LEARNING TO APPRECIATE
THE VALUE OF LIFE )` >PSSLUH )Y\UĂ„LSK
4` UHTL PZ >PSSLUH )Y\UÄLSK HUK [OPZ PZ T` L_WLYPLUJL VM ILPUN `V\UN HUK ILPUN faced with an unplanned pregnancy. My boyfriend and I are college students. He was home for summer break, and I had Q\Z[ ÄUPZOLK T` ZLTLZ[LY >L MV\UK V\[ [OH[ 0 ^HZ WYLNUHU[ PU 1\S` HUK KPKU[ RUV^ ^OH[ [V KV ([ ÄYZ[ ^L SH\NOLK I\[ H ML^ TPU\[LZ SH[LY ^L ILNHU [V YLHSPaL [OH[ P[ ^HZ UV joke. We were in complete shock. We had just gotten over the restlessness of exams and schoolwork, and this was a huge blow. We felt this was more than unplanned; it was a disaster! ([ ÄYZ[ HSS ^L JV\SK [OPUR ^HZ >OH[ HYL ^L NVPUN [V KV& 4` IV`MYPLUKZ Z\NNLZ[PVU was for me to have an abortion. He thought it was the simplest option. He said if I had an abortion, we could get on with our lives as planned. Neither of us knew many facts about abortion. Because I didn’t know much about it, I didn’t have much to say. He and I both worried about how we were going to provide for a baby when we were already struggling to get what we needed for ourselves. We weren’t thinking about, or planning for, anything besides the college life we were living and accustomed to. It was our plan to get married and have children after college. 6]LY [OL TVU[O VM 1\S` ^L HYN\LK V]LY ^OH[ ^L ^LYL NVPUN [V KV 0 Z[HY[LK [V SVVR MVY YLZV\YJLZ [V OLSW TL THRL H decision. I came across the Women’s Center of Northwest Indiana website.1 After looking over the information, I gave them a call. I was very comfortable talking to them, so I set up an appointment. When I arrived for my appointment at the Women’s Center, I was greeted like a guest. They gave me an opportunity to explain my situation and asked me questions that pinpointed certain issues I was experiencing. They did a pregnancy test, and it came back positive. They talked to me about my options. Then I got an ultrasound. I was surprised at what I saw on the screen. Afterward, they talked to me about all my options: parenting, adoption, and abortion and its risks. Before I left, they gave me information on local, community, and government resources to help me make a decision. I talked to my boyfriend, and we decided to parent our baby. I now attend the Women’s Center Building Blocks proNYHT ;OPZ PZ H ¸SLHYU HUK LHYUš WYVNYHT VU WHYLU[PUN 4` IV`MYPLUK PZ UV^ T` ÄHUJt )LZ[ VM HSS 0 HT UV^ [OL TV[OLY of a little girl born in April, 2011. I am so thankful I went to the Women’s Center of Northwest Indiana. They helped me see how valuable life is.
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