Lady Liberty

The shoe size of the Statue of Liberty, based on the standard formula for sizing a foot is 879. I found this to be a pretty interesting but pointless fact. In 2008, according to the New York State Department of Health, there were 82,475 women killed by induced abortions in New York City in 2008. I found this to be an appalling and significantly serious fact.

   One thing the directors of EMC point out to us is that it is important to help the clients first. If  we can make the client see that we are concerned for her health and safety first then we can make her understand that this is truly about HER and the baby, not just the baby. Abortion has so many life threatening side effects as well as emotional repercussions that the clients may endure their whole lives. It's numbers such as these that make this even more evident. Abortion isn't just a "quick fix". It isn't something to be taken lightly. The fact is that women are risking their own lives because they feel as if abortion is their only option.

    Who doesn't like to know interesting facts about the area in which they live? But let us not turn a blind eye to the most important facts that are right in front of us and happening everyday in our own communities. It's time to take a stand, for "LIFE, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

   

Vamos a hablar...

Ayer por fin, tuve mi primer caso sola!!! Estaba nerviosa, que responsabilidad!!

Ella era una chica de 20 años que no estaba segura de si estaba embarazada o no y tampoco sabía lo que quería hacer, su novio apoyaría lo que ella decidiera.
Venía de haber pasado por un aborto, el cual le dejó marcada psicológicamente. En un principio cuando yo le pregunté a ver si había tenido complicaciones con el aborto, me contestó firmemente que no, que nada, todo ok.

A continuación le hice la pregunta estrella, ¿Conoces las consecuencias de abortar? Para no variar, cosa que no deja de sorprenderme, me dijo no...
En ese momento fue cuando le dije, ese dolor,ese mal estar que tu sientes al acordarte del aborto es una de las muchas consecuencias, se llama síndrome post-aborto, se sorprendió, me dijo really?
A partir de ahí le fuí explicando los riesgos, que en su caso se multiplican por 2, ya que desgraciadamente no es primeriza en esto... Le pregunté a ver que pensaba, estaba asustada, pero le dije, esto es lo que te planteas hacer...Y le puse el video D&E, esta chica si quería ver, quería saber, que bueno!!
Ella todavía no sabía el resultado del test cuando ya tenía claro que lo iba a tener!!!No quería mirar el test, lo hice yo por ella y finalmente dió negativo!

Uno se siente bien cuando llega a las personas, cuando le escuchan y les haces pensar, obviamente no pretendo convencer a nadie, quiero lo mejor para ellas, la decisión no la tengo que tomar yo, no es mi vida la que está en juego, me conformo con que le den más de una vuelta, con que piensen, que sean conscientes de lo que un aborto implica, que sepan la VERDAD.

No quiero mirar, no quiero!! ¿?

Esta semana he tenido la oportunidad de conocer el centro del Bronx, allí junto con Paula antendimos a una chica que tenía muy claro que quería abortar, ella estaba segura de su decisión, nos decía que lo había pensado mucho y que lo tenía claro, que ya tenia un niño de 18 meses y que no iba a ser bueno para el que ella tuviera otro....

Nosotras le hicimos la pregunta de siempre...¿sabes las consecuencias que tiene un aborto? Ella contestó...bueno si...Eso no era verdad, en cuanto empezamos a decirle, la realidad es que no tenía ni idea, en realidad no quería saber, no quería mirar, nos intentaba hacer creer que eso no le importaba con su pose de mujer fria e indiferente, personalmente le dije que no me creía que ella hubiera pensado realmente sobre su decisión, que no me creía que esa era su única salida NO eso nunca es verdad, siempre podemos elegir, pero hay que hacerlo con la mayor información que puedas tener, están arriesgando su vida!! las consecuencias pueden ser fatales, como es posible que solo QUIERAN ver una salida???

Es triste pero esta historia, este caso, se repite a menudo, mujeres que prefieren no saber lo que están haciendo, las consecuencias, lo que significa, prefieren mirar hacia otro lado y tratar al bebe que llevan en su vientre como si fuera un objeto en lugar de una vida, no se..quizás crean que así se están haciendo menos daño...

