We wanted to give you an update on “Mackenzie”, one of our clients whose story we shared with you previously.
Over three years ago, Mackenzie and her boyfriend were expecting a baby. The thought of a new child overwhelmed them, as they had a long list of stresses in their lives. Mackenzie was battling chronic health issues; her boyfriend couldn’t find a job; their young son had special needs; and they were sleeping on the floor in a family member’s house.
With no jobs, no money, no safe place to live, and no hope for change, they thought abortion was their only realistic option for this pregnancy.
When their son’s therapist learned that Mackenzie had an abortion scheduled for the next day, she quickly referred Mackenzie to our clinic. During her appointment with us, Mackenzie said something we hear women say all the time: she’d love to parent her baby if her circumstances were different. We shared that we’d be honored to help make her heart’s desire a reality, by walking alongside her both during her pregnancy and after her baby was born.
Mackenzie received an ultrasound during this visit to confirm the gestational age of her baby. And she also saw her baby on the ultrasound monitor for the first time. Only four days away from the legal limit for getting an abortion in North Carolina, Mackenzie was shocked to see how big her baby already was and the way he moved his fully formed arms and legs.
Looking at her baby, Mackenzie knew she couldn’t go through with the abortion. So she accepted our offer to help her and her boyfriend get back on their feet.
We met with them frequently in the months that followed, offering help through counseling and financial planning. And thanks to the special generosity of our donors, we were able to assist the couple in working through certain financial challenges. We connected them with a local church, we visited their baby in the NICU after he was born prematurely, and we helped them make a plan to bring him home.
Mackenzie recalls, “[The Raleigh Women’s Care Clinic] didn’t just make sure I kept my baby, but they were there for me. No other place was willing to help us change how we were living. That’s what they did for us. No matter what it was, if I called them—they were there.”
Now three years later, Mackenzie’s son is a healthy little boy who is “eating everything!” With her boyfriend working, they have learned how to save money and make plans financially, and they are now preparing to buy their first house.
Life still has its challenges, due to Mackenzie’s health problems and the demands of raising two little kids. But they now have hope, a community of people rooting for them, and, most importantly, a strong faith in God. Mackenzie said, “I never imagined all of this was possible.”