|
Meghan* and her boyfriend, Zac*, walked into the Campus PDHC. Meghan recently had a positive pregnancy test at home and wanted abortion information. Once PDHC services were explained, Meghan and Zac stayed at PDHC because the services were free and they could receive them right away. Meghan is a recovering addict, and had some difficulties with past pregnancies, so a surprise pregnancy was not something she was willing to deal with right now. Abortion was her way out. Meghan and Zac talked through their different options with the nurse, and they were encouraged to really think about all three of their options before deciding on abortion. Parenting, adoption and abortion were all discussed, and resources and educational materials were given to Meghan and Zac to take home. An ultrasound was scheduled, and Meghan accepted a bottle of free prenatal vitamins on her way out. A few days later Meghan and Zac returned for their ultrasound appointment, and a tiny baby with a strong heartbeat was detected on the ultrasound. Meghan asked a lot of questions during the ultrasound and said with her past and mistakes she had made, she wanted to “do it right this time.” Meghan said she wanted to quit smoking and start prenatal care right away so she could do better for this child. Meghan and Zac happily accepted pictures of their new baby and left with renewed hope and a plan for life. We thank God for Meghan and Zac's change of heart and change of plans. We continue to reach out to them to offer support and services. Please lift them up in prayer and ask God to be at work in their lives. 
0 Comments
 Sonia* found herself at PDHC after life circumstances left her a single mom and pregnant. Sonia’s mother brought her to PDHC to “figure things out,” but was openly pushing Sonia to have an abortion. Being in a difficult situation, Sonia was open to all options, including abortion, and wanted to find out more about her options.
Without knowing how far along she was, Sonia wanted an ultrasound to find out if there was any chance of a miscarriage, and to see what type of abortion for which she may be eligible. Sonia’s mother waited in the waiting room while the nurse did the ultrasound. The baby measured at 6 weeks, the heartbeat was strong and Sonia’s face lit up when she saw her baby. After seeing her baby and hearing the heartbeat during the ultrasound, Sonia said, “I’m going to have this baby.” She was firm and unwavering in her decision despite the pressure she was getting to abort. Her mother was brought in from the waiting room and Sonia told her she planned to carry this baby. Her mother was visibly upset and disappointed that her daughter refused to terminate this pregnancy. Over the next several weeks, through consistent follow-up and support by PDHC staff, both Sonia and her mother are now getting excited about a new baby coming into the family. We praise God for the change of heart in both Sonia and her mother, and for the life-saving power of ultrasound. We also continue to pray for Sonia and her family as her pregnancy progresses, and for the PDHC staff who will support her during this time. .  Bella* sent a text to the PDHC hotline desperately looking for a way to get an abortion – and quickly! She just found out she was pregnant and was panicked. She couldn’t believe she was actually pregnant – after all, could that really happen after “just once?”
Through the text conversation Bella was told that PDHC doesn’t do abortions, but would be happy to sit down with her, listen to her concerns and offer her a free ultrasound. Bella agreed. The next day she arrived for her ultrasound appointment. Her confirming pregnancy test was positive, and Bella cried; she had hoped her home test had given her a false positive, but that was not the case. The nurse reviewed options and risks with Bella. Bella received pregnancy information and materials about community resources and support that are available to women on this unexpected journey. The nurse performed an ultrasound and showed Bella the screen. The tiny flicker of a baby's heartbeat could be seen and softly sounded throughout the quiet room. The nurse looked over at Bella in this moment, and saw tears in her eyes, but she also noticed a determined look on Bella’s face. The ultrasound was over and the nurse handed her pictures. Bella stated quietly, but firmly, “I have to have an abortion.” After that day, no one could reach Bella by phone, text or email. Months passed, and the nurse assumed that Bella had an abortion. Then one day, several months later, Bella walked into the lobby of PDHC with a baby carrier in one arm and a diaper bag in the other. She asked to talk to the nurse whom she saw that first day she set foot in PDHC so she could explain what had happened in those months. Bella had gone home after the ultrasound and spent many hours crying, deliberating and looking at those ultrasound pictures. She said the one thing she couldn’t get out of her mind was the sound of her baby’s heartbeat in that quiet, dark room. Bella said she knew in that moment she wanted to keep her baby, but was afraid of the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy. She didn’t know how she could make things work. During the weeks after her initial visit, she poured through the resource packet the nurse gave her and realized that there was a lot of help available. She decided to ask for help, so she could parent her child. Bella delivered a healthy baby girl and was able to come back to PDHC for baby items and additional support. Without that text conversation – the time spent with the nurse talking about options – the ultrasound showing Bella her baby’s heartbeat – and the many prayers for Bella, she could have been a statistic, but instead she is a mom!  Samantha* walked into PDHC in a panic. She just had a positive home pregnancy test and needed to be sure. A few months ago, she had a baby and was not intending to get pregnant again. After her test at PDHC was positive too, Samantha was quite distraught. She had already told her boyfriend she was pregnant, but he didn’t care, and wanted nothing to do with her or the baby. Samantha was strongly considering abortion as she had very little support and was financially and emotionally unprepared to have another child so soon.
