. As a critical resource for life in the community, PDHC will continue to walk alongside every woman that reaches out to us for help throughout pregnancy and beyond. PDHC’s unique parenting education programs and material aid resources have been a pillar of our crucial services since our founding nearly 40 years ago. We strive to serve the entire person; body, mind and spirit. We want to do everything we can to be the hands and feet of Christ and we want to do it well. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10. The operational costs for this new Family Empowerment Center for the next year will be about $40,000. If you would like to make a tax-deductible year-end gift to help sponsor our Family Empowerment Center and help us reach our goal, please click on the link below. Did you know PDHC’s four locations are the only Pregnancy Resource Centers in the Columbus and Lancaster area providing Abortion Pill Reversal Services?
It is important that PDHC continues to adapt and grow its services as the abortion industry changes and evolves. Surgical abortions are on the decline. However, chemical abortions through the abortion pill continue to rise and represent 40% of the abortions in the United States today. PDHC grew its services and joined the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, operated by Heartbeat International, at the end of 2019. This network connects women who have taken the first dose of the abortion pill with a provider in her area who is trained to administer the abortion pill reversal protocol. When a woman begins a chemical abortion but changes her mind and wants a second chance to save her baby, she has about 72 hours to reverse her decision through abortion pill reversal. Often her regret is immediate or soon after taking the first abortion pill that is part of a two-drug protocol. She starts searching online for options. She will find PDHC through the Abortion Pill Rescue Network or through PDHC’s website and 24/7 hotline. PDHC’s trained staff stands ready to help during this critical time and will immediately get her into the nearest center. Together, we celebrate our first baby born into the PDHC family after his mom came to PDHC for abortion pill reversal services. Both mom and baby are doing well. We eagerly await the upcoming births of other women who came to PDHC this year for help to reverse their chemical abortions. It is important to know that not all abortion pill reversals are successful. Sometimes a woman may choose to continue her chemical abortion and afterward, struggle emotionally. At PDHC, we continue to walk alongside them and offer abortion recovery programs to provide hope and healing. Sometimes, a woman may suffer the loss of her baby due to miscarriage. PDHC has now expanded our pregnancy loss services and provides special gifts of remembrance and connects her to pregnancy loss ministries in the community. Most people do not know that abortion pill reversal services are available. 9 out of 10 women who have experienced abortion don’t know where to go for support and healing. At PDHC, we can help and you make it possible. Help us spread the word. Blessings, Kathy Kathy Scanlon President According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the autumn season officially begins next Tuesday, the 22nd, and ends on Monday, December 21st. Autumn is a season of transition as temperatures begin to drop, leaves transform into brilliant colors of yellow, orange and red, and the length of light in each day begins to shorten. Each transition in seasons brings us a new vision of what’s to come. While we couldn’t anticipate the obstacles we would face this year, we knew God would provide the wisdom and guidance to lead us through it. Despite the challenging seasons of 2020, PDHC adapted, grew and persevered through it all. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5, 6.
We are blessed with a supportive community that partners with us to help save and impact a life every day. Each life saved will journey through the seasons of life and have a story to share with the next generation. To hear more about PDHC's impact in our community in 2020 and inspirational stories of hope and healing, you won’t want to miss our Celebration of Life broadcast next week. It will be the most impactful 30 minutes of your day. Thank you for walking alongside us each and every day. Use this link to learn more and to register for the 2020 Celebration of Life Live Broadcast on Sept. 24th from 7:00 p.m. - 7:30p.m. For Life, Kathy Kathy Scanlon President 614-888-8774 ext. 6121 kathys@pdhc.org |
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