Marita* wasn’t feeling well. She wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but she knew she needed to see her family doctor. The diagnosis: “You’re pregnant.”

Marita was dazed. Nothing more was said. She left feeling eerily alone and confused. Pregnancy hadn’t been in her plans. A career-minded, single professional, Marita didn’t have any desire to start a family at this time in her life.

She turned to Google for help. “I wanted to talk to someone who would be professional and unbiased. First Care Clinic came up and had good ratings. Plus, I could text for an appointment, which made it very convenient.”

Marita scheduled a same-day appointment and discovered the clinic was comfortable, clean and professional. The nurses at Care Net’s First Care Clinic provided a safe place to explore her options, using a research-based guide designed for making health-related decisions. Marita’s choices were clearly spelled out: continue the pregnancy and parent, end the pregnancy via abortion, or continue the pregnancy and make an adoption plan.

“Talking through the pros and cons helped me to weigh all my options. The nurse was comforting and informative, and I began to think, Maybe I can do this.”

But, when Marita left our clinic, she was still undecided about her next step. Was she ready to be a mom? Was her boyfriend ready to be a dad?

Weighing heavily on her heart was how her family, church, and friends would react. Marita and her boyfriend were attending church regularly. She knew her church taught against sex outside of marriage. Would they be able to forgive her? Could they find a way to rejoice and celebrate a new life? Or would a baby cause too much shame and embarrassment?

When Marita met later to talk with her boyfriend about their decision, she brought the gift bag she’d gotten from our clinic. Inside was a bib made with John Deere fabric.

“We were speechless and surprised. My grandfather had recently passed, and he loved John Deere! To me, it was a sign. Everything was going to be ok.”

Marita’s partner, Joey*, was glad to learn that Care Net also had a fatherhood program. He made an appointment to talk through his thoughts and feelings with our fatherhood coordinator. Joey appreciated the support and left, saying, “Yes, we can do this.”

Marita and Joey did find love, acceptance, and forgiveness from their church, friends, and family and they’re now engaged to be married!

Marita recently told us, “It’s as if all the roadblocks have been removed. I’m so thankful for the support I received during the scariest moments of my life.”

*names changed for privacy