There are times when you need to say yes, especially when it feels inconvenient or may require a sacrifice. To trust and obey sacrificially often yields a joyful reward. This week a joyful reward came our way to encourage us to stay the course.
Last summer, on a holiday weekend in Michigan, I was out to eat with my husband as we celebrated our anniversary. As we enjoyed dinner at a picnic table,we were talking about the things that we were excited about and other things we had fears about in the coming year. I excitedly talked about my role as a hotline nurse with the Abortion Pill Rescue Network. I wondered with him about when Sheboygan might have our first reversal and how that would go.
Riding home from dinner in a convertible, with the wind in our hair, I got a phone call from the APR hotline! The nurse said she was calling to find a provider in Wisconsin that night, someone who could help start the abortion pill reversal procedure that night. She had tried several other providers in the Milwaukee area, and no one was available that holiday weekend. She said that the mama was willing to travel over an hour to come to Sheboygan.
Imagine my excitement when after I had just been talking about being hopeful for a reversal in our area we now had our first one! As we are parked at a gas station, I made the call to our Medical Director to let him know that we had our first client. We were able to call in the progesterone and begin the process of attempting to reverse her abortion.
When this momma reached out to us through the 1-800 number, she had taken the first pill at the abortion clinic, went home, then changed her mind. Without much support, and knowing she’d have the hard work of raising this baby as a single mom while completing grad school, she started the abortion process. But later that day she made another choice.
The first dose of RU-486, mifepristone, cuts off progesterone, the hormone needed to sustain a pregnancy. At home, a woman takes the next 4 pills, misoprostol, which cause cramping and expulsion of the pregnancy and baby. Abortion pill reversal attempts to counteract the effects of that first pill with a high dose of progesterone. This is up to 68% effective in saving a baby’s life, and over the past 9 years, over 2,000 lives have been saved through this procedure around the world.
In our country, numbers indicated that approximately 40% of abortions are chemical (by the abortion pill, RU-486) In our county, we estimate close to 240 chemical abortions each year. Based on our research, we estimate that on Thursdays and Fridays in our city, about 5 chemical abortions are happening each week. But for the women who regret their choice, we can offer another chance through the abortion pill reversal procedure.
The following day, back at Anchor of Hope, we welcomed the brave momma who drove over an hour for an ultrasound to confirm a live pregnancy. We affirmed her choice and courage while giving her the joy of seeing her baby’s heartbeat. With progesterone in hand, we sent her on her way, still tearful and fearful, but now hopeful and encouraged to continue with the pregnancy.
Joy graced our team again this week as we received four beautiful images of a 9 lb baby girl born three weeks ago. Via text, our brave momma, whose story encouraged us to remain faithful to God’s work through Anchor of Hope, thanked us for our help in saving her daughter’s life. Her faith to step out and trust reaped a joyful reward in January, and my faith to wait and pray for God’s timing- always willing to step out in obedience- filled my heart to overflowing, so grateful to be a part of the process.
