Many years had passed since “Janice’s” mother had accompanied her to the abortion clinic. She’d been young and scared, and she believed her mom and the doctor had her best interests at heart. You will feel “relief instead of regret,” they both told Janice, and she believed them. But as time wore on, that initial relief slowly waned, and the regret that Janice had worked so hard to stifle began to simmer to the surface.

Every time she encountered a baby the same age as the one she’d aborted, Janice felt overwhelming grief. Each year when the expected due date of her discarded baby approached, it was like a dark cloud lingering over her. In many ways, Janice had moved on… she had a life, a home, a family. But all those simple joys were shrouded by the pain of her aborted child.

And now her daughter “Raylene” was facing an unexpected pregnancy of her own. Would she repeat Janice’s tragic mistake and go on to live a life filled with regret? Not if Janice could help it.

Raylene was young, just like her mother had been, so parenting seemed out of the question. The mother-daughter duo searched online for a clinic where they could learn about all of the options available to them. That’s when they found our Pittsburgh Women’s Care Clinic.

When Janice entered our doors, she felt an immediate peace. The office was clean and pretty. The people were kind and calm. This was nothing like the abortion clinic Janice had visited all those years ago.

At first, Raylene chose to go back to the ultrasound room without her mother. But when her little baby’s translucent body appeared on the monitor, and the beating of his heart echoed throughout the room, she asked her mom to join her. Amazed by the sight of her grandchild, Janice wondered if the baby she’d aborted had looked like that – so healthy and active. At that moment, Janice decided she would do whatever was necessary to help Raylene choose life.

On the way home, they came up with a plan. Janice would raise the baby until Raylene was old enough to parent on her own. Through tears, the young girl agreed.

“OK, but you can’t change your mind – this is it,” Janice said. “Come on, let’s pinky swear.”

Janice and Raylene locked their pinky fingers, laughing and crying. “I swear!” they said.

Six months later, little “Mylie Ray” was born. The young mother held her beautiful child while the happy grandma looked on. “I’ll always love you – I loved you from the first moment I saw you, I swear,” Janice told her new grandbaby.