Sixteen year old Courtney* arrived at our clinic around 6:00 PM with her mother and a young man who said he was Courtney's "good friend." They were all dressed up and said they needed the appointment to be over by a little before seven because they were on their way to church. Courtney was a leader in her high school group.

Courtney sat nervously in the consultation room as her advocate, Vicki, asked her the questions on our intake form. When asked how she felt about possibly being pregnant, she replied in a soft voice, "Scared." When Vicki asked her if she had considered what she would do if she was pregnant, Courtney said she wasn't sure. "I can't have a baby. What would people think about me? Kids in my church look up to me. I don't like abortion, but I don't see what else I can do!"

Asking more questions, Vicki discovered that Courtney had not had a period for over four months. It seemed she had been in denial and still was. She was a tall girl and no pregnancy was evident, but the date of her last menstrual period showed she could be up to 4 or 5 months pregnant.

While speaking to the nurse, Courtney was again adamant that if she was pregnant, abortion was definitely a strong option. She stated that her sexual relationship had been a one time thing for both she and her boyfriend (who turned out to be the "good friend" in the waiting room). She was still trying desperately to believe that she was not pregnant, but the results of the test soon told the truth. It was positive.

Courtney looked very afraid as she went into the ultrasound room. As soon as the image appeared on the screen, everyone in the room knew that the pregnancy was quite advanced. A fully-formed, large baby appeared with arms and legs moving and the spinal cord clearly visible. Courtney looked like she was in shock!

Her mother and boyfriend came in to join her. Both of them were stunned as well. Courtney's mother had not been aware until recently that a pregnancy was even a possibility. And here, her daughter was not only pregnant, but the baby was over 20 weeks old — half way through pregnancy! The room was very quiet, but the truth on the screen was undeniable.

Vicki, the advocate, brought over a fetal model of a twenty-week baby. Eyes widened in amazement again at the size and weight of a baby that age. All Courtney could do was shake her head and cry. Her mother and her boyfriend did not say much. When the ultrasound was completed, they went back out to the waiting room.

It was evident that Courtney had been deeply impacted by what she had seen on the ultrasound. She sat in stunned silence, but was still kind of defiant. "I've got to go. I need to get to church." When asked what she intended to do, she said, "I don't know. I need to think." Vicki set a repeat appointment for her in two weeks and showed her to the door. "I'll be praying, Courtney, that God will show you what to do."

Two days later, our follow-up coordinator called Courtney's home to see how she was doing. Her mother answered and informed us that from that point on all contact with Courtney was to go through her. Christina immediately agreed to those terms, and then asked how Courtney was doing. Her mother softened, and told us that they had all been greatly impacted by the image of the baby. "She's still confused and upset, but I'm pretty sure she'll keep it." Courtney had been deeply impacted by seeing her child. Everything else was taking second place to the reality of the life inside her.

By the time Courtney, her boyfriend and her mother returned for their follow-up appointment, they were asking questions about insurance and doctors to see. There were more smiles and laughter at the antics of the baby. The focus of this appointment became keeping mother and baby both healthy and strong for the duration of the pregnancy.

On November 17, 2008, Courtney gave birth to a healthy baby boy, and as you can see in the picture, he is a beautiful baby with soft curly hair. His beaming Mom and Grandma brought him to visit us recently. Grandma took me aside and said, "Thanks so much for all you did for Courtney. You were there when she needed you, and kept her from aborting that baby. We all thank you!" Courtney didn't say much, but she couldn't keep her eyes off her beautiful son.

Courtney visited AAA Center for Pregnancy Counseling.

* Courtney is not her real name.

Faces of Option Ultrasound Index

All Pregnancy Medical Clinics in the Option Ultrasound Program provide limited obstetrical ultrasound as medically indicated.  Clinics are licensed to operate under the supervision of a physician, using only trained sonographers. Focus on the Family does not endorse the use of ultrasound outside of a medical clinic setting and does not endorse the use of ultrasound for non-medical reasons.  Patient referrals are made to physicians for follow-up diagnosis and care as needed.