News

Monday July 26, 2010


Moms Take Babies Saved from Abortion by Pregnancy Help Centers to Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 26, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Women who rejected the “choice” to abort their babies will be bringing their children to Washington D.C. this week to tell Congress how thankful they are for the life-saving work of pregnancy help centers.

Babies Go to Congress, a Heartbeat International project, provides an opportunity for women to speak publicly, on Capitol Hill, about their gratitude for the support they received when faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Heartbeat International, founded in 1971, is a Christ-centered association of more than 1,100 pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, non-profit adoption agencies, pregnancy help medical clinics and abortion recovery programs in 50 countries.

One of the testifying moms, Danica Fountain of Arizona, says she felt pressured to abort her baby before she arrived at the Women’s Center of Tucson, a local pregnancy resource center. “I was absolutely shocked to see that this so called ‘blob of tissue,’ the term I so commonly heard people use when referencing a pregnancy this early on, was in fact a fully formed baby! She had a head, arms and legs,” says Fountain.

“When I saw my baby’s heart beating I knew I would do anything to protect my child.”

Fountain is scheduled to meet with members of Congress this week. “The emotional support I received from the pregnancy center helped me realize that I could succeed as a single mom,” she said. “So I continued in my full time position at the bank, knowing they were there if I needed more encouragement or practical help. I can never thank the Women’s Center of Tucson enough.”

The visits will occur only weeks after news broke earlier this month that U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) would introduce a bill, known as the “Stop Deceptive Advertising for Women’s Services Act,” to restrict the activities of pregnancy resource centers. The measure aims to force such centers to loudly advertise their lack of abortion services, and is strongly supported by NARAL and Planned Parenthood, who have complained of the centers’ siphoning off customers from “legitimate reproductive health care centers.”

“Congress needs to hear from the women served by nonprofit pregnancy centers,” said Heartbeat President Peggy Hartshorn. Praising the moms for sacrificing their time for the campaign, Hartshorn added, “This is a testament to the fact that our elected officials need to support public policy that preserves the bond between mother and child.”

“These moms and babies put real faces on the abortion issue as they testify to the fact that pregnancy help centers are serving communities by uniting thousands of individuals passionate about life,” said Heartbeat Director of Public Policy/PR Virginia Cline.

Cline pointed out that pregnancy resource centers affiliated with Heartbeat “provide options and resources for pregnant women who are not satisfied with the choice to abort a child.” “Our families and the future of our country are strengthened by the life affirming work of pregnancy help ministries,” she said.

Another mom heading to Congress, Terrie Thompson, said the volunteers at her local center “have been my rock” as she struggled to raise her daughter.

“When I lost my apartment, they helped me find shelter. When I couldn’t work, they supported me financially, and when I needed support, they were there for me emotionally. They listen with an open ear and heart, and always help me find solutions,” she said. “For that, I thank them.”

With this trip, Heartbeat’s Babies Go to Congress will have brought the stories of real-life moms and their pregnancy resource centers to 125 congressional offices.

Heartbeat affiliates provide the emotional support and practical help needed to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Without any financial gain, Heartbeat’s network provides the information that it says women need to make an informed decision, including the facts that abortion providers often leave out.

Utilizing more than 25,000 volunteers, Heartbeat says its network saves about 2,000 babies a week from abortion. The organization notes that doctors, lawyers, nurses, social workers, educators and other professionals are pregnancy center volunteers, many of whom have had a personal experience with an unexpected pregnancy.