Rethinking Birth Control

In an article titled, "American Evangelicals beginning to rethink birth control, argues author of new book", by Patrick Baklinski, dependence on God and His providence concerning family size is discussed.  While opposition to birth control is seemed primarily as a "Catholic issue", evangelicals are starting to see the ramification of playing "pick and choose" when it comes to bringing new life into this world.

Seeing how all life is sacred and we are made in the image and likeness of God, it is quite bold to determine for ourselves who gets to live and who doesn't.  Dr. Allan Carlson wrote a new book titled, "Godly Seed: American Evangelicals Confront Birth Control, 1873-1973", and it has tough facts and questions on how the division of Christianity has left room for damaging beliefs to seep in.

Hanging on to Hope

I recently came across a story in LifeSiteNews about a mother and father who would not give up on their unborn child.  Early on in the pregnancy the mother received the horrible news that her baby would not have a chance of life outside of the womb.  The problem was due to a low amount of amniotic fluid.  This condition is known as "Potter's Syndrome" and it was due to the fact that the baby's kidneys did not develop properly.  In a normal pregnancy, the baby swallows the amniotic fluid, urinates it out, and keeps replenishing the supply.  When there isn't enough fluid, the baby's lungs also do not develop properly.


Through suggestions that it may be best to terminate the pregnancy from numerous doctors, the mother and father kept hanging on hope and prayer.  Their fundamental belief was that God is the only One with the power to create and He is also the only One with the power to declare when life ends, not us.


Trish, the mother, held out to the very end and birthed the child but unfortunately the child died shortly after.  Although incredibly grieved at the short amount of time spent with there child they were grateful to have not chose to end their baby's life.  


The parents admit themselves in the article that the baby had touched their lives.  This gives value to the unborn everywhere.  While our culture tells us that the unborn is an option or a blob of tissue we see here that clearly the baby has a power to do good even before the baby is actually born.  Since then they have had three more beautiful children.

Give Love a Chance - Baby Saved from Abortion

In a previous post I spoke about how this woman who you see smiling left the abortion mill thinking she would keep her baby, but it was only after she spoke to us that she was truly excited to keep her baby.

Her situation is quite difficult - although her boyfriend is a hard worker and wanted her to keep the baby from the beginning she was unsure and feeling quite negative. She currently lives in a shelter with her one year old son and was not planning on another child - to say the least.

She is a churchgoing woman and so she always had moral reservations about abortion, but as we spoke she realized that her morals were in fact more important than any sort of plan that she may have had, and that even though plans must be adjusted, life does not end.

While she was getting our ultrasound on our mini-bus she became overjoyed. She took pictures of the 16 week   baby and immediately sent them to her boyfriend. Her boyfriend, who I had the chance to talk to on the phone, was also excited. We probably spoke for about 45 minutes, exchanged contacts, and promised to keep in touch.

The most memorable moment for me however was when, without any sort of prying she told me that she was, "Gonna give love a chance," which was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard from a woman in such a situation.

Many times people will ask me what sort of things I say to the (abortion minded) women - well once you've become acquainted with a few life-choosers, they'll often provide you with the perfect thing to say to others.

Support On Demand

I had a client in Manhattan this week who is in her second trimester and wants an abortion. She has never had one before and knew very little about the process.


She already has 3 children and loves each one of them in a special way.


She sat in my office for an hour just pouring out all her problems. She obviously had no one in her life to just simply listen to her. She had to leave right after the talking because she had to go to work.



She is a hard working mother of 3 who has no help from her family.

She left not wanting the abortion. However, the lack of support from the father and her family is bringing her to the decision of aborting her 15 week child. 

Please pray for this case. I will follow up with her in a few days .

Abortion Clinic Loses Client to Pro-Lifers

A very special type of save happened recently at Dr. Emily when I noticed a girl leaving the clinic. Luckily it was at a time of day when I realized she probably did not have an abortion.

