Over the next few months, Biking for Babies will highlight our pregnancy resource center partners. If you are in close proximity to a center, we invite you to volunteer your time or gifts, to join them on the front line of the pro-life movement, to save lives. If you know someone who could benefit from the resources and support of this center, forward this blog post to them. God bless!
The Care Center, formerly Rhea of Hope, is “a nonprofit pregnancy help medical clinic providing pregnancy testing and limited obstetrical ultrasounds at no cost to [their] clients.” Comprised of a medical director and RNs, The Care Center’s medical team walks along women’s journey and reminds them of their value and dignity. Director Lisanne shared the following client story; your generosity makes stories like this possible!
When Jessa walked into The Care Center, she was scared. She was addicted to drugs, and her life was a self-described mess. She was already a single mom to a high school student, and when her home pregnancy test said “positive,” the weight became almost unbearable. Seeking information on abortion, Jessa and her daughter, Josie, arrived at The Care Center in 2015. Our Client Services Director immediately spoke with our Nurse Manager, Geri, and the two decided to take Jessa back for a pregnancy test and limited ultrasound scan.
During the pregnancy test, Jessa revealed that she did not have a support system, and this pregnancy was truly unexpected and even unwanted. Her age already put her in the “high risk” category, and she wasn’t sure she could start over with a baby at her age. She was obviously scared and overwhelmed, and our staff met her where she was at. Jessa went back for her ultrasound, and her daughter joined her in the small, intimate room. In the quiet, low light, while our Nurse Manager performed the abdominal scan and our Client Services Director kept the mood light, the screen on the wall not only revealed that Jessa was further along than she thought, but she was carrying two babies.
“You can’t do this, Mom,” Josie said. “One baby is hard enough, and you are carrying two.” Jessa left here that day with tear filled eyes and a picture of her babies. And our staff began to intercede not only for those precious babies, but also for Jessa. When we followed up with Jessa a few weeks later, she had not yet made a decision regarding her pregnancy. While we felt encourage that she had not ended her pregnancy, we still knew her delicate situation and lack of support system. The words of her daughter echoed in our minds. “You can’t do this, Mom. One baby is hard enough, and you are carrying two.”
A few weeks later, Jessa walked back into The Care Center, still very pregnant, but with a smile on her face. “I’m working on my adoption plan,” Jessa shared. She chose to give these babies life and sought what she believed to be the best option for her and her daughters. That’s right. She had been receiving routine prenatal care and had just learned she was carrying two girls. She had been clean since that first appointment she had with us, and she told us she truly wanted the best for her children. Jessa allowed us to pray with her that day, something that she had not allowed us to do before. We saw God softening her heart, and continued to pray that she would find the support she needed in this unsure time.
Jessa once again dropped off our radar for a few weeks, but we never stopped praying for her or her children. We know with those who are abortion vulnerable, a pregnancy can go from unwanted to wanted and back to unwanted in the blink of an eye. We knew she was on a precarious journey, and we wanted to make sure she knew she was loved and valued by us, just as her unborn children were.
Near the end of her pregnancy, Jessa and Josie found their way back to The Care Center. In the most casual way possible, Jessa shared with our staff that not only was she near the end of her pregnancy, she had decided that she would parent her babies. She decided with the support of The Care Center, Josie, and the rest of her family, the best thing for her daughters were to be raised by their mother. She beamed with joy and pride as she shared with us the names of her girls and showed us the most recent ultrasound images. Vivian and Violet were set to be born in just a few weeks. She told us she could never have carried the pregnancy or decided to parent the babies without the love and guidance she found at The Care Center. She cried with us, prayed with us, and allowed us to hug her neck. Her daughter even gave us a hug.
Just a couple weeks later, Jessa informed us the babies’ birth was just around the corner. We put together two layettes for Jessa, so Vivian and Violet both would have their own special hand-quilted blankets, hand-knitted hats and baskets full of other essentials for newborns. We supplied Jessa with a diaper bag and told her she better bring those babies by so we could love on them the way she allowed us to love on her.
Six weeks later, Jessa, Josie, Vivian and Violet found their way back into our lobby. The beautiful family was all smiles, and Jessa was succeeding. She let us cuddle the babies, and hugged our necks. “Thank you, thank you, thank you for loving us,” Jessa said. “I will never be the same.”
The Care Center: offering support when you both need it the most. The Care Center is located in Dayton, TN and Spring City, TN.
Request an appointment by visiting this link: https://www.thecarecentertn.org/contact
