Shelley already had an abortion scheduled for the next week, but the abortion clinic was going to charge her an additional $100 for an ultrasound to determine how far along she was. She thought she was between 11 and 12 weeks into her pregnancy, and the ultrasound was necessary to determine what type of abortion procedure she would have. So the young college student came to Parkridge Center in Lubbock, Texas to save some money.

After going through the intake process with a counselor, Shelley went back to see the nurse-sonographer, not knowing that the entire staff of the pregnancy center was praying specifically that God would use the powerful tool of ultrasound to touch her heart.

In the ultrasound room, Shelley's eyes remained tightly closed as the nurse proceeded with the scan to obtain measurements. To everyone's surprise, her baby was measuring approximately 18 weeks! When the nurse asked Shelley if she was seeing the baby move on the screen, she opened her eyes, and saw her baby "waving" at her. At that moment, she burst into tears.

After additional counseling and education from the RN and a referral for additional counseling to consider her options, Shelley left Parkridge with prenatal vitamins and pregnancy documentation for Medicaid. The staff and volunteers had only one thing to say: PRAISE THE LORD!

Part of the vision of Parkridge Pregnancy is to "illuminate the value of life through ultrasound technology," and God answered their humble prayers to open Shelley's eyes to the beauty and promise of a little life within her. In years to come, as her child waves to her with pudgy baby hands, or when getting on the school bus, or at high school graduation, perhaps she will remember that first little wave that melted her heart and changed her life. Isn't it wonderfully amazing when God allows us to be a part of His powerful works?

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.