From the SFLA Blog

TWO More Babies Saved Online!

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Brenna Lewis - 12 Aug 2020

Despite Family Pressure, Mom Chooses Life

by Sarah Minnich, SFLA Upper Midwest Regional Coordinator

We often say that abortion demonstrates a failure on the part of society to love and support women in need. This reality has become more apparent to my coworkers and myself as we began online outreach to abortion-minded women. The stories of these women are heart wrenching. Often their “boyfriends” are threatening to break up with them or physically harm them if they do not have an abortion. They are being abused, are afraid of the future, and fear not having the necessary support. Every woman deserves to experience the joy of new life and our mission in the pro-life movement is to ensure that every woman is given every opportunity and support that her and her child need.

 

Our online outreach has allowed us amazing opportunities to offer women the support and love they deserve while they navigate the news of their new role. This past week, I reached out to a mother whose boyfriend and mother are pushing her to abort. She struggles with mental health and is concerned about being a single mother again. She wanted her baby and was seeking support and love. Her support system let her down and it is most especially in those moments that we, the Pro-Life Generation, need to get involved and stand up for mamas in need. I have been able to private message, discuss her needs, and offer her resources and she has courageously chosen to keep her baby. By simply offering her the support she needed to choose life, she felt empowered to continue her pregnancy.
We are called to stand up for women and children in need. By stepping out of our comfort zones and offering women loving resources, we can empower them and save lives.

 

Sarah can be contacted at [email protected].

 

Young Mom Chooses Life THEN Helps Others to Do So, Too

by Brooke Karmie, SFLA Pacific Southwest Regional Coordinator

 

As the world has gone primarily virtual throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, the Students for Life Team has placed extra emphasis on outreach to women facing crisis pregnancy who are seeking help online. Women in this time are even more fearful because of the current state of our nation and due to statewide shutdowns have been reaching out online for guidance from anyone on what to do.

Last week, I saw a post from a young, panicked girl just a few weeks into her pregnancy and reached out immediately.

The 23-year old was seeking help online after finding out she was 4-5 weeks pregnant. She was terrified and felt pressure to abort because she did not have the financial means or the support of the baby’s father. However, through all her fear and reasoning why she felt she should not keep the baby, she said, “I also know in my heart, I want to keep this baby.”

Immediately after reading this post, I reached out offering support and encouragement and let her know that she could connect her to resources in her community that would ensure she did not face this pregnancy alone. The only other responses to this young girl’s cry for help, regardless of her obvious desire to keep her baby, were pressure to abort because “giving the baby back to God is the best thing to do,” and since she was “only 23 and has plenty of time!”

Upon seeing this post and the abortion pressuring responses, I knew I may be the only voice encouraging the young girl to keep her baby. Having worked with many abortion-minded women in numerous different situations, I know that many of them are guided by fear and are just waiting for that one piece of encouragement telling them they CAN do it, and they are not alone. It breaks my heart that majority of people will encourage any woman to abort their child for convenience, rather than to offer her support and walk with her through the pregnancy and motherhood.

Later, the 23-year old expectant mother posted again, this time excitedly talking about her pregnancy and seeking other pregnant friends, and even more beautifully, she began seeking out and encouraging other women online going through similar situations. She commented to another abortion-minded woman, “I am going through the exact same thing! I am almost 8 weeks and still have insecurities, but if you need someone, I know what you are going through and we can talk.” The ripple effect of one encouraged mother was prominent in this situation. Throughout her pregnancy, she will empower many other expectant mothers to keep their babies.

Brooke can be contacted at [email protected].

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