Coming Into Focus: The Power of Ultrasound
Nadia* walked down the sidewalk on Kensington Ave with a gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach. It just couldn’t be true, not her–not now.She spotted a brightly colored vehicle parked along the street ahead of her, and started reading the words printed on the side. Maybe they could give her the answer she needed.
Nadia nervously knocked on the door to this strange van. At least it looked cheerful and clean. But what would she do if they told her what she was dreading. She couldn’t go through with it–there was no way she could take care of a baby.
A kind, young woman slid the door open, introduced herself and welcomed Nadia to step inside. Immediately she felt comfortable, but still ready to know the truth so she could move on with her life, one way or another. Nadia explained her concerns and asked for a pregnancy test.
After collecting some of her information, the staff members administered the pregnancy test – it was positive. Nadia felt shame, some frustration and began listing all the reasons why abortion was the best choice for her. The nurse on the van recommended an ultrasound, so they could determine the age of the fetus. Nadia agreed; it would help her get her abortion scheduled more quickly anyway.
As Nadia lay on the table, a fuzzy image appeared on the screen in front of her. It didn’t look like much of anything at first, just odd, white blobs and lines on a black screen-just what she expected to see. Then suddenly things began coming into focus for her. The lines were in distinct, seemingly planned shapes. Then the nurse started to explain the image on the screen and the picture before her became clear, not only for her eyes, but also for her heart. Hands, fingers, toes, heartbeat-a life hidden inside, perfectly formed and plainly visible on the screen.
That moment was powerful for Nadia-for her unborn baby too. She was convinced by the black and white image on the screen that inside her was a person she didn’t want to discard, and she was encouraged that it would be possible to keep this baby with some assistance from AlphaCare.
Before Nadia left, she scheduled an appointment to meet with AlphaCare’s Client Advocate, for assistance on her journey toward life. We thank God for Nadia, her baby and the donors that make it all possible.
*Names and photos have been changed to protect the privacy of our clients.