She did, however, have an appointment for one. By the time she came out however, she was pretty sure she did not want one.

This is why any sort of pro-life presence and outreach (where women are reasonably approached) is so important at the abortion mills - I didn't necessarily have to convince her to keep her baby in this case, I just had to confirm her in her decision to keep.

I think that it is often assumed by pro-lifers and pro-choicers that every single woman walking into a clinic is completely decided on what they are going to do - this is not true. Many women will leave on there own (likely with the help of other peoples' prayers), but then what do they do?

So instead of leaving alone and still uncertain, the fact I was able to talk to her, offer her an ultrasound (she was 16 weeks!), and commit to continuing support, allowed her to leave very happy and positive. I believe anyone can do what I did as long as they have a little knowledge about their local pro-life crises pregnancy center.

Of course there is some developed craft in learning how to approach women and talk to them, but people need to realize that many want to be talked to - especially in places like New York City where abortion is so easy to obtain that many do not thoroughly consider all of the options before making a decision.

I will write more about our specific conversation and how truly heroic this young woman is in a later post, I just wanted for this post to make clear that sidewalk counseling isn't necessarily as adversarial as some think, and to encourage others to think about making to the abortion clinic in a peaceful and prayerful presence.

Forty days for life is coming up - why not come us and help us out at Dr. Emily?

Just One Pill

 
    The RU-486, more commonly known as the "Abortion Pill", consists of  two pills. The first pill which is the one that kills the baby, works by blocking the hormone progesterone in the females body which in turn stop the baby from getting its nutrients. The second pill expels the baby and lining out of the body.

   The building our Brooklyn center is in actually has two abortion facilities also located there, including a planned parenthood. This however brings us many woman who may have been planning on an abortion but by divine intervention brings them to us instead.

   Today the director of the center caught a woman in the elevator leaving planned parenthood. She convinced her to come up and talk to us and we gave her an ultrasound. After seeing the ultrasound and talking awhile we could tell she started to soften and become emotional. She had already taken the first pill, the pill that kills the baby. She said to our director "If i had only met you an hour earlier". This decision was made to fix her temporary situation and now her life is forever changed. All it took was ONE PILL, one action that she can never undo. 

If All She Wants Is More Space ?

I had a client come in Manhattan this week who is in her second trimester.

She has 2 kids and works a full time job.

The father, also her boyfriend, is there. He is very supportive.

She said that she wants an abortion because there is no space for her, the new baby, and her other 2 kids.


She feels overwhelmed waking up in the morning with one child in her bed while the other one sleeps in a corner of the room. All of her belongings are in a pile that takes up a big portion of the room.

She cried when I answered her question of what the baby might look like based on how many weeks she is. I showed her the baby model. At one point she said she couldn't go through with it.

Her and her boyfriend actually came back, without making an appointment, to our office and told me she still wanted the abortion. She finally agreed to go get a sonogram done in Queens. Please pray for this case.

If all she wants is more space? 

Live On The Radio: Pro Life Youth

This past weekend, a few pro life friends and myself were asked to make an appearance on a radio station in Queens.

Father Peter Pilsner hosts the radio show at certain times on the weekends. He asked us to share some thoughts we had about the youth in this country on the issue of being pro life.

We all took turns in saying what we thought and discussed the work we  were doing.


All of us work in each borough, whether it's Queens,Brooklyn, the Bronx, or Manhattan.

One of the questions was "why do you think so many young people are pro life right now?" My response to that was the influence adults,teachers,and youth leaders have on these young people. Young people can see right through things. They know when there is an injustice.

So when positive role models step into their lives, it's huge. They recognize right away that it's wrong to terminate a life just because the mother and or father don't want the baby. They recognize right away that they can have something to do to stop it. And they do. But initially , it all starts with the influence of superiors. 

