Having the ability to affect lives via Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) is not a small thing and can occur in a number of ways, including the simple act of educating others on the life-saving protocol.
One young woman who serves on Heartbeat International’s Medical Impact team is confident that the Lord has had a hand in guiding her to where she would be sharing with others the hope that comes with the chance of reversing a chemical abortion.
Julia helped to staff the Abortion Pill Rescue Network (APRN) exhibit for Heartbeat International earlier this year at the Students for Life of America (SFLA) National Pro-Life Summit, her first time doing so, and aside from being honored to represent the important work of APR she said the experience was amazing.
“I knew there were going to be many people attending this event,” Julia said, “but experiencing it was something else entirely.”
Heartbeat International is the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in both the U.S. and the world and manages the APRN, a network of more than 1,400 healthcare professionals, pregnancy centers, and hospitals that administer APR treatment.
Abortion Pill Reversal consists of prescribing bioidentical progesterone to counter the abortion drug mifepristone. Progesterone is the natural hormone in a pregnant woman’s system necessary to sustain pregnancy. As the first of two abortion drugs in a chemical abortion, mifepristone blocks progesterone, starving the unborn baby of essential nutrients. A second abortion drug, misoprostol, later causes the mother to go into labor and deliver her deceased child.
If a woman acts quickly enough after taking mifepristone it may be possible to save her unborn child through APR. To date, statistics say that more than 5,000 lives and counting have been saved thanks to the APRN.
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Heartbeat International and the APRN exhibit at many events each year, including the SFLA Pro-Life Summit, which takes place the day following the national March for Life and has upwards of 1,800 young people and pro-life life advocates of all ages in attendance.
There was a pretty steady flow of people coming up to the APRN table, which Julia said was “really wonderful to see,” but she remarked in particular on the interest expressed by young people.
“I did not expect so many young people to approach the exhibit, all of whom were so genuine in their interest in learning about saving the lives of babies and giving their mothers hope through APR,” she said.
“Seeing this passion in the next generation was one of the most impactful takeaways for me from this experience,” Julia said.
Much of the interactions at the exhibit involved educating about the basic tenants of APR, she recalled.
“And it was such a privilege to be able to share about this hope that exists with so many life-affirming people who will now spread the word in their unique circles of influence as well,” Julia said.
Julia was struck by interactions she had with some of the young men who came up to the APRN exhibit and asked how they can help in this work.
“Their willingness to share about APR, not just with women who may turn to it for help, but with other men, opens a whole other mission field,” Julia said.
“Men have unique access to be able to share about the hope of APR with other men,” she said, “to help equip them with the knowledge to fulfill their God-given roles of protecting – protecting their wives, their girlfriends, their sisters and cousins, their mothers and daughters, their children – those most dear to them and those most vulnerable.”
Julia began in her role with the Medical Impact team at Heartbeat and the APRN in May 2023, supporting APRN providers, checking in with APR clients during their pregnancies, managing APR data, facilitating planning for events and exhibits, and more.
She had been a licensed graduate professional counselor for a Christian counseling company, having received an M.A. in Applied Clinical Psychology. Julia then began her journey toward pregnancy help after she started hearing more about the movement in 2021 at her church and began volunteering as a patient advocate at a local Christ-centered pregnancy help medical clinic. It was there that she first heard about Heartbeat and APR, working alongside one of the APR hotline nurses who also volunteered at the pregnancy clinic at that time. A move with her husband back to Ohio in late 2022 led to Julia becoming involved with another Christ-centered local pregnancy resource center (at which she still volunteers as a client mentor) and the start of her tenure at Heartbeat International. She believes there are no accidents in all of this.
“It has been truly incredible seeing God’s hand leading me in His work over the years through training and equipping me in my professional studies, research, and experience to provide compassionate counsel and ultimate hope to those in some of life’s most difficult circumstances,” said Julia.
She further finds this work incredibly rewarding.
“There have been a few moments in my life where I have paused and just asked God, “Who am I that You would call me here at this specific time to accomplish Your work?” Julia said.
Stepping into the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington D.C. to share about APR at the SFLA Pro-Life Summit was one of those times.
“Being a part of this work to rescue the smallest, most defenseless people in our world, and to ultimately share the hope not only of life, but of life everlasting, is a privilege I cannot describe,” she said. “The work we do transcends this short life, and that is what gives it true meaning and purpose.”
Tweet This: Being a part of this work to rescue the smallest, most defenseless people in our world is a privilege I cannot describe.
A lot has happened since Julia had her inaugural experience helping others to learn about Abortion Pill Reversal through exhibiting at one of the biggest pro-life events in the U.S. earlier this year.
The battle continues to see that women are not placed in harm’s way by lax regulation of chemical abortion pills. Life states continue to work to protect women and children with pro-life measures, while abortion activists persist in pushing to codify abortion in state law. Pro-abortion public officials have been active at the state level endeavoring to suppress pregnancy help. Heartbeat along with other pregnancy help organizations are the subjects of two ongoing lawsuits brought by abortion-supportive state attorneys general seeking to quash mention of the APR protocol.
Nonetheless, the entire Heartbeat-APRN team remains steadfast in service to women and children and the hope that APR offers. It’s that hope on which Julia is centered.
“The most important thing people need to know is that there is hope!” she exclaimed. “There is hope to save your baby after taking mifepristone and you will be cared for by compassionate individuals operating in excellence along every step of the way.”
“I am constantly blown away by the selflessness and humility of each and every woman who calls the APR hotline,” said Julia.
“It takes such courage to start that conversation, and your faith does not go unnoticed,” she said. “God sees you, precious one, never forget how treasured you are.”
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News.
