Soon, she would have to choose between two futures — and lose something either way.
A mother of two with little time on her hands, “Bailey” was working two jobs just trying to make ends meet. She’d tuck away a little bit from each paycheck to pay for the car repairs she knew she couldn’t hold off much longer.
Bailey and her boyfriend, though overwhelmed at times, were mostly content with their life. They discussed eventually adding to their family, but not for another five years. They needed to catch up financially.
Things were going okay.
Then a surprise caught Bailey off guard.
She was pregnant.
She wasn’t disappointed. She wasn’t upset. She actually felt a flicker of excitement. Though this wasn’t in the plans, they could plan for it now, couldn’t they?
Bailey held this news to herself for a few days, waiting for the right time to tell her boyfriend. She hoped he’d be in a good mood and wouldn’t be disappointed with her announcement.
Bailey’s flicker of excitement was quickly extinguished by the disgust shown on his face.
He made remarks such as, “What about our five-year plan? We’re not financially stable enough to be a family of five.”
Then he mentioned the unthinkable. Abortion.
He urged, “Do it now, before the baby gets bigger. Do it now while the decision is still easy.”
But nothing about deciding to abort felt easy for Bailey.
Surely he would change his mind, she thought.
But days and eventually weeks passed, and he didn’t ease up. Then the threats came — he was going to kick her out of his home if she didn’t get the abortion immediately.
But something kept Bailey from moving forward with it.
She tried to make sense of it all. Why did it have to come down to this? Losing her child, or losing her boyfriend?
Tired of living in the tension of it all, Bailey moved out and returned to her old apartment with her two young children.
Looking online for information about her options, Bailey stumbled across Human Coalition.
After hearing about her options from one of our nurses, Bailey felt encouraged. She felt hopeful. This pregnancy didn’t have to end in abortion just to make her partner happy. She scheduled a free ultrasound appointment for the next day.
She arrived for her appointment with her best friend by her side for moral support. Bailey loved seeing her baby on the screen, wiggling and moving around in her belly in real time. Secretly, she was building a case in her mind to prove to her boyfriend that this was what he wanted too.
Bailey asked the sonographer if she could schedule another ultrasound appointment, and this time she hoped her boyfriend would attend. If only he could see their child for himself, maybe he would change his mind. Without his support, choosing life still felt somewhat daunting.
She convinced him that night to attend the next appointment with her.
His reaction wasn’t exactly what she expected. After the appointment, he made it clear that if she wanted to keep the baby, then fine. But they wouldn’t have a future together. She would have to figure out how to make ends meet for herself and her children.
That was okay with her, because in that moment, she was certain of her decision. Though she had thought about having the abortion at times, it never sat right with her. She had always hoped there was another way.
So Bailey began brainstorming different employment options and how she was going to provide for three children. Her two part-time jobs were no longer enough to support her growing family.
The Continuum of Care program didn’t allow Bailey to worry for long.
They provided material assistance for her baby. Bailey and her family also participated in “Holiday Connections,” a Christmas program that provides gifts for the whole family. Since then, Bailey has gotten a job cleaning homes and is able to bring her newborn, “Andrew,” with her. Her clients adore him.
We love seeing all three of her children visit us, as we still keep in touch with Bailey!
She and her boyfriend have reconciled and are back together. He loves Andrew and, as a family, they started regularly attending church. Recently, they took the next step in their faith to all get baptized! God is truly at work and is restoring this family. We were even able to provide Bailey with some new church clothes.
Bailey loves being a mom of three and is so thankful she connected with Human Coalition. If it had not been for the free ultrasound scans, her life and Andrew’s would look different. She’s thriving in her work and in her walk with the Lord as she’s learning to trust Him with everything.