Duvain Ashe-Kenny was working a part-time job driving a school bus when he joined our staff as the driver of our women’s mobile clinic in Grapevine, Texas. He was also a volunteer firefighter, which meant Duvain was licensed to drive large vehicles. So when a friend asked Duvain if he could help out at Human Coalition for a week while our full-time driver was on vacation, Duvain agreed. Before he knew it, one week turned into two, which then turned into a permanent job with Human Coalition.

Growing up as part of a large family in the United Kingdom, including seven sisters, Duvain was used to being around women. As a result, he found himself very much at ease while working our women’s care clinic. “I was very close with my sisters, so being in an environment with all these women is like being with my family while away from home. Everyone brings their own special qualities to our team.”

Although Duvain was hired to drive the women’s mobile clinic, he spends a large amount of time at our brick-and-mortar location, welcoming patients and helping them get comfortable. “When women walk into the office and see a man, they sometimes wonder if they’re in the right place. So I try to help them feel relaxed. Sometimes I try to engage the men; other times I sit back and wait. I listen to their needs and reach out to those who are visibly shaken and anxious.

Duvain recalls a recent encounter with a man sitting in the waiting room with a toddler. “I could tell he was very irate and somewhat uneasy. So I went over and asked if his little girl would like a snack and a drink. It was amazing how his disposition changed.”

When asked about some of the greatest challenges he faces, Duvain answers, “It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers. That’s just the nature of this business. But sometimes you’ve got to stop and remember that each life we’ve saved could be the next person to change mankind.”

Duvain shares about a girl who visited the clinic with a baby on her hip. She told one of the nurses that she was the reason the girl had chosen life. “Hearing the client say that to the nurse and realizing the impact we’d had on that family’s future was incredible.”

Yet even in the midst of so many victories, Duvain’s humility shines through. “We’re just the tools being used for the greater job. Just one interaction with any individual can put a client back on track to choose life. It’s like walking a tightrope.”

Because the women’s mobile clinic serves in some of Dallas’s most vulnerable communities, Duvain and his team often find themselves in precarious situations. “We do our best so that no one ever feels threatened by our presence. On occasion we’ve had to escape some dodgy situations, but by God’s grace we seem to always say the right thing. Something as simple as offering water and snacks to the people waiting around the women’s mobile unit can melt a heart and make them feel at ease.”

When asked how our supporters can pray for Duvain, he says, “Please pray that we will find the wisdom, empathy, and kindness, to say the right thing. No two people we encounter are the same, so we try to be as respectful as much as we can, regardless of the circumstances. Pray that our team will stay safe and respond to testing situations with humility and wisdom.

After a moment of reflection, Duvain adds, “My prayer for our team is to always treat others with kindness and respect. And if we can save many lives in the process, then that’s even more amazing.”

To learn more about Human Coalition’s lifesaving work and how you can get involved, click here.

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