“Kendra” came to us with her mind made up: she was getting an abortion.
A single mother already caring for her five-year-old son, she found herself facing an unexpected pregnancy and the complexities that came with it. Her mind was set on getting an abortion due to the overwhelming challenges and financial concerns that came with being a single mother. She couldn’t see a way around these obstacles and desperately needed support.
Kendra began to search online for an abortion when she came across our phone number. With three ultrasounds completed prior to her first visit at the Human Coalition pregnancy center, Kendra had frequently changed her mind. It wasn’t that Kendra didn’t want to keep her child, but she couldn’t mentally move past all the responsibility that comes with raising a child.
When Kendra found that the Continuum of Care program could connect her with resources to assist with rent, utilities, and employment, she happily accepted the help. This program connected Kendra with a social worker who teamed up with her to begin to overcome the challenges she was facing. It also became the support system that Kendra so deeply desired.
Throughout weeks of staying in touch with Kendra, her social worker assisted her with her resume, and Kendra was hired immediately! Her newfound job not only provided her with financial stability, but also boosted her confidence and self-esteem. But despite all of this, Kendra’s determination to proceed with the abortion persisted when she received financial assistance for the abortion from a pro-abortion organization.
However, there were still unanswered questions that wavered in Kendra’s heart.
A pivotal moment occurred when a nurse from the Human Coalition center handed Kendra a list of questions to ask the abortion provider prior to the abortion. As Kendra delved into these questions at her abortion appointment, she was uncomfortable with the answers she received. Answers telling her the truth that the abortion procedure could cause risk to her health and have potential lasting effects, and detailing what her body would ultimately undergo.
Considering whether the abortion would be safer at another facility, her discomfort prompted her to schedule an appointment elsewhere. Yet, the night before the scheduled abortion, Kendra experienced a heart shift.
Unknowingly, her five-year-old son had opened her eyes to a deeper truth. She couldn’t imagine harming him, so why should she harm a life inside her womb? She could either welcome this child into her world and receive one of life’s greatest joys or live with lasting regret for choosing abortion. She concluded that abortion was ultimately selfish and unsafe.
She wanted to keep her baby.
Kendra couldn’t proceed knowing she was putting herself at risk. The gravity of this realization, along with her son’s excitement about having a sibling, became the turning point that shifted her decision to one of life.
Throughout her pregnancy, Kendra continued to keep in touch with the Continuum of Care program, which has been her steady source of support. Adjusting to her remote work setup, Kendra discovered a newfound love for her job, which has allowed her to balance work and caring for her two children.
Kendra gave birth to a healthy baby girl and loves being a family of three!