“Mary” had finally gotten a new lease on life. For years, she’d struggled with her weight. She couldn’t fit into airplane seats, ride roller coasters at amusement parks, or participate in any playful activities with her two young daughters.

After countless failed diets, Mary underwent gastric bypass surgery. A whole new world opened up for her then, and she was excited to discover everything that awaited her.

However, it felt as though her new world came crashing down one day when she visited our Pittsburgh women’s care clinic (formerly Pregnancy Resource Center of the South Hills). She’d previously received care at our clinic when she was pregnant with her youngest daughter and stopped by to pick up diapers and clothes for her oldest child.

So while Mary was at the clinic during her latest visit, she asked for a pregnancy test. The positive result caused her to collapse into a chair and cover her face with her hands, sobbing.

The father of her pre-born baby wasn’t stable, and he was constantly coming in and out of her life. She was also concerned about her health. Her last C-section had been difficult, and it had only been a few months since her gastric bypass procedure. Her surgeon had told her to wait at least a year before getting pregnant again.

We ministered to Mary and asked her to come back for another visit in two weeks. We knew she was at a high risk to abort her third child, so we immediately started praying for her and the baby.

We continued reaching out to Mary, and we saw her two weeks later when she returned to the clinic for an ultrasound. She shared how she’d considered taking the abortion pill, but instead she’d talked to a high-risk pregnancy doctor about her health concerns. Mary said she was in a completely different place now mentally, and she had changed her mind about abortion.

As the ultrasound was performed, the sound of a loud, healthy heartbeat filled the room.

Mary is now the mother of a beautiful baby boy. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to walk along the path to motherhood with Mary. And we’re especially thankful that God heard and responded to our prayers for her.

Thank you for supporting our women’s care clinic and for your devotion to praying for our caregivers and clients. You truly make a difference.