DAY 39: Ask to see the ultrasound
Two nights ago, I spoke at a banquet for a pregnancy center that has two ultrasound machines and staff members who can offer women free ultrasounds.
When a mother sees that her baby is a human being and not a “blob of tissue” — and when she can hear the heartbeat — it can save lives. In fact, as many as 90% of women who see their baby on an ultrasound choose life!
In other cases, ultrasounds have changed the hearts of abortion workers, some of whom have even witnessed abortions on ultrasound monitors — that’s what happened with former Planned Parenthood clinic director Abby Johnson.
Thanks to generous national programs from Focus on the Family and the Knights of Columbus, along with the training and legal expertise of NIFLA — the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates — more and more ultrasound machines are being placed at pregnancy help centers. As a result, more and more lives are being saved.
Here are some stories where ultrasound made a difference …
—————————————————–
SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN
—————————————————–
A woman visited the pregnancy help center just down the street from the 40 Days for Life vigil – after “a nice man” praying at the abortion center gave her a coupon for a free ultrasound.
She said she had gone into the abortion facility and planned to have an abortion. They did an ultrasound first – and she asked to see the screen. “Is that my baby’s head?” she asked. She was told, “Yes, but it’s just a blob.”
They started the procedure, but it was painful for her and she made them stop. They let her off the table so she could calm down a bit before trying again. But once off the table, she had made up her mind not to go through with it.
A few days later, she showed up at the pregnancy center. She and the ultrasound tech watched as the baby seemed to wave, jump and turn. They listened to the baby’s heartbeat … and tears of joy fell from her eyes. She was so happy to have this precious child safe and secure.
—————————————————–
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA
—————————————————–
A woman had made the long drive from another county for an abortion appointment. She was one of the first to arrive that day, walking past the vigil participants and into the building.
As she was leaving, the volunteers noted that she might have been inside long enough for the abortion. They also noted that she was crying, so one of them asked her, “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I couldn’t do it,” the woman said. “They were doing an ultrasound, so I asked if I could see it. At first they refused, telling me ‘you don’t really want to see it.’ But I insisted ‘yeah, I do want to see it, because if I can see it … maybe I won’t do it.’”
She was right. Once she saw her nine week baby on the ultrasound screen, she knew that she couldn’t go through with the abortion.
—————————————————–
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
—————————————————–
A young woman took one of the leaflets a prayer volunteer offered her. She looked at one of the vigil participants’ signs – “Women deserve better than abortion. Talk to us. We can help” – and asked about the help that was available.
She was pregnant. Her boyfriend had left her. If the people she was living with found out she was pregnant, they would kick her out. She was scared.
The woman eventually said she would visit the pregnancy help center, but she was going ahead with her appointment at the abortion facility.
When she came back out, she told another volunteer that they wouldn’t do the abortion because she had eaten breakfast that morning. They also did an ultrasound – and gave her the picture.
The volunteer said, “You know that this is a baby, don’t you?” and the woman said yes, and assured the volunteer she would call the pregnancy help center. “We are so hopeful that this little baby will be saved,” said the vigil participant.
—————————————————–
WISCONSIN
—————————————————–
David Bereit, our national director, continues to criss-cross the country, visiting 40 Days for Life campaigns. On a recent trip to Wisconsin, he joined more than 100 prayer volunteers in La Crosse, where the 40 Days for Life vigil is being held across the street from a Lutheran hospital that, regrettably, performs abortions.
The next day, he traveled three hours through the pouring rain to central Wisconsin for an event that brought together leaders and volunteers from the Stevens Point, Wausau and Mauston campaigns.
—————————————————–
VIRGINIA
—————————————————–
Next, he visited several campaigns across Virginia. In Charlottesville, dozens of faithful people prayed and sang at a rally which encouraged participants to press on throughout the rest of the campaign.
Then it was on to Roanoke, right below the Blue Ridge Mountains, where a crowd was gathered in peaceful vigil outside the local Planned Parenthood abortion center.
After praying with the attendees and sharing reports of lifesaving victories from around the world, David drove to Lynchburg, where he spoke to a group of Liberty University students about how they are a generation of survivors (one-third of their generation has been aborted) and how they are key to ending the injustice of abortion.
Then David continued on to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to continue sharing the good news about how prayer and fasting, peaceful vigil, and community outreach are saving lives from abortion all around the world … before he headed on to the next city.
For Life,
Shawn Carney
Campaign Director
40 Days for Life
PS: Has there been a single moment in this 40 Days for Life campaign that stands out for you as a sign of God’s presence? Please share your story by leaving a comment below.