The nurse calmly spoke with her and offered Samantha an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed she was 7 weeks along. Samantha had not allowed herself to look at the screen until she heard the startling sound of the baby’s heartbeat. As she turned her face towards the screen, she saw her tiny baby in front of her. In that moment Samantha spoke up and said she had been planning to terminate the pregnancy, but now perhaps she may consider adoption or parenting. Samantha accepted ultrasound pictures and baby booties as she had renewed hope. Adoption and parenting resources were reviewed with Samantha, and she left the center with a plan to schedule prenatal care. Months went by and Samantha could not be reached. Finally, she replied to an email to say she had decided to continue the pregnancy and she was planning to parent. Recently Samantha delivered a healthy baby girl and returned to PDHC to get baby items, diapers, breastfeeding supplies and continued support from PDHC. Samantha thanked the ladies that helped her to make the right choice at the beginning of her pregnancy and plans to return for parenting classes and additional ongoing support. Sarah walked into the campus PDHC confused and scared. She told the greeter that she needed to talk with someone about being pregnant. The nurse introduced herself, and Sarah shared her story. Sarah is a freshman at The Ohio State University and has a mapped out a plan for college and law school. She just found out that she was pregnant when she went to a clinic because she thought she had the flu. Sarah said she came to PDHC to learn about her options. The nurse listened as Sarah shared that the relationship she had been in with the father of the baby was emotionally abusive. Sarah had recently ended the relationship; she never dreamed that pregnancy was a possibility. Sarah said she wanted to hear about all her options and she was strongly considering abortion. When asked how she usually coped with crisis or stressful situations, Sarah said she liked to gather as much information as possible before making a decision. Sarah was given information about all the options: parenting, adoption and abortion, and Sarah said she would read through it all. The nurse offered her an ultrasound to determine how far along Sarah was. Sarah agreed to come back a few days later. Sarah returned for the ultrasound and told the nurse she had read all the information. At the sight of the heartbeat, Sarah smiled. She asked a lot of questions about what she was seeing on the screen. Sarah had told her mom about the pregnancy and that she was considering parenting, but had not fully decided yet. However, Sarah also said that viewing the ultrasound and actually seeing a baby and a heartbeat were helping her with her decision. She agreed to a follow up phone call with the nurse in a few days. The nurse called to check on Sarah and Sarah told her that she had decided to parent. Sarah and her mom had spent a few days together. They made a plan for Sarah to move home temporarily to give birth and adjust, and then Sarah would jump back into her college plans, Sarah asked about the parenting classes at PDHC and other community resources. “I need to learn all I can If I am going to make this decision,” said Sarah. She took all the PDHC parenting classes at that she possibly could before her due date. Sarah moved home after her first semester at OSU and gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby girl. She remains at home this semester adjusting to motherhood and is supported by her family. She feels confident that, although her timetable has been altered, she can continue on with her college and career path. She is thankful for the encouragement and support of PDHC, both in helping to educate her as she made her pregnancy decision, and also for the support she received through maternity clothes, baby items and parenting classes to help teach her how to be a mom. Names were not changed. Sarah is excited to share her story and this is a picture of her baby that she sent to PDHC.   Carrie* walked into PDHC for a pregnancy test. She had a positive test at home, and was in shock. She had two young children already and gone on birth control specifically to prevent this – how could it be possible that she was pregnant? To make matters more complicated, the father of her youngest (and this new baby) had moved out. She was hoping her test had been wrong and that she was not pregnant. The nurse greeted her and listened to her story while her youngest child played happily in her infant carrier. Carrie shared that she had a full-time job but still could not afford child care at a daycare center. A friend was helping her with childcare for the time being. Carrie was unsure how a new baby might affect this arrangement. Carrie said her mother was her best friend, but she feared that she would be angry with her if she was pregnant so soon and worried that she would not be supportive. Carrie also shared that she had had an abortion in the past and that she never wanted to experience that again. The pregnancy test was positive and Carrie was tearful. Carrie was offered an ultrasound to determine how far along she was. The ultrasound was inconclusive as Carrie was still very early in her pregnancy. The nurse asked if she could pray for her and Carrie agreed and cried during the prayer. They hugged and Carrie asked that they pray for courage and strength to continue on as a single mom and be the best person that she could be. Carrie returned a week later for a second ultrasound and felt somewhat more hopeful as time had eased the “crisis.” The nurse greeted her with a smile. Carrie shared that she had been too embarrassed to share the news with friends or co-workers, but she had told her mother who was surprisingly supportive. The father of the baby had also committed to support them, though he was not living with the family any longer. The nurse performed the ultrasound and a 6 1/2 week baby was seen with a strong heartbeat. Carrie smiled as the heartbeat was measured. After the ultrasound, the nurse offered Carrie baby booties and ultrasound pictures. Carrie tearfully accepted and said, “I can do this.” The nurse shared how proud she was of Carrie to choose life for her child, even in challenging circumstances. Carrie said, “I would never go through an abortion again.“ PDHC connected her to prenatal care and will continue to provide emotional support for Carrie throughout her pregnancy, as well maternity clothing and baby items after her baby arrives. We are so grateful Carrie was able to find the support and help she needs at PDHC! *Names were changed to protect identities.
|
Archives
August 2019
Categories |
RSS Feed