Celeste and her partner entered our clinic on a chilly December morning in 2023, unsure of what the next few hours would hold. She had thought that maybe she was pregnant but was in disbelief. She needed someone who would confirm her pregnancy and walk her through her next steps.
Just a couple days before, she had told her friend that she thought she might be pregnant. Her friend immediately told her about Ava Health, “I went to this place when I was pregnant, and it was great!” her friend raved. Celeste, trusting her friend, made an appointment. Less than a week later, Celeste found herself walking through the doors of our Gresham clinic.
The first step in Celeste’s appointment was taking a pregnancy test. Sure enough, the test was, indeed, positive. She told the advocate she was shocked, since she struggled with infertility for many years. As Celeste and the nurse moved into the ultrasound portion of her appointment, the nurse told her that she was not only pregnant, but she was pregnant with twins! Ensuring that Celeste knew we were here for her, we scheduled Celeste to come back after this initial appointment for additional ultrasounds.
The first pregnancy centers were started as a redemptive response to the reality of abortion that even goes beyond the “political activism that followed the Roe decision.”
These ministries are made up of people who put themselves in the lives of those facing pregnancies that are unwanted, unsupported, or are otherwise challenged.
The heart of the pregnancy center movement has always been to reach women actively considering abortion. It is born out the conviction that every person conceived is created in the Image of God, and worthy of love and protection. And it is born of a love for the woman who is experiencing an unwanted or unsupported pregnancy.

On June 27th, 2024, Celeste gave birth to Lizeth and Jimena, who, after 16 days in the NICU, were able to come home as healthy, happy babies.
Now that it’s been a couple months since giving birth to her beautiful twin girls, I asked Celeste about her time with us. She told me, “I love this place, it’s been great. [The ultrasound service was] very helpful.” She told me about the joys as well as the hard times of parenting- “The best part is when they smile. It makes all those sleepless nights worth it.”
“Why would you recommend Ava Health to other women in the community?” I asked. She told me that she loved that the services were free, and not only that, but we were able to see her in our clinic quickly. She said that our staff is so kind and nice, and it’s always a great experience.
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