The young man on the phone asked if he could get the "abortion pill" for his girlfriend. We asked if he was sure she was pregnant. He indicated they had purchased a home test and it was positive. The counselor advised him that home tests can be unreliable and that if he would bring her in, we could provide a lab-quality test and a medical consultation with a nurse – and that even though we do not provide the pill he was looking for, we did have information about what it is and how it works. After being reassured that all of our services are offered free of charge, he agreed to bring her in.

She was young – not even old enough to drive yet. She was scared, and he was obviously the one in control. He came to the window; she hung back. When the counselor opened the door to the reception room to invite her to come in, he stood to come with her. He wasn’t happy to be told that we needed to see her alone. The counselor assured him that after we did the intake interview, his girlfriend could invite him to join her if she wanted to. According to the date that the client provided, the counselor estimated that the client was probably about eight weeks pregnant.

Fear was like a live animal, lurking in the corner of the room. She was afraid to tell the counselor the truth. She was afraid to let her family know that she was pregnant. She was afraid of being pregnant, and she was afraid of having an abortion. Most of all, she was afraid that this boyfriend would leave her if she did not do as he asked. She did not want to hear anything of a spiritual nature. She just wanted to "get it over with."

The pregnancy test was positive. As our nurse shared information with this young woman, she told her that the only way to confirm a viable intrauterine pregnancy was by doing an ultrasound. She added that the ultrasound would determine gestational age, and that gestational age would determine which type of abortion procedure would be used if she chose to terminate the pregnancy. She agreed to have the ultrasound, but begged the nurse not to tell the boyfriend what was going on.

Meanwhile, he was wearing a path in the carpet, pacing the length of the waiting room. Every ten minutes, he came to the window and asked how much longer it was going to be.

The ultrasound monitor revealed an extremely active, well-developed baby at 13 weeks gestation. The young mother-to-be (or not-to-be, according to what she decided) was speechless. After several moments, she simply said, "Get him."

He walked into the room and saw the monitor immediately. His first reaction was, "Wow!" Then he turned to the girl, touched her arm, and softly asked, "Are you okay?" The nurse who was in the room with them, and who relayed this story to me, said it was the most amazing display of God's faithfulness that she has ever seen. When confronted with the truth on the screen, he immediately began to fulfill his God-given role as a protector and provider. He wanted to make sure she was all right. The nurse told him he could go back to the waiting room; that his girlfriend would be out shortly. He said, "No. I want to stay here and watch my baby."

In the counseling session that followed the ultrasound, they both opened up and talked about their hopes and dreams. He shared that just that morning, his grandmother had sensed that something was wrong. When he told her about the unplanned pregnancy, she handed him a Bible and told him to sit down and read it, because all of life's answers were there. He had been raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but had walked away from the teachings of his childhood. Now he saw his phone call to us as divine intervention in his life.

Fear had been cast out as truth was revealed. They don't have all the answers yet, but they left the center with pictures of their baby, and a firm resolve to choose life. We will continue to minister to them in the months ahead, as God gives us the opportunity. For now, this baby is safe because God turned the heart of this father toward his child. What a mighty and faithful God we serve!

Thank you for partnering with us to make this kind of ministry possible. The combination of the sound Biblical principles on which we were founded and the use of the medical technology God has given us have created a powerful platform from which to proclaim life.

We are seeing more and more clients come into our centers who are at-risk for choosing abortion. We are seeing more and more of them choose life because we are able to tell them truth and show them truth.

Hope Women's Center
Pompano Beach, FL
Nancy McDonald, ED

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.