Caitlyn's Story
When we arrived at the Crisis Pregnancy Center office on Friday morning, there was a phone message that had been left an hour before from a woman asking if we accepted her insurance. She was at Planned Parenthood to obtain an abortion for her daughter and they would not accept her particular insurance. One of our volunteers returned the phone call and Mary answered the phone in a quiet voice (she had thought it may be us returning her call).
Since she had left us the message at the CPC, they had left Planned Parenthood and found another local abortionist who would perform the abortion at a reduced fee. When she picked up the phone, Mary (the mother) was actually in the procedure room with her husband and pregnant daughter who had just turned 15 years old a week ago.
Mary's voice was panicked and she explained that her daughter had just taken a handful of pills and was about to have an abortion. She was to have a medical suction abortion. She did not know what pills her daughter had just taken or even the doctor’s name. Our client advocate encouraged her to ask the nurse what she had taken and was told she had taken an antibiotic and Benadryl. Mary's voice was shaky as she explained that she had thought they were going to counsel them prior to the abortion but none was offered.
Our client advocate asked if they had researched the doctor in any way and Mary said they had not. (This doctor has had several incidences in his office and had at one time even had his license suspended because of the death of a patient.) The client advocate suggested that Mary bring her daughter to the CPC and receive counsel before proceeding with the abortion. Mary felt trapped there in the procedure room and felt it was too late to just walk out. The client advocate assured her that the doctor would be there should she decide to return and again encouraged her to take her daughter and leave because she obviously was not sure of their decision. After encouraging her to leave a number of times, Mary finally agreed and said they were on their way to the CPC. The women at the CPC gathered and prayed that this family would indeed leave the abortionists’ office and come to the CPC. About 30 minutes later, they walked in the door.
Mary's daughter, Caitlyn, met with a client advocate and Mary counseled with the client advocate she had met on the phone. Mary explained how her plan was that they could obtain an abortion quickly for her young daughter and nobody would know. Caitlyn was a sophomore, an honor student and very active in ASB at her school and Mary felt her image as a “good girl” would be shattered. Her plan had begun to unravel when her mother (Caitlyn's grandmother) found out. Grandma was a Christian woman, as are Mary and her family, and she reminded her daughter how “you have not been raised this way” and how it was not the Lord’s plan for Caitlyn to have an abortion.
Caitlyn received an ultrasound from our sonographer Kris. Her parents were in the room to see the 10 week old baby moving and flexing and its tiny heart beating loudly and strong. They were amazed at the development of the baby and how clearly they could see the heart beat and the fingers and toes moving. We were hopeful that day, but no decisions were made about whether or not Caitlyn would continue her pregnancy. Mary called Grandma when they left the CPC and Grandma said she had been at the church all morning praying for them and was relieved that Caitlyn had not obtained the abortion that day.
We talked to Caitlyn the next week and learned that her mom was taking her to the OB doctor that Friday but that they had not yet made a decision whether she would continue her pregnancy. On Monday, we called Mary and she was really happy that we called. She told us that abortion was “off the table” and that her brother and his family in the Midwest have offered to adopt the baby. She said they weren’t sure if they could “give up the baby” but it was good to have options!! Oh, what a blessing it is to see how the Lord orchestrated and used each volunteer in such amazing ways to help this family during this difficult and challenging time.
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| 10 Week Baby |
