Five years ago, following the birth of her baby girl, “Tasha” made herself a promise, “Never again.” The pregnancy had been exceedingly difficult, the delivery was terrifying, and the risks were too high. “I experienced serious health issues that made that pregnancy extremely challenging,” Tasha says, as she thinks back on the days leading up to her daughter’s birth.
So when Tasha discovered she was pregnant a second time, her thoughts immediately turned toward those frightening nine months when she didn’t know if she would live or die. “My anxiety about my health was definitely a concern,” Tasha says. But that wasn’t the only fear eating away at her: “I was also at a difficult place in my relationship with the father of my baby.”
Facing a risky pregnancy was difficult enough. But Tasha knew that facing it without the father’s support would be more than she could bear. That’s when she began considering abortion as an option.
Like tens of thousands of women in her situation, Tasha sought help in the one place she knew was confidential, discreet and anonymous: the Internet.
“I searched online and found a phone number directing me to a clinic. I called and got the address and put it in my GPS,” Tasha recounts. Upon entering the building, Tasha listened as the staff shared with her that this life-affirming pregnancy center did not perform abortions…but she was not deterred. “I had a confirmation test and an ultrasound that verified my pregnancy. I was also counseled about all of the options available to me.”
Tasha left the life-affirming pregnancy center feeling uncertain about what course of action to take. Instead of going straight home, she continued driving around, trying to digest all of the information the staff had shared with her. Deciding to get a second opinion, Tasha used her GPS to locate another clinic in her area. Following her phone’s GPS directions, she drove to the given address and arrived at a second life-affirming pregnancy center.
Tasha talked with the compassionate staff who provided her with another sonogram and continued to speak to her about LIFE.
Days later, as she continued to waver between choosing LIFE or an abortion, Tasha decided she would visit one last clinic before making her decision. Not recognizing the address that popped up, Tasha followed the directions on her GPS — only to arrive back at the front desk of the first life-affirming pregnancy center she’d visited just days earlier.
“I decided then that God was trying to tell me something,” Tasha recalls.
Tasha went on to choose LIFE for her child. But this time, instead of living in fear of a difficult pregnancy, Tasha felt empowered and equipped to take on the challenge, thanks to the encouragement and care she received at her local life-affirming pregnancy center. Tasha says, “The journey was indeed a challenging one because the health issues were once again present during this pregnancy. However, the reward arrived on September 11, in the form of a beautiful baby girl that we named Bethany.”
To this day, Tasha credits Online for Life along with the amazing staff and volunteers at the life-affirming pregnancy center for helping to save her youngest daughter. “The center staff and I decided my GPS was a ‘God Positioning System.’”
Tasha’s story is repeated dozens of times every day in America. A frightened woman, believing she has nowhere else to turn, searches the Internet about abortion. But thanks to Online for Life, she is connected with a participating life-affirming pregnancy center where she is equipped to make a fully informed decision regarding her pregnancy. In Tasha’s case, she connected with Online for Life — a testament to the depth of their Internet marketing strategies.
Today, Tasha celebrates the beautiful life in her arms and gives thanks to God, Online for Life, and the life-affirming pregnancy centers she visited for helping her make the best decision. “God is in control and He does know best.” Holding her baby tight, she adds, “I can’t imagine my life without either one of my beautiful girls.”
LifeNews Note: Reprinted with permission from Online for Life.
