What is it like to be 18 and carrying a secret so formidable that it overwhelms every thought you have, every second of every day?  

Emily* knows. She tried ignoring what she knew was likely true. But it was becoming harder and harder to do as her body began to change. andfinally, Emily broke down and purchased a home pregnancy test. Although it was positive, Emily held out hope the test was wrong and searched online for a clinic to confirm her pregnancy. 

When she came to First Care Clinic, Emily was determined to end the pregnancy by abortion. “It’s simply not the right time. We aren’t ready. We can’t do this,” she stated emphatically.   

Indeed, as we assessed her situation, it became clear that Emily had many risk factors that made her vulnerable to abortion. But our staff wasn’t deterred.  We continued to offer her truthful information about her pregnancy and what an abortion would entail.  

Emily agreed to an ultrasound and was very surprised to see a 21-week, preborn baby—more than half of her pregnancy was already completed Her baby was just under a pound, about the size of a banana. Babies at this stage begin to kick, move and dance around their private playground in the womb. 

 As Emily saw those images, she began to cry. In fact, she had to turn away from the reality of her baby.  We asked Emily if she’d like to take a picture with her and she agreed.  But Emily still told us she and her boyfriend were in no position to have a baby and had no one to turn to, including her mom. “I’m too scared to tell her. I just can’t do it,” Emily stressed  

We offered support and encouragement and reminded her that news like this could take some getting used to. We suggested she think carefully and come back in a week to follow up.   

When we reached out to Emily a few days later, she shared some exciting news. She’d found the courage to tell her mom, showing the ultrasound images we’d given her. Her mother was ready to support her and even looking for a doctor to help Emily through her pregnancy.  

The abortion industry spends countless dollars advertising to women like Emily, urging them to skip clinics like ours and come straight to them. But thanks to you, Emily found our ad, which led her to a clinic that affirmed both her own dignity and that of her unborn child.  And thanks to the ultrasound that you helped make possible, Emily was able to see her precious, preborn child and realize she had the support to turn “I can’t,” into a life-changing “I can.”