I always thought abortion was one of those cut-and-dry topics. You were either for it or against it.
I was against it until I was sitting in my living room on a Friday afternoon, researching options for the unplanned pregnancy situation I had found myself facing. After a motor vehicle accident in 2012 that left me paralyzed from the lower ribs down, I was told I probably couldn't have any more children.
Being a single mom of a spunky toddler already and in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, another baby seemed like the scariest thing in the world. I knew the facts about abortion and I knew the effect it can have on women's lives, but I was looking for something that told me it was okay.
I had just started working at the pregnancy center in my town as work-study through the college I attended. Imagine being a single mom already and working at a place that teaches abstinence—and there I was single and pregnant.
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I had been there only a few months when I had to tell them I was pregnant. I thought about not telling them, I thought about hiding my pregnancy, but I knew it wasn't going away.
When I talked to the ladies at the pregnancy center about my pregnancy, they never looked at me like I couldn't do it. They didn't fire me or turn their backs and walk away from me. They stayed true to their mission, to love every girl who comes through their doors with the kind of love that only Jesus could have given.
They offered encouragement and support. The pregnancy center was a safe place—a place to support me when I was terrified and felt alone.
I loved my baby, but I was scared. I wanted my baby, but I was afraid of how everything was going to work out. Fear is a normal human response to something unknown. When I saw my daughter’s heartbeat on the ultrasound, I didn't know yet she was a girl, or that her name would fit her so perfectly.
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I only knew she was alive inside of me and her life would be something great because she would be so loved.
Fast-forward to now, and I have the most beautiful baby girl who is an absolute blessing to me and all of those around her. I can't imagine my life without her now. She is such a light in my world—just like her sister—and she is here as a reminder that all life matters.
April and her daughter, Allyson, will be joining five other moms and babies who made the courageous choice for life thanks to a pregnancy help center at Heartbeat International's upcoming Babies Go to Congress event Jan. 21, 2016, in Washington, D.C. Click here to read stories from last year's group.
