Three weeks ago during my first day at our Brooklyn pregnancy center, I had the pleasure of meeting and counseling a beautiful young woman named Renee. She came in for a pregnancy test, which turned out to be positive. Renee was devastated. She is 19 years old, still in high school, living with her aunt and uncle, with no support or income to speak of. I and fellow intern, Beth, consoled her through her tears and tried to comfort her as much as possible. The reason Renee was so upset was because she thought abortion was her only choice and she already loved her child so much. She agreed to come in the following morning for a sonogram.
The next morning I watched Renee’s baby kicking and jumping inside her womb—a little boy! I also watched the smile and joy on her face as she insisted that it had to be a girl. Despite the excitement, Renee still felt as though abortion was the only option. We arranged for her to meet that afternoon with the Sisters of Life. A few days later I heard news that she had decided to keep her child and that the Sisters had made arrangements for her in Virginia. All I could do was rejoice and praise the Lord.
Renee and her child have been in my prayers since the very first day I met her. I was happy to know that she was safe and settled.
This morning I was at Doctor Emily’s in the Bronx. I was at the back entrance. Julie called me from the front to come fill in for her while she ran to use the bathroom. During the five minutes that Julie was gone, two girls walked in together and breezed by me. I thought it was Renee, but I couldn’t be sure. We called the Sisters of Life and left a message (because Friday is their day of prayer) wondering if this could possibly be Renee inside Doctor Emily’s. Sister Bridgette called us back shortly and we decided it was Renee inside. Sister Bridgette called Renee while she was inside. Renee answered but would not speak so Sister told her, “Renee, do not lose hope!”
An hour or so later, Renee came out the back of the clinic and I was waiting for her. She agreed to let me join her and a friend for lunch. I talked and pleaded and let the Holy Spirit guide the words I was speaking to her. Renee still felt that she could not care for a child and she feared that her child would have to face the same struggles that she did. She has so much love for her baby that the thought of placing her baby with adoptive parents was out of the question. We talked for a while and eventually she had to leave. We parted with a hug and a promise of prayers.
It was a MIRACLE that I had even seen Renee. I was only in the front for five minutes. Julie would not have recognized her. The Sisters would have never known she was there. Originally I was not even going to Doctor Emily’s, but was supposed to be at our Bronx center. The Sisters do not normally return phone calls on Fridays either. So many factors played into me being able to see and speak to Renee. If any one small thing had changed, we never would have known that Renee was inside. If Julie had called five minutes later, or if I had walked slower. It was only through the grace of God that our paths crossed once again.
As of now, Renee is scheduled for an abortion tomorrow morning and is planning on going through with the termination, but I think our Lord may have a little something to say about that. He has already worked one miracle and I trust that he will work another. Renee was not brought to me again for no reason. I have all hope and all faith that Renee will make the right decision. I believe that through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, God will save the life of a child and the heart of a mother. Please join me in praying for Renee and her baby boy.
Nothing is impossible for God!
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