Heartbeat International honored the leader of the largest pregnancy help network outside the U.S. with its Legacy Award at its 2026 pregnancy help conference.
Heartbeat is the largest network of pregnancy help organizations in the U.S. and globally. Its annual pregnancy help conference draws pregnancy help personnel from across the world.
The 2026 conference, Heartbeat’s 55th, was held in Cincinnati and had the theme of “Power of Love.”
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The Legacy Award recognizes individuals who have had broad and powerful impact on the pregnancy help movement.
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The recipient of the Legacy Award for 2026 was Marina Casini.
Casini is president of Movimento per la Vita (MPV), the federation of Italian pro-life cultural associations, pregnancy help centers, and maternity homes.
She is a law graduate and Ph.D. and teaches Bioethics and Biolaw at the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome.
Casini is the daughter of the late Carlo Casini, founder of the Italian pro-life movement.
MPV has 307 pregnancy help centers, 67 maternity homes, and services such as the Italian version of Option Line, service SOS Vita. It celebrated 50 years in 2025
Casini had addressed the Heartbeat conference on the opening evening in conjunction with the Parade of Nations.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
