I met Theresa during a very difficult time in her life. She visited the clinic and had her suspicion confirmed: her pregnancy test proved positive. Her face portrayed desperate hopelessness. “This would not be a good start for a baby,” she said. Theresa was homeless. She and her boyfriend were going separate ways. How could she possibly bring a baby into this? We spoke at length about Theresa’s options, discussing the merits and drawbacks of each, and exploring resources and possibilities. She agreed to come back for an ultrasound, and I sent her home with housing referrals and more educational information about abortion and adoption.
Two weeks later, Theresa returned for the ultrasound to see the first glimpse of her seven-week-old baby. Soon after, her parents gave her a place to live in their home. With the support and resources she was receiving, Theresa’s obstacles were beginning to seem less daunting. In the months that followed, I called her often to check in, and she watched several of our educational parenting videos and came into our center to receive a car seat.
After Theresa gave birth to a healthy baby boy two weeks early, she brought him in to introduce him to the clinic staff and pick up a basket of baby clothes, blankets, and diapers. After months of anticipating and preparing for his arrival, we were thrilled to meet him. Theresa had a glow about her that day that I will never forget. She told us what a blessing her little boy was, not only to her, but to her parents as well. We believed from the start that Theresa could be a loving, capable mother, but it was so good to see that she knew it now too.
Theresa and I continue to stay in contact, and she recently sent us this message:
‘You guys rock!! I just want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You’ve always come through for us. For someone who is scared to death about becoming a mom, and worried my whole pregnancy about not being a good enough mom for my son, you guys have come through every time to help me out with the things that I couldn’t provide myself for him. You made it where I can relax and just enjoy being mom. Now I couldn’t imagine my life without him. You guys made that happen. And I just can’t thank you guys enough.’
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