She came into the South Bronx Center scared she might pregnant. I talked with her in length about her circumstances and her feelings. We talked about her options. She has a son already. I asked her when she knew he was her son. Did she love him when he first drew a breath and screamed? Yes, she answered with a smile. Did she know he was forever hers when he first opened his eyes? Of course she did. Did she know when he first sucked his thumb? She said yes. I lovingly told her, your son opened his eyes in the womb, he sucked his thumb and his toes inside of you. (A baby opens his or her eyes around 28 weeks into the pregnancy.) She was amazed. I posed one big question. What is the difference between your son, and this child? This young lady knew the answer. The difference was only in her.
Yet she informed me it was her body, her choice. (How does one sentence blind women so well?) She used that defense over and over. And in the end, she went home. There was no more I could do. I had given her a sonogram appointment the next day, but I doubted she would go.
I tried to get in touch with her throughout the following weeks. I wanted to know how she was doing. Whether she was grieving. I finally got in touch with her yesterday. She knew who I was, and quickly gave me her story.
She had left our center and went directly to an abortion clinic. Once there she got the news, they would not accept her insurance. She walked out. Right then and there she changed her mind. She decided to parent! She went to the appointment I had scheduled the next day. When she heard her baby’s heartbeat she knew she would never kill this little one.
I expected a hurting woman, but instead I found that God had turned that fear to joy. This mom is, well there really is no other way to put it- bubbly! She is bursting with love for this child. And her relationship with her own mom is growing stronger as they love this baby together.
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