Women who received support from pregnancy help centers and rejected abortion are bringing their children to meet with U.S. lawmakers as part of Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress campaign tomorrow.
“Every woman deserves support during an unexpected pregnancy,” said Heartbeat International President Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D. “And when women receive unconditional love along with the practical help necessary to welcome new life, they want policy makers to know that they are grateful. Because of this, Heartbeat International developed Babies Go to Congress® to give moms, served by a pregnancy help center, the opportunity to introduce their babies, who were at risk of abortion, to their elected officials.”
Women have been thanking pregnancy help organizations for their support for decades and these moms are thrilled to have an opportunity to tell their stories to national leaders. Courageous women like Jessica Gore, who is excited to bring her eight-year-old daughter to meet her elected officials, will testify to the fact that pregnancy help organizations provide a life-changing experience.
“I went to the sonogram appointment at Burleson Pregnancy Aid Center even though I had already been to Planned Parenthood and thought that abortion was right for me,” said Jessica from Burleson, Texas. “But when I looked at the sonogram screen, I knew that I had been lied to. What I saw on the screen was not a ‘piece of tissue’ like Planned Parenthood had told me. The tiny flicker of light, a heartbeat, was my child. I was instantly in love.”
“I would have been lost without the guidance of the Pregnancy Aid Center,” said Jessica. “Through their programs I learned how to care for my infant daughter. I would not be the person I am today if it hadn’t been for the caring people of the Burleson Pregnancy Aid Center and the experiences I’ve had there. Without them, my daughter would not be alive and I cannot imagine my life without her.”
Hartshorn said there is “no better way to demonstrate the life-saving power of the pregnancy help movement than through moms sharing their real-life stories with our nation’s lawmakers.”
“Our moms and babies are gathering from around the country today. They are enthused and empowered to take on the challenge of telling their stories to Representatives in Congress tomorrow,” she said.
“Our lawmakers desperately need to hear about the good work of the pregnancy help movement. One mother who will tell her story is Shelly Louis. She is in D.C. with her precious baby girl, Kiree. Kiree is here today because her mom found support at her local pregnancy help organization,” Hartshorn continued.
Louis shared her story:
“Unmarried, financially insecure, and 6 weeks pregnant with my third child…abortion was a very real option for me. I was confused and distracted by life’s problems and needed to alleviate any stress that I could. Since I was receiving no assistance from the baby’s father and he was encouraging me to terminate the pregnancy, I chose to seek out an abortion.
Two days before my planned visit to the abortion clinic, I had an emotional breakdown.
I reached out for help from one of my teachers who connected me with Penny Lovell and the Pregnancy Center of Bryan County. Mrs. Lovell communicated some of the physical and emotional effects of abortion and then offered to give me a ride to the Pregnancy Center of Bryan County, where we could visit with a trained volunteer and find out more about my options.
At the Center, I was counseled by Bridget Youngblood. She and Mrs. Lovell reminded me about God’s love for both me and my unborn child. Only because of their encouragement and compassion was I able to think clearly about my options and make the right choice to protect the life of my unborn child. My arrangements to visit the abortion clinic were canceled and Kiree’s life was saved.”
Heartbeat’s pregnancy help network of care provides all the facts on abortion – from post-abortion stress to possible medical complications – facts that abortion facilities often leave out. Heartbeat’s compassionate network is dedicated to safeguarding maternal health and protecting child wellbeing necessary to sustain a healthy pregnancy.
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Founded in 1971 as Alternatives to Abortion, Heartbeat International is the first pregnancy support association in the U.S., the most expansive in the world with 1,343 affiliates in 50 countries, and the most inclusive membership with pregnancy help centers, life-honoring medical clinics, maternity homes, and nonprofit adoption agencies.
Heartbeat’s Option Line (1-800-712-HELP/OptionLine.org) connects women facing unexpected pregnancies with the emotional support and practical help they need to welcome new life.
