February 2019 Newsletter

Thank you for another amazing month serving in the center! We’re so thankful to watch lives transform daily through the work of our Savior, our generous supporters, faithful volunteers and talented staff. I hope that you are able to take the time to read about one of those lives below in the story, “Walk by Faith.”

You may have heard about all of the recent late-term abortion issues in New York and Virginia. Although that news is absolutely devastating, let’s not forget that we’ve had those same issues here in Maryland for quite some time. It is imperative that we get our message of hope to women considering abortion. We need to pour every available resource into delivering that message before it’s simply too late for women and their babies.

Faith is a 15-year-old young girl who found out she was pregnant after breaking up with her boyfriend of two years. She skipped school to come to our center with full intent to receive information to have an abortion. She made it clear that abortion was her only option because she was too young to have a baby and it was easier than having to break the news to her family and the father of the baby. She refused to entertain the idea of parenting her baby.

We spent extra time counseling with Faith, educating her on sexually transmitted diseases, ovulation and menstrual cycles. She claimed that she had never received any of this information in school or at home; so she gladly accepted brochures and hand-outs willing to learn more. According to Faith’s menstrual cycle, she calculated to be 11 weeks. She settled on the sonogram table and watched the monitor as it revealed a very active baby that surprisingly measured 17 weeks. Her reaction was reserved and expressionless during the sonogram, but she gladly accepted a picture to take home. After the sonogram, Faith remained quiet as she listened to the abortion procedures and risks with minimal questions. At the end of the appointment, she was still content with her decision to abort, but agreed to come for a follow-up visit the following week.

Faith returned for her second visit alone but seemed to be in better spirits as she revealed to us that she informed the father of the baby and his family of the pregnancy. She was happy to say that they all offered her full support to carry the baby to term. Her status of intent to abort was changed to wanting to parent with no option to abort per her request. She also mentioned that she is now entertaining the idea of adoption as well. With our resources, we were able to offer her brochures and referrals for questions she may have for the adoption process.

Faith’s visit was special because she came to us with no education regarding STD’s, the female cycle or what an abortion procedure entails. We were able to educate her with the pregnancy process and show her fetal models of the growth cycle of each trimester. We encouraged her to talk with her school counselor for support and to seek medical care, considering she is further along than expected.

She plans to tell her family of the pregnancy so that they have the opportunity to be with her for the sonogram on her third visit to our center.
We look forward to following up with Faith as her pregnancy continues.

Girls like Faith cannot be reached without your help. Will you please consider becoming a monthly giver today so we can reach more young women? We often tell the young women that we will walk with them along this journey they’re on. Will you please help us “Walk by Faith” and all of the young women like her?