Two friends sticking together

        About two days ago we received 2 clients; one was 14 and the other was 15. They both came in to our Brooklyn office looking for another alternative aside from abortion. The Brooklyn director asked me to talk to both of them while she took cared of another client. Both of them seemed sad and confused, both Freshmen's in high school. One of them had previously been pregnant but had been forced by her mom to have an abortion; and after going through that the first time she didn't want to do it again.
         I asked them what their dreams were and what they liked to do, both of them were dreaming big but coming from the life they had, their dreams to them seemed impossible. They both just wanted to feel loved and wanted some inspiration and as our Director is used to doing and is great at, she became that friend that they both needed. Both of them had each other and still felt alone and confused.
        Talking to them I noticed that as we all do, they also wanted to feel loved but unfortunately were looking in the wrong places; I made sure they left that day knowing how amazing they are and how one day they will be professionals changing the world. They both cried because they felt their lives were over but as I told them, the sun always rises; that is God's way of letting us know that we get the blessing of getting a fresh beginning!!!

UN RAYO DE LUZ DENTRO DE TODA LA OSCURIDAD

Esta es mi primera semana aquí en Nueva York, absolutamente todo es nuevo para mi, recién estoy teniendo mis primeras experiencias.


Hoy ha sido un día muy especial, podría decir el más esperanzador de toda la semana, como todos los días a las 9:00 de la mañana he llegado al centro de Queens y las mujeres han empezado a llegar, cada una con su historia, alguna realmente estremecedora, se me encoje el alma al escucharles como ven en un embarazo el mayor problema del mundo hasta el punto de ver como única “solución” el aborto, todas quieren saber si están embarazadas y cuando descubren que así es, se les cae el mundo encima.

Pero hoy no todos los casos han sido así, NO HOY NO, hoy ha habido un rayo de luz en el centro de Queens, por primera vez en la semana he visto como una futura mamá lloraba de emoción al ver que el test salía positivo!

Que sensación, que felicidad!!!

Solo puedo decir que esa mujer ha llenado de luz Queens, muchas gracias.

Cruzando el charco para una bonita misión!

Hola a todo el mundo!!!


Soy Make, tengo 28 años y vengo de el norte de España, más concretamente de Bilbao, hasta Nueva York con el fin de poder colaborar en está misión tan importante  que realiza EMC (Expectant Mother Care), dejándose la piel cada día por todas esas mamás que acuden a pedir ayuda a los diferentes centros que hay por toda la ciudad.


Lo primero de todo quería agradecer a las personas que forman parte de esta institución todo lo que hacen y, por supuesto, el darme la oportunidad de ser una más dentro de EMC.

En segundo lugar quería deciros a todos que vengo con mucha ilusión y que voy a poner toda la carne en el asador cada día, quiero aprender, conocer y ayudar!

Not everyone is doing it!!!!!!!!!

        While in our Queens office we've gotten clients who believe they are pregnant but whose pregnancy test come out negative; Aside from their relief and our happiness for them we use that chance to have a heart to heart conversation about abstinence.
         To my shock, all of our clients that I talk to tell me that they have sexual relationship outside of marriage because that is what's "normal" and because "everyone is doing it". These are teenagers who have not been told otherwise!. I talk to them about what abstinence is and how sex at a young age will change your their life!

         Most of our clients have never or rarely been told how amazing they are and how God created each and everyone of us for a purpose. They tell me that all they want is to be loved and to feel accepted! I inform them of how only they can decide what will happen in their life, who they will be and what they choose to do or not do! and tell them that what they can do is the skies the limit! And of course, how not everyone is doing it and that make them realize that they rather be one in a million than one of the million!

I Want To Be A Part Of It!

   My name is Noelle Arvanitis, I'm 25 and originally from Winston-Salem, NC. However I have lived the past year of my life in Ocala, FL. This is my very first time in NY! I cannot describe how awesome it feels to be a part of the hustle and bustle of New York. So what brought a southern girl like me all the way to the big city you ask? When I was 17 I faced an unplanned, crisis pregnancy. I felt so alone and so scared, wondering what my community would think, how would I finish high school, and most importantly HOW COULD I BE A MOTHER?! I felt anger towards God for letting this happen to me, of ALL people WHY me? Little did I know how He would turn this potentially destructive situation into a completely constructive life lesson and blessing. 

