On wings like eagles
See Ari’s Testimonial Video Below
When Ari found out she was pregnant, she knew she wanted an abortion. She googled “abortion in my area,” and CPC’s pregnancy medical clinics popped up. She scheduled her appointment at one of CPC’s clinics for the next day.
While getting her ultrasound, Ari felt numb. “As I lay there not even wanting to look at the screen, the nurse said, ‘So, it looks like there’s two.’” Ari was pregnant with twins!
After many tears and a long, heartfelt conversation with her patient advocate, Ari knew that she couldn’t go through with an abortion. Despite her fears, she chose LIFE…but her story was far from over!
At her second doctor’s appointment a few weeks later, she had another ultrasound. At first, everything seemed normal, but, afterwards, the doctor told her that one of her babies only had two heart chambers instead of four.
“He said that my best option was ‘selective reduction’…which would abort Twin A. He tried to dress it up by reminding me that I’m young and could have more children; and that I have twins, so at least I’d still have another baby, but I went home and cried endlessly,” Ari said. But her mind was made up. She was going to keep her son no matter what and take all that would come with it.
Ari went into premature labor at 33 weeks and gave birth to her twin sons, Chase and Chance. Other than being premature, Chase was healthy, and the doctors said he was doing well. Chance, on the other hand, was fighting for his life.
Over the next weeks and months, Chance endured surgeries and procedures, each of which took a toll on him. “Chance just couldn’t seem to stay in a stable place. He’d take five steps forward and 10 steps backward. After nine months of being in the hospital and living in a different state, hours away from anyone I knew, I started to feel so hopeless,” Ari remembers.
One day, Chance’s surgeon told her that he wasn’t going to live long.
“I was crushed. I felt like it was all for nothing. The late nights and early mornings; the blood, sweat, and tears—all of it seemed useless if I didn’t get to see my boys off to kindergarten together, to watch them grow and find a sport or hobby they enjoy, or if I didn’t get to witness their honor roll programs and awards ceremonies. What about their prom and graduations, their first girlfriends, their college graduation together? Their wedding, their children…all of it. I went down a rabbit hole of everything I felt like I’d be missing out on. I cried and cried and cried,” said Ari.
The doctors told Ari they wanted to do one more procedure that might help, but there were risks. Either way, it would alter Chance’s life forever. That week prior to the surgery, Ari prayed and prayed, and she finally felt peace knowing that God would carry Chance, and her, through whatever happened.
Chance went in for the procedure, and when he came out it was Ari’s first time seeing his entire face—no tubes, no wires, no cords, no tape, nothing…just Chance.
Ari said, “I began to cry and thank God. From then on, Chance began making huge strides towards improvement. Their first birthday was right around the corner, and this was a means to celebrate! I had been told that this day might not come for him. I rejoiced knowing that God truly has the final say!”
After 414 days in the hospital, Chance was finally able to go home!
Ari sums it up best: “Chance endured two open heart surgeries, three catheter procedures, one round of ECMO, and was intubated over 10 times. BUT GOD! I prayed for a miracle, and God gave me that. God has granted me so much in this season.
“Those days that I wanted to throw in the towel were just that…a day. It didn’t last forever. I remember thinking pregnancy meant the end of my life—that everything I wanted was no longer attainable, but I was wrong. My story is a testament that what the enemy means for evil, God turns around and uses it for His good. I have soared on wings like eagles and flown through every storm.”