Today is National Sanctity of Human Life Day.
Why?
47 years ago, the Supreme Court made one of the most devastating legal and moral decisions in history.
Roe v. Wade established a death sentence for over 60 million innocent baby boys and girls of every race and socioeconomic background in the US.
Now, this day is recognized by pro-life Presidents to remember the babies lost to abortion and commit to protecting life.
And with that, there is hope.
2019 was an incredible year for the pro-life movement. We learned that the number of US abortions has fallen to an all-time low since Roe v. Wade. Numerous states passed pro-life legislation. And President Trump removed taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood.
And we’re not done yet. The upcoming generation of students, activists, and professionals are the most pro-life in decades.
But we can’t leave this fight to the activists and lawmakers. Our strategies must be multi-faceted to reach women in need, providing the information, support, and services they need to choose LIFE and provide the best life possible for their child, whether that be through parenting or adoption.
In honor of this mission, we’d like to share the story of a wonderful SAVE we witnessed here at Options United – a woman intent on getting an abortion who experienced a change of heart after calling us.
Glenda* called Options United after taking a home pregnancy test. She was only 16 years old so she decided to get an abortion.
We referred Glenda* to a local, life-affirming clinic for free testing and a consultation to discuss all of her options. She accepted the referral, but when we followed up to check in on her, Glenda* told us she’d decided to go to Planned Parenthood instead.
We checked in with her again days later and Glenda* said she had not gone to Planned Parenthood yet. In fact, she asked us if she could make an appointment with the clinic we recommended before making a final decision!
Glenda* went to the clinic for information on all of her options and made an appointment for an ultrasound – one she later missed. Glenda* said she felt she couldn’t have this baby and didn’t want to consider adoption because of the effect it would have on her knowing she had a child somewhere in the world. We encouraged Glenda* to reschedule the ultrasound, but her mind was set on abortion.
Two days later, Glenda* contacted us with some news! She rescheduled her ultrasound appointment and told her mom about the pregnancy. To Glenda’s* surprise, her mother was encouraging and supportive, leading her to choose LIFE for her baby.
After seeing the ultrasound, Glenda* was happy to report that she already loved her baby. We’re continuing to follow up with Glenda* through her pregnancy to ensure she feels supported, with the help of parenting resources and supplies at the clinic we referred her to!