Janelle and her boyfriend, Grant, opened the phone book and saw the advertisement for LifeChoices, right next to the ad of the doctor that had performed an abortion on her in Kansas City weeks earlier. As she called the PRC, she cried out, “I had an abortion seven weeks ago, but I’m either still pregnant with that baby or pregnant with another. Will you help me!?!” In a land where most medical professionals will not follow the work of the unregulated abortionists, she found a medical staff that made her their priority.

As they met with the nurse at LifeChoices, Janelle explained that a couple of months earlier she had discovered that she was pregnant. Not sure what they should do, they looked in the Yellow Pages and located an abortionist. They were not firm on the choice of abortion, but once there, they were rushed through the clinic procedures and in the midst of pressure and confusion, Janelle consented to a drug-induced abortion.

The two injections of an abortion-inducing drug had been unpleasant, but the rude treatment by the staff had been worse. As directed, one week later she inserted the suppository given to her by the clinic, which caused contractions to begin. Janelle started bleeding heavily and passed a lot of “tissue.” It was a horrible experience, she said. The reality of what she had done set in -- she had ended a life -- and depression set in.

Now, they were faced with undeniable symptoms of pregnancy. This time they couldn’t bear the thought of going through the abortion process no matter what their challenges would be.

As the nurse scanned Janelle’s belly, disbelief, mingled with hope, filled the room -- there before their eyes on the ultrasound monitor was the moving image of their baby! There were little hiccups…a beating heart… two arms and legs… a second trimester baby!

“How can this be?” asked Grant, looking in amazement at the ultrasound screen. Tears flowed from Janelle’s eyes as she lay on the exam table in the ultrasound room, watching the baby she thought she had aborted. A miracle baby. A second chance baby. A baby with a fight for life. A child of God.

LifeChoices Medical Clinic and Resource Center
Joplin, MO
Karolyn Schrage, Nurse Manager
http://www.lifechoices4states.org/

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.