“Are you 100% sure this is the decision you want to make?”
Tears began to spill from her eyes, and Haley* swiped at them as she stood. “No,” she said, “but I have to go. I can’t miss this appointment.”
Haley walked the short distance across the mobile unit, opened the door, and stepped into the harsh sunlight.
A Not-So-Sure Thing
About half an hour earlier, Haley had pulled into the driveway of the abortion facility in Greensboro. She had an appointment scheduled to receive the abortion pill. One of the GPCC nurses, Jennah, motioned for Haley to roll down her window and asked if she’d like to speak with a nurse about what she could expect in her appointment.
Haley agreed, and after talking for a few minutes on the mobile unit, admitted that she’d done very little research about the procedure waiting for her inside the abortion center. “It’s just not the right time for a baby,” she said.
Jennah shared with Haley about the abortion procedure and the physical, emotional, and relational health risks involved. Haley even agreed to look at some fetal development charts. That’s when she began to get antsy.
As Haley walked away from the mobile unit and toward the waiting abortion escorts, Jennah watched and prayed.
Several minutes later, Haley exited the building and climbed into her car. When she looked up, she locked eyes with Jennah, and smiled.
Hope fluttered in Jennah’s heart. She walked to the end of the driveway and Haley pulled to a stop, window rolled down.
“I couldn’t do it,” Haley said. “I just couldn’t.”
Jennah asked if Haley would like to see an ultrasound image of her baby, and Haley agreed. Haley saw her baby for the first time, and she spent time talking with Jennah about how GPCC could provide practical help moving forward.
And this time, Haley was certain she was making the right decision.
For the One
So many of the women walking into that abortion center walk not from a place of confidence, but from a place of fear. They feel as if abortion is their only option, and so they walk through that door, shoving doubt and uncertainty to the back of their minds, unaware that this decision will follow them the rest of their lives.
The reality is, Haley–and many women like her–would never have called our pregnancy center first to make an appointment. The fear and sense of powerlessness that Haley felt moved her to call the abortion center first, a place that didn’t take the time to ensure that Haley felt confident and fully-informed about her decision.
So many women will never come to us.
And that is why we must continue going to them.
Jennah, our other nurses, and our volunteer sidewalk advocates will be the first to tell you how discouraging it can be to spend hours upon hours outside the abortion center. Many times they are mistreated, berated, or just plain ignored.
But on the days when women do want to talk–on the days when women do change their minds–that’s when we are reminded why we are there.
We do it for the one.
Consider Joining Us
As of now, we are out on the sidewalk 3 days of the week. We would love to be out there every day the abortion center is open; but in order to do that, we must have more volunteers. Would you consider joining us on the last line of defense?
We believe God has answered our prayers by using our presence out on the sidewalk to save lives. If you are interested in learning more about what it looks like to be an advocate, we invite you to attend our next training on Friday, June 21. You can sign up for this training by clicking here.
Join us in offering hope and a better way to women who are seeking abortions. If we come together as a community to offer real options to these moms and dads, we believe we will one day see an end to abortion in Greensboro.
*Client’s name was changed.
Mary Holloman is the Communications Coordinator at GPCC. You can follow more of her work at maryholloman.com.