It’s a stretch

We’ve set some tough goals for ourselves in the 2013 MR340. But, with your help I know we can get there.

75 hours – that’s how fast we want to make it to the finish line. In 2010 I did it in 82 hours, with a much faster river and cooler temperatures. I averaged 4.14 miles per hour then and will need to up that to 4.53 mph. It doesn’t sound like much of an improvement but, if you figure we’ll need sleep at least a LITTLE it gets tougher. If we sleep 4 hours a night, for three nights, we’ll need to be paddling at a 5.39 mph pace when we’re on the water. It will be tough.

$10,000 – that’s how much we want to raise for Birth Choice of Dallas. In 2010 we raised $5,000 to help in Haiti. This time the stretch is twice that amount. It’s a great cause. Birth Choice provides free services to women in crisis, many of whom couldn’t get help any other way. The training we’ll be doing will be easy compared to this part of our goal. How do we plan to get there? There’s only one answer to that one – YOU!

If you’re pro-life this should be an easy decision. If you’re pro-choice I hope you’ll remember that that’s exactly what BirthChoice is trying to provide to women who are in a tough spot. They may be under a lot of pressure from boyfriends or husbands, their family, society, or their own economic situations.

They might see only one way out – a way that they may well regret later. The choice they may want to make might only be possible with outside help. BirthChoice gives them that help by educating them about all their alternatives, their choices. If they do decide to go through with an abortion the compassionate people at BirthChoice are still there to talk with them and support them afterward. There’s never any preaching or attempt to make them feel guilty. If you read Sharon’s last post you saw the full list of services.

To do this the folks at BirthChoice need your help. They are blessed to have two locations directly across from abortion clinics in Dallas but only one part time sonogram nurse. They need to train another nurse and we’d like to provide a scholarship for her tuition. Beyond that, money will be set aside for educational tools and materials for the men (yes, they work with the dads, too) and women who come in. And finally, with their goal to double their volunteer staff, they will use remaining dollars for training and continuing education.

This is a non profit, with limited resources, so money is tight. The goal is a stretch but one that’s worthwhile. We can reach it with your help, but you’ll need to click HERE to make a secure, tax deductible donation!

Thanks to you all for the prayers, encouragement, and support.

Ned

LET’S NOT LIMIT ACCESS TO THE CHOICES

Sound like the words of the largest abortion provider in our country? Does this echo the sentiments of the pro-choice movement?   I urge you to read this entire post with an open mind and heart; then you decide.

I have worked with women receiving counseling and services at crisis pregnancy centers now, for over two years. The last eight months have been for BirthChoice Pregnancy Centers for Women, in Dallas. As a peer counselor and a nