Like so many of our other patients, when Kylie first came to Hope she was in denial. She didn’t believe she was really pregnant. Kylie was concerned about not being able to live life to the fullest extent because of this pregnancy. She was also concern about not being able to go to school and being able to travel. In addition to these concerns, she was afraid of being shamed and being a disappointment to her family.
Kylie had a lot of apprehension. She said the two things that influenced her decision the most was understanding the risks of abortion and seeing her baby on the ultrasound machine.
I was given a picture with a cute message that said, ‘Hi, Mommy’ It was a fond memory. I was also told that my baby has been fighting for his life since he was born.
Kylie went on to say, “the women at Hope were very understanding and they let me vent my heavy feelings.” In April 2017, Kylie gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy.
Stories like Kylie’s show the power in helping a patient make an informed decision. Giving patients space to acknowledge their very real feelings and fears, their goals and dreams, while utilizing services at no-cost to patients to be able to confirm a possible pregnancy can make all the difference for our patients and consequently their unborn .
We respect each woman’s right to choose. We acknowledge that God brings each patient to us and our focus is first on her. We also recognize that the father of the baby has a large impact on her decision to carry or abort their child which is why we have a program for men called Men of Hope. We hope that each patient would choose life for their unborn child but we are not baby focused, we are primarily focused on mom and dad.
Providing a safe place for patients to process helps to reduce the crisis and shock factor and allows for patient to think beyond the immediate. It is after the pregnancy is confirmed that many patients are able to process for the first time “what if?”
“What if I did parent?”
“What if I placed for adoption?”
“What if I had a baby and finished school?”
“What if the father of the baby does not stick around?”
We believe that all human life is of inestimable worth and significant in all its stages. We believe that there is a divine purpose and plan for every person that is conceived: our patient, their partner and the unborn child which is why we do not perform abortions but also why we do not refer for abortions.
We believe that people are capable of making their own choices when given accurate information. We acknowledge that our role is to empower women and men to make informed decisions by providing needed services and accurate information.
*patient name changed for privacy
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