   I made an adoption plan and on November 26th 2003 my daughter, Olivia Noelle was born. That little girl, who is now 8 years old, has blessed so many lives. She is the reason I'm here, the reason God has given me to have such a passion and heart for women. For the women who are scared beyond belief but BRAVE enough to carry their baby for 9 months just so their child can have an entire lifetime.

'Bella' Movie Saves Over 400 Babies From Abortion!

"“What the movie does is touch the women where we can’t,” said Tracy Reynolds, program director of Bella HERO in an interview today with LifeSiteNews. “It really shows her what her opportunity would be either to be a ‘mom’ or to ‘choose adoption’ and give that child a home.”

Reynolds compared the film to a “mega ultrasound” which allows a troubled pregnant mother to really see the possibilities in choosing life."

Click HERE to read stories of women who changed their mind on having an abortion because of watching this movie! What a beautiful outreach tool this popular movie gives us. We use this movie occasionally in our offices as well. Even the workers often enjoy watching it. I'm sure you've already seen it, but on the off chance you haven't, it's a must for sure.

http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/445-babies-saved-from-abortion-by-free-bella-movie-popcorn

NYC Churches Unite to Protest Discrimination

Thursday morning I stood with two other fellow interns and representatives from churches all over NYC in the chilly rain outside Morris High School in the Bronx. We were there in solidarity to protest a local Christian church being kicked out of a space in a public building they had been using for worship. 

Obviously such a move brought together Christians from all over who have either experienced the same discrimination or were worried it could happen to them as well. 

There was a pretty good turnout of people and many were being arrested for crossing the street to protest in front of the school entrance. They were there for hours and there was public prayer, along with praise & worship songs sung. We met a pastor and Greg was interviewed by a Manhattan reporter. Everyone was very positive and in good spirits. It was getting pretty cold with the drizzle but the people were resilient.

Drinking While Pregnant

I had a beautiful married couple come in our Manhattan office. They have a wonderful relationship.

They are newly weds.

As I started the consultation, I found out that she has missed a period and has not yet taken a pregnancy test.

Our services provide free pregnancy tests for the girls.
So I gave her a test. It came out positive. We continued the consultation.

The husband was so in tune to what was going on . He kept asking all different types of questions about the baby, the 2 of them getting jobs, etc.

The biggest concern the 2 of them had was due to the fact that she didn't know she was pregnant, she drank a lot of alcohol during the first 3 weeks. When we were discussing the side effects, she was very upset and began to cry.

They were actually considering getting an abortion because they were afraid their baby was going to have a birth defect. We discussed that neither one of them believes in abortion nor wants to get one. So why would they do one now?

It's a risk you have to be willing to take I told them, but it's a healthy risk. The UNhealthy risk would be going in for an abortion. They have decided to keep the baby. 

Young People Are Hungry For A Fight

I am so excited about going to the March for Life this year !

There is so much passion in each one of these events every year, and it keeps on growing.

The specific thing I am anxious to see this year is the growth of the youth.

Everytime I go, there are so many teenagers and college aged youth actively participating in this cause.


This naturally excites me. Lately I have been inspired to do more outreach within the community in which I live in the Bronx, to encourage young people to stand up for what's right. They are hungry for it. They desire to fight for something greater than themselves.

These young people simply need adults and superiors in their lives leading them in the right direction. They will follow. I will keep this website posted on the March to come this Monday . GO PRO LIFE !

Visiting Friends Save Lives

Over the New Year I was blessed to have some friends visit from back home in Michigan. They were interested in the work we do here and came to see it in action. They wanted to learn about the counseling, pro-life work on the frontlines, and see the sights in NYC. They came eager, energetic, and hopeful. They were open to anything and simply wanted to help out. But this isn't just any good work that we are doing; when we go to work lives get saved. Just as actually as if they had pushed someone out of the way of a stray taxi on the busy streets of NYC, they went to help at our centers and they came away having saved the life of at least one child.
A vacation that changes lives, a trip that yields a whole lot more than good pictures (and there were some pretty good pictures!). It was such a joy to have them here and they have made a difference that will last a lifetime (at least one more than expected, in fact).

Once Again, Defund Planned Parenthood

There has been so much change within the existence of Planned Parenthood,
just within this past year.

There was a pro life group called Live Action that did some undercover work.

A guy and a girl posed as an underage pimp and prostitute at Planned Parenthoods in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York.

It totally blind sided PP. They had no idea these were undercover investigators. Therefore, they showed and did exactly what PP's do around
the country.

They promoted underage sex trafficking and prostitution. They promoted this by volunteering their establishment and property to help the acts take place. Unbelievable.

This caught the eye of the media. It raised attention to where our (the American people) tax dollars are going. Are we really paying places like Planned Parenthood to control, promote, and encourage acts like underage prostitution ?

This raises a really good question. After the zeal and passion at the March for Life gets on fire and underway this year, we will soon see the shift in which this organization is going to go. Personally, we should DEFUND PLANNED PARENTHOOD.

Baby Saved In New Jersey !

We have a center in Jersey City where I go to counsel girls. It's quite a distance coming from N.Y.C 's transit system. But it's well worth the effort, and here's why:

Last month I had a client come in who is pregnant. She was seeking to get an abortion. She brought her 2 sisters in with her for support. She already has children, and now is expecting another.

Her boyfriend is very supportive. He works over 50 hours a week to support her and the children. She has never had an abortion before, but thinks she can't handle the extra stress of finances.

At one point during the consultation I asked her, "what is your heart telling you ?" She responded, "I don't really want to get the abortion, but I think I need to."

Next, I showed her what babies look like when they are at 6 , 7, and 8 weeks developed. It's something she can look up online, but I had the models there in front of me. As soon as I showed her the baby models, tears appeared in her eyes. I saw her opinion and thoughts starting to shift. She left my office that day still undecided.

I followed up with her over Christmas to find that she is going to keep her baby ! She informed us that she needs diapers for her 4 month old so we are bringing her bunches of them next week. 

Lost Motherhood

One of the more noticeable language isms in NYC, at least in the areas we work in, is the term 'Mami' (sp?) used to refer to any young woman. It's kinda like saying "hey you" or "girl" to get someone's attention or when talking to a stranger. It took me a while to get used to because I didn't understand why everyone was calling each other "Mommy". It was especially striking because I was working with so many abortion minded people and coming to understand what a lost sense of motherhood most of these women have who were being called "Mommy" on a regular basis.
Then it kinda struck me. Almost like a desperate cry for help, it felt like all of broken, deprived parents going about the city were expressing their sense of lost motherhood. As if there was a great loss of mothers in their city because of the great loss of children.
Now, I know that's not what anyone is thinking, but it's incredibly ironic that both the tragedy of abortion and the common usage of "mami" and "papi" exist so prominently within the same population.

N.Y.C. Really Is The Abortion Capital Of The Country

My job as a crisis pregnancy counselor is to show up at our centers to counsel women who are pregnant. I have scheduled times when I need to be there.

Another big part of my job is answering the phones. I have all different kinds of calls coming in. The main ones are girls calling for an abortion.

Seeing as how populated N.Y.C. is, you can imagine how busy my phone rings on a day to day basis. However, I actually have girls that call all the way from Connecticut and Pennsylvania who want abortions.

They tell me that they have insurance within their state, but abortion is not very popular there, so it's hard to find a place to get it done.

Whenever they go online to google abortions, all kinds of abortion clinic locations are listed. So not only am I dealing with clientele from this state, but from 2 other states as well ! This really is the abortion capital of the country.