She Was Going to “Get Rid of the Problem” With an Abortion, Then Someone Helped Her

State   |   Lori Szala   |   Sep 30, 2014   |   5:56PM   |   Pittsburgh, PA

I’d like to tell you about “Kathy”.

Kathy was scared and confused the day she came to the Pregnancy Resource Center of the South Hills searching for help regarding her unplanned pregnancy. Thoughts swirled through her head — about her father who had abandoned her…her mother who struggled to put food on the table…her grandparents who were already burdened with their own financial challenges. How disappointed they all would be in her.

Like thousands of women facing unplanned pregnancies, Kathy sat down at her computer to search for a place that would, as she explains it, “take care of my problem.” The Internet was discreet and private; no one would ever have to know.

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malloryThe first search result for abortion-related terms led Kathy to the Online for Life helpline number. Online for Life uses the Internet to connect with abortion-determined women and help guide them to the Pregnancy Resource Center of the South Hills, which is a division of Online for Life, and other participating life-affirming pregnancy centers. Kathy dialed the number, and what happened next changed everything.

A representative answered the phone and offered to refer Kathy to a life-affirming pregnancy center where she could receive a free ultrasound. Determined to have an abortion, Kathy considered hanging up. “But the woman I spoke with was kind, interested, and honest. For the first time in days, I felt a glimmer of hope,” she recalls. So Kathy scheduled an appointment with our center — the Pregnancy Resource Center of the South Hills.

When Kathy entered our doors, Terry greeted her with compassion and grace, “Terry took so much time with me. She acted as if she had all the time in the world to spend with me,” Kathy recalls.

As the conversation continued, Terry educated Kathy about all of her options regarding the pregnancy. Slowly, Kathy began to picture herself as a mom. “She gave me so much to consider…things I’d refused to let myself consider. Like being a mom…what could that life look like?” For the second time in as many days, another glimmer of hope filled Kathy’s heart.

mallory2Like all expectant clients in need, Kathy was given a FREE ultrasound. As the probe rolled across Kathy’s round belly, the nurse pointed to the image on the screen…there were little fingers, kicking legs, and a beating heart. The nurse also answered Kathy’s questions about abortion.

“I always thought abortion was no big deal. But as the nurse talked, it sounded like a big deal,” Kathy says.

As the ultrasound continued, Kathy turned back to the image of her 20-week-old baby on the screen. She recalls thinking, That is not a clump of cells…that is a baby. When Kathy left PRCSH that day, she was committed to choosing LIFE for her child!

Months later, after she’d given birth to a beautiful baby girl named “Mallory”, Kathy came to visit our center. “Mallory brings so much joy to everyone. I could not imagine life without her,” Kathy told us.

Kathy’s testimony is more than a story about a mom and her baby. It’s a story of caring and compassionate individuals giving their time and resources to help a woman in crisis. It’s also a story about you — a faithful Pregnancy Resource Center of the South Hills supporter — who generously gives so we can help women like Kathy.

I love to share stories like Kathy’s because they remind me that when we all work together…innocent lives are saved.

LifeNews Note: Lori Szala is the executive director of South Hills Pregnancy Resource Center.