When I greeted Patty in the Brooklyn office on Wednesday and said "How are you today?", the last thing I expected her to say was "I can't complain." But that's exactly what she said, which is why I was again surprised when, 5 minutes later, tears were streaming uncontrollably down her face.
Patty is in her late 20s, has 3 children, and has had 2 abortions. Her ex-husband refuses to pay child support even though he has been ordered by the court, she is embattled in a lawsuit with her daughter's daycare, and the only kind of support she gets from the father of her youngest is financial. Her mother is pressuring her to have another abortion, and her best friend, the only emotional support she may have, doesn't even know she's pregnant. She has been "careful" when it comes to sex (careful by the secular definition at least). Patty is simply overwhelmed.
I asked Patty about her previous abortions. She said she had them because she was in situations where it seemed like that was her only option, but she has never gotten over them. She was only considering abortion again because the father of the baby (and her youngest child) is threatening to file for sole custody if she tries to keep it or give it up for adoption. If he won, she would still have to see the baby, since she already has another child with him. The baby would be constantly in her life, but completely not in her life at the same time. I assured her that that would not have to be the outcome.
So many words and so many tears later, Patty firmly came to the conclusion that abortion was not an option. At one point, while sniffling through her tears she said, "I can't support another one, but I can't just keep killing my babies." We don't know exactly how we are going to work through her problems and obstacles, but we'll figure it out together and she won't have to kill any more of her babies.
Patty is in her late 20s, has 3 children, and has had 2 abortions. Her ex-husband refuses to pay child support even though he has been ordered by the court, she is embattled in a lawsuit with her daughter's daycare, and the only kind of support she gets from the father of her youngest is financial. Her mother is pressuring her to have another abortion, and her best friend, the only emotional support she may have, doesn't even know she's pregnant. She has been "careful" when it comes to sex (careful by the secular definition at least). Patty is simply overwhelmed.
I asked Patty about her previous abortions. She said she had them because she was in situations where it seemed like that was her only option, but she has never gotten over them. She was only considering abortion again because the father of the baby (and her youngest child) is threatening to file for sole custody if she tries to keep it or give it up for adoption. If he won, she would still have to see the baby, since she already has another child with him. The baby would be constantly in her life, but completely not in her life at the same time. I assured her that that would not have to be the outcome.
So many words and so many tears later, Patty firmly came to the conclusion that abortion was not an option. At one point, while sniffling through her tears she said, "I can't support another one, but I can't just keep killing my babies." We don't know exactly how we are going to work through her problems and obstacles, but we'll figure it out together and she won't have to kill any more of her babies.
1 comment:
Praise God for even one success! I will keep this mother in my prayers!
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