Katherine’s Story
“Best of all, his new life has become my renewed and restored life through God!”
When I realized I might be pregnant, I called the first well-known organization I could think of, a local pro-choice clinic, to confirm. I didn’t have health insurance, so I was trying to find something affordable or free.
When I spoke with the clinic’s receptionist, I heard screaming in the background as she abruptly asked me if I was “wanting to terminate.” I was so shocked that I couldn’t process my feelings or communicate. I asked her, “How I can I make a decision when I don’t even know if I am pregnant or not?” I sent a text to my mom and then fell asleep, crying.
A bit later, I woke up to my phone ringing. My mom told me I needed to hurry because she had scheduled an appointment for me and said I had 30 minutes to get there. I rushed out the door to CPC’s pregnancy medical clinic.
A life inside
When I walked into CPC’s pregnancy medical clinic, I was nervous and emotional. I was too scared to have hope. There was no way I could be pregnant. If I was pregnant, there was no way I could raise a child.
I remember the staff speaking to me in a reassuring way. They listened to me and asked me questions that didn’t sway me in any direction. It was confirmed that I was pregnant. We discussed all of my options.
As the medical staff explained the abortion process, I asked her which model represented the size of my baby in that moment. As she showed me the model, I asked what would happen to the baby after I took the abortion pills. As she started to explain the process, I started to cry. The staff remained so kind yet professional.
When I saw the ultrasound, it all became real. In my heart, I knew that was a life. As soon as I saw that little image on the screen, I covered my eyes and I sobbed. I couldn’t believe God was blessing me and trusting me with a baby. The ultrasound allowed me to make a connection within my soul that there really was a baby growing and developing inside of me!
I spoke with the Advocate in a comfortable, private room. I cried, asking her: “How can I raise a child to be sweet, gentle, and socially aware, just to have him ripped apart by the world? How can I bring a life into this world I don’t even want to live in?”
She reminded me of God’s grace. She reassured me with many kind words. I remember leaving feeling loved and like my baby mattered to people other than me. After my appointment, I decided I was going to have to push through my fear because abortion was no longer an option. I started to consider making an adoption plan.
Decision to parent
A couple of weeks later, someone from CPC’s pregnancy medical clinic reached out to me, letting me know about an upcoming parenting class. I hadn’t decided yet between adoption or parenting, so I decided to attend. Overall, I loved the curriculum, and I loved the facilitators. There were so many resources provided to us: community programs giving away children’s books, diapers, and other forms of support.
There were two classes within the course outline I was feeling anxious about: the class dedicated to fathers and the class dedicated to finances. Knowing my baby’s father did not follow through with his commitments, I thought I was going to sit through a class listening to milestone opportunities my son would never experience. The instructors explained how important fathers were during pregnancy, and how they can support the family. I wanted to sink into my chair as l sat silently feeling like I was the only woman in the class with an absent father.
One of the instructors shared his testimony of being raised by a single mom. He explained how she had made sure he had a happy and loving childhood. He shared how his mom later married a man that became his dad when he was 10 years old. He said he appreciated his dad because he chose to be his father.
As he spoke, I cried because he didn’t speak just as the man he was in that moment. I got to hear from the perspective of a young boy raised by a single mom. That was the moment I decided I was going to do my best at parenting.
Soon after completing the 10-week parenting class, I had my baby. The doctor described him as perfect. I can’t imagine what would have happened if God hadn’t led me to CPC’s pregnancy medical clinic. I almost chose not to receive the greatest blessing I have ever been given.
This baby has become my true purpose and happiness in my life. I lay next to him as I feed him or as he sleeps, and I just cry because of the amount of love I feel inside. Best of all, his new life has become my renewed and restored life through God!