Your Impact

Maria & Jose have been happily married for 10 years, raising their two children – a boy & a girl. Maria was blessed to be a stay at home mother for several years, but as her children were now in school all day, she was planning on getting a part-time “mother’s hours” job to help with the family finances.

“We have operated on a shoe string budget but with me working, our family will now be able to do things that we could not do. And Jose will not have to work so much overtime – I want to help him slow down a little.”

These were Maria’s words when she met with her advocate. She knew nothing about abortion but she and Jose thought that having an abortion would allow them to pursue the plans that they had. The couple confessed that they did not feel great about their decision but thought it was the best way to solve their unplanned pregnancy.

But something changed their mind. A tiny heart beating on the ultrasound melted their hearts. Tears streamed down Maria’s face as she looked to Jose hoping that he felt the same way she did. As he took her hand in his, Jose whispered “We will just have one more child to love.”

The couple thanked us for helping them avoid “the biggest mistake in our lives.”

 Maria shared a few weeks later that she had found a part-time job in a small family run business where they were happy to work around any pregnancy challenges she might face.

“Jose and I have always been a team and we will continue to work together to love and provide for all of our children.”

The Fall River office was in celebration mode today when Beth came into the center with her 3 week old twins. Beth was planning on having an abortion when she came for her initial appointment back in January. When her ultrasound revealed she was pregnant with twins, she was shocked and overwhelmed. One of her biggest fears was disappointing her parents; she planned to have the abortion and never tell them. But her nurse, Gladys, gently encouraged her to not keep this secret and to give her parents a chance to tell her how they felt.  Beth shared that her brother was a Christian and pro-life and that she sometimes went to church with him. Her advocate, Erin, suggested that perhaps her brother could help her speak with her parents and be an advocate for her babies.

When Beth shared the news, her parents embraced her and told her that they loved her. “You are not going to have an abortion – we will help you every step of the way through this journey.”

Greatly relieved, Beth moved forward with her pregnancy in spite of the lack of support from her boyfriend who still wanted her to have an abortion. Thankfully, he has now come full circle and has chosen to be a part of his son’s and daughter’s lives!

Celebrating with Beth and her family today was a blessing that I wish all of you could have physically shared in. But even though you weren’t here in the office, your support was crucial to Beth when she needed love and support the most.  Her twins – a girl and a boy – are beautiful and healthy. They are surrounded by love.

As Beth was leaving she turned to Gladys : “Can I give you a hug? You were the first person who saw my babies with me and you gave me the best advice. I’m so grateful I came here.”

I thought abortion was my only option. My life was a mess. I found myself sitting in Planned Parenthood waiting for the doctor to come in when a woman came in and told me that I was too far along to take the abortion pill and that I needed to go back out to the waiting room and wait for a doctor to fit me in for a surgical abortion. I asked how far along I was and if I could see a picture of the ultrasound but the woman wouldn't give me any information.

While sitting in the waiting room, I began to notice how sad or mad all the other women looked. It felt depressing and suddenly I just wanted to get out of there. The receptionist tried to talk me out of leaving but I just couldn't stay there anymore. When I got outside, this older woman came up to me and asked me if I needed any help. I told her that I was frustrated because I expected to get an abortion but now I really didn't know how far along I was and what was going on. She told me about a medical clinic that provided free ultrasounds and even called them for me to get me an appointment.

I was treated completely different at this medical clinic. Not only was the nurse caring and professional but she explained everything to me as she did my ultrasound. I learned that I was almost twelve weeks pregnant and I just couldn't take my eyes off of the screen - my baby was so active! The advocate I met with allowed me to share my situation. She listened without judgement or offering quick solutions but helped me to see that it was possible for me to be a good mother - something I always wanted to be.

My son is the best thing that ever happened to me. While not everything is perfect in my life - he is. I am so glad that I found Your Options and that I got the chance to be a mother.