Amid the ever-growing prevalence of chemical abortion, New Hope Family Services has been able to help five women pursue a second chance at life through abortion pill reversal (APR). The Syracuse, N.Y., pregnancy help medical clinic has seen three healthy babies born and two more clients who are currently pregnant because of its helping women through APR.
Maranda, one of New Hope’s clients, delivered a healthy baby girl in January of this year and is grateful for the opportunity to reverse the effects of the abortion pill.
Like more than 4,500 other women, Maranda found that second chance at life through the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and the APR protocol saved her baby’s life.
As a 26-year-old, Maranda was not certain she was ready for motherhood. However, she knew she wanted children someday, but the baby’s father did not want her to continue the pregnancy.
So, Maranda scheduled an appointment at Planned Parenthood where they did an ultrasound revealing she was 8 weeks and 3 days into her pregnancy. While she did not get to see her child on the ultrasound, she did hear a heartbeat.
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After her visit to Planned Parenthood Maranda went to see her stepmom and expressed her concerns over having taken the first abortion pill. Her stepmother began searching online for information on reversing the effects of the abortion medication.
The search led them to New Hope Family Services where she was able to immediately see her baby on ultrasound begin the APR protocol.
The first pill in a chemical abortion is mifepristone, which blocks the pregnancy hormone progesterone, which is essential to maintaining a pregnancy. Maranda had not taken the second pill, misoprostol. Therefore, the APR protocol could be used to try and reverse the effects of mifepristone with a bioidentical progesterone prescription to counteract it.
Maranda took progesterone twice a day for the first three days and then she took it once a day until the end of her first trimester.
Since progesterone has been used for decades to combat miscarriage, it was perfectly safe for Maranda to use, and the protocol worked to save her child’s life.
“When I saw her on there, I thought, ‘nope, I can’t do this,’” Maranda recalled from the ultrasound she received at New Hope.
She withstood pressure from the baby’s father to abort, even as it negatively impacted the relationship.
“I’ve never been pregnant before,” stated Maranda. “This is basically a little bit of a miracle here.”
She said she thought she couldn’t have a baby, and the fact that she became pregnant was something she took as God saying it was time to settle down.
“I wanted a baby, I really, really did,” Maranda said.
She was able to continue receiving weekly ultrasounds at another nearby center, Southern Tier Pregnancy Resource Center.
Maranda plans to return to work soon and is working on securing into income-based housing. Currently she lives with her mom.
As Maranda reflected on the challenge she faced last summer, wanting a second chance at life for her baby so she could correct her decision, she expressed amazement.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said regarding the APR protocol.
“We’re grateful that she was courageous and brave enough to call us and we’re so happy to be able to offer APR,” said Kathy Jerman, executive director of New Hope.
“We’re just really thankful that we are a pregnancy center that offers the option of rescue from the abortion pill as part of APRN,” she said.
Jerman said to Maranda, “By telling your story, it helps us get the word out so other people know this reversal process is available.”
Maranda expressed pride over her daughter, saying, “She’s growing pretty good. She’s smart. She’s alert.”
New Hope Family Services has been known nationwide for adoption services and the legal challenges they have faced from opposition to their faith-based values mandating the placement of children in homes with a married mother and father Yet they continue to serve and meet client’s needs.
New Hope prevailed against the state of New York after state officials tried to shut it down over religious beliefs. Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, New Hope was awarded $250,000 in legal fees and costs via a settlement.
ADF continues to represent New Hope in other harassment cases.
Yet hope abounds at New Hope Family Services. Now three rescued mothers and their babies, as well as two more on the way, can testify to the life-saving services of this pregnancy help ministry in giving them a second chance at life through APR.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News.
