By Dave Andrusko
National Right to Life
Although I’ve written about or reposted countless articles on Pregnancy Centers, until two weeks ago I had not been inside one since those days decades ago when I tried my best to volunteer at what in those days was more commonly called Crisis Pregnancy Centers. For reasons that need not be recalled, I could have done a lot better in my brief stint.
So there we were, my wife and I, at a little brunch put on by a Pregnancy Center to whom we contribute monthly. In some ways, things had not changed, but in other ways, the differences were stark and dramatic—and all for the better. But that is another story.
I was struck by many things I saw and heard. More than a few left me clearing my throat to avoid a louder and more emotional response.
The two women whose testimonies we heard reminded me of all that I have learned over the years. One young woman was who we ordinarily think of: a single woman whose boyfriend had jumped ship when she refused to abort. She is a mom today because this Pregnancy Center figured out to approach her in her time of desperation and provide her with the resources leading up to the baby’s birth and afterwards.
The second slightly older woman was the mother of two who until fairly recently had been married to the children’s father. He had bailed out as well. But she was made of far sterner stuff than he was and carried her baby to term.
She comes from a culture where, to put it mildly, it is frowned upon to received assistance. She is working full-time, going to school full-time, and caring for her kids. (The older child playfully tucked her head through an open space near the bottom of the rostrum. She had us in stitches.)
To be clear, none of us sees what we are able to do for her collectively as anything other than a privilege and an honor for us. But her steely determination not to be what she considered a “burden” speaks volumes about her.
Just before I sat down this afternoon to write this post, I had just finished writing about the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.” It reminded me that many women come to these women-helping centers very far along in their pregnancies.
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Pregnant, need help or know someone who does?
National Hotline: Call 1-800-712-HELP or Text 'HELPLINE' to 313131.
If you or someone you know is suffering after abortion, confidential non-judgmental help is available. Call Project Rachel's national toll-free number 888-456-HOPE (4673) or visit hopeafterabortion.org.
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