What began as a victory over chemical abortion and little Isaiah’s healthy birth is now a celebration of his third birthday.
“He has definitely been an experience, a blessing, but an interesting journey,” said Isaiah’s mom Sarah. “He is full of spunk, life, love, and energy. None of us could imagine life without him!”
Sarah continues to be thankful for Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) the protocol she underwent with the aid of the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN), after starting a chemical abortion around four years ago.
The APRN is celebrating 3,000 and counting lives saved as of January 2022.
“Abortion Pill Rescue, through Heartbeat International, is made up of the most caring individuals,” Sarah stated. “They were a beacon of hope when I was in my darkest hour.”
Before Isaiah, Sarah had two daughters and a son. As a single mom she certainly was not prepared for a fourth child. She considered herself to be pro-life but not with a strong conviction.
In the void left by ambivalence, the discovery of a fourth pregnancy left Sarah distracted by the worry of how her family would react. Then when the baby’s father was determined she have an abortion, it left her vulnerable enough to make an appointment at Planned Parenthood.
Isaiah made himself known at her appointment.
The ultrasound revealed that Sarah was five weeks pregnant, and the nurse commented, “You are lucky the heartbeat bill hasn’t passed yet, if it had, you wouldn’t be able to continue with the abortion. We already see a good heartbeat and you’re not even six weeks yet.”
Sarah was told that once the abortion process was started, she had to finish, yet the battle for Isaiah’s life raged in her heart.
“When someone tells me I can’t do something I think, ‘well let me see,’” Sarah said.
She would write later about the experience:
“My son was in the process of being starved to death of the hormones he needed to survive until he was bigger because I was led to believe the chants of the pro-choice movement. I was at a point where I was needing help with a choice I had made, with a choice that I was led to believe would be permanent with no hope of help with saving my child, or myself. If it were not for me finding that hotline, I would not have been able to have the choice to get to meet him.”
Today Sarah describes herself as “unapologetically” pro-life. She sees the APRN hotline not just as lifesaving but as comprised of people who empower moms.
Sarah has learned empowerment comes from surrendering to God.
“Honestly, it comes down to trusting in Him,” she reflected. “I wouldn’t think I’d be supporting four kids on my own, especially since I lost my job and went back to school.”
“He will take you through it,” she said. “He will continue to surprise you with how He will take care of things. You have to continue to surrender control as He continues to take care of things. The surrender started three years ago.”
Sarah has the support of her parents and her siblings. She is so grateful for their help. Now independently employed in massage therapy, Sarah still finds time to give back by volunteering once a week at InnerVisions Healthcare, the pregnancy center medical clinic that helped her.
“Usually when I volunteer, when a woman comes in, I notice how quickly everyone springs into action to figure out what does this mom need right now,” Sarah stated. “It is humbling to see it on the other side.”
“It is a hard job they do,” she said, “working with abortion vulnerable women, seeing these women come in multiple times finding enough comfort in the center to return. Very different on the other side, I am very appreciative what they do day in and day out.”
Sarah feels blessed and acknowledges there are always tough times as a single mom.
“Sometimes it’s hard,” she reflected. “But it’s just a hard day. I get to fix it by going on. I get to love Isaiah through those days.”
“Looking at Isaiah helps sometimes and sometimes the test comes through Isaiah,” she said.
Sarah continues to grow as a woman and as a mom. She hopes to influence other young moms and women in unplanned pregnancies to seek truth.
“Speaking to truth—there is a truth out there that might not always align with what you’re thinking at the moment, but that truth is out there to be found. I got a better grasp on truth and reality,” Sarah commented.
“You might not always be right,” she said, “so find truth and love, love will always win. Hate is a burden. When you choose to love, life will always be easier.”
Sarah’s children are growing and have lots of questions for her. So, challenges come daily. She so obviously loves talking about all of her children.
Sarah’s eight-year-old son asked, “When you have your babies, how is there a dad?” She answered, “You know what, there’s a lot of science involved.”
She recalled when her oldest daughter was about four, she was looking at a crucifix and said, “I want to get Jesus off the cross.” Sarah replied, “He is off the cross, it is just a reminder He loves you.”
Sarah reflected on how not only she has personally grown in her faith in the last three years, but the way her relationship with her parents and with her other children has changed for the better.
“We have more of a prayer life together,” Sarah said. “I can’t remember praying with the kids before bed before this. Kids definitely pick up on what you do.”
“I am searching more into the teachings of the Church,” she said, “I want to have answers for my kids when they come asking. I am more intentional with things now, there is a different urgency in going to church because you know your soul needs it. It has opened up good conversations over the years.”
Her older daughter is 10 now and there are more and more discussions about life and how babies are born.
“We’ve talked about it a few times here and there—we pray for the mommies who have babies in their tummies,” Sarah explained. “It is a hard subject; I still don’t know how I’m going to explain it to Isaiah. Praying about guidance on that.”
Isaiah’s personality is a wonder to Sarah.
“He loves using the word ‘actually,’” she said. “He uses it correctly. He just loves using it—that word is so important to him right now. The tone every time he says this word, it shows his personality coming through in one word.”
Sarah continued to reflect on women in situations like her own:
“Babies are a blessing,” she said. “We’ve got to do whatever we can for those women who are unsure and scared. I want them to have a better grasp on things than I did, so they don’t have to go through the trying times.”
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News.
