For a woman facing an unplanned pregnancy, the thought of adding another child to her family could be overwhelming. Especially when life itself is already a struggle.
As a client advocate at the Catherine Foundation Pregnancy Care Center, Karen meets with women every day who are struggling with family, relationships and financial hardships. One in particular that sticks out is Paveille.
A mother with two young children, Pavielle and her family usually spent their nights bouncing between different shelters run by the Safe Nights program. The idea of adding another child seemed almost unthinkable. Seriously considering an abortion if she was pregnant, Pavielle walked into the Catherine Foundation Pregnancy Care Center for a pregnancy test.
That’s where she met Karen. At the center, Pavielle was able to discuss the concerns that she had with her current living arrangements and how concerned she was about bringing another child into that situation. The concerns that she had about the future of her family were real, and Karen didn’t shy away from those realities. Although the young mother shared that she and her boyfriend were both working, he was living out of his car and was unable to offer much support at that point. Karen and Pavielle discussed the options that she had, including raising her child and adoption.
Although what Karen said helped encourage Pavielle, she was still strongly considering having an abortion. The thought of having another child just didn’t seem realistic when her family was struggling just to survive. But she was still willing to have a free limited obstetrical ultrasound.
As the ultrasound was being done, Pavielle watched with interest and appeared excited as she saw her baby on the screen. After estimating the baby’s gestational age at 11 weeks, Pavielle made an important decision.
“I am going to keep my baby,” she said. “After seeing the ultrasound there is no way I would go through with an abortion.”
Pavielle then returned two months later to the pregnancy care center to discuss the possibility of adoption. Although she had been given information on several adoption agencies through outside sources, she still wanted to come back to the center and learn more. While there she shared with the center volunteers that she and her family were doing well and that her boyfriend was no longer living in his car.
After that visit, the pregnancy care center lost touch with Pavielle, but Karen and the other staff members and volunteers never stopped praying. It took several months but eventually Pavielle returned, and she wasn’t alone. The next time she brought her son.
As it turns out, Pavielle went into labor early and gave birth to a four-pound eight-ounce baby boy. She shared with Karen how encouraged she was by the center, and that her young family were now living in an apartment and doing well.
For client advocates like Karen, nothing is better than seeing a young mother make the incredibly important decision for life. Especially when the odds are seemingly stacked against her.
“We all felt blessed at the center that day,” Karen said. “Seeing how happy she was with her baby and hearing how her life had been full of positive experiences brought us so much joy. Pavielle is truly a remarkable woman.”
The abortion industry often portrays abortion like it is the easy decision, but it isn’t. The struggles that women like Pavielle face are real, and that is why places like Catherine Foundation Pregnancy Care Center play such a critical role. They provide women with what they need most – wise counsel, assistance and an ultrasound – to help them make the best decision for the future of them and their family.
If you would like to proclaim your support of life, consider joining Focus on the Family for the Alive from New York event. You can also sign the Declaration for Life.
