“Jess” and “Justin” were all about having a good time, drinking, and partying. They were young and carefree.

Jess was no longer living in her parents’ home, and she felt like she was finally in charge of her own life. She and Justin were living together; and although they were in love, their relationship was volatile. Often fighting hard and loud about even the smallest things, peace seemed to elude the young couple.

Jess felt constantly concerned that Justin was looking for someone else, and she grew self-conscious about her appearance. So with the hope of achieving that “perfect look,” she paid a deposit for some cosmetic surgery. But when she discovered she was pregnant, her surgery was put on hold as she and Justin tried to figure out what to do next.

An Internet search for information about abortion led the young couple to our women’s care clinic. When they met one-on-one with our Care Coordinator, it became clear that Jess and Justin were leaning heavily toward getting an abortion. After all, they were only 20 years old, their relationship was on shaky ground, and neither of them believed “the time was right.”

As our staff continued to serve them, Jess and Justin slowly opened their hearts toward choosing life. But they both knew things had to change at home.

The couple entered our free couples counseling program. Justin learned how to deal with his volatile emotions, and Jess realized that drinking and partying were impacting her in a negative way.

The couple agreed that if they wanted to be taken seriously, they had to behave like adults. After much prayer and encouragement, Jess and Justin decided to parent their baby. They joined our childbirth and parenting classes because they wanted to “do it right.” Meanwhile, they continued seeing the counselor so their relationship could be strong for their baby.

With the support of so many local churches and volunteers, our clinic was able to provide the essentials they’d need to welcome their new baby.

Through it all, Jess began viewing herself differently, now seeing herself as a mother. The time for partying, fighting, and living day-to-day had passed. Now was the time to welcome “Grace Marie” into the world.

Thank you for all you do to help us minister to couples like Jess and Justin, so babies like Grace Marie can have a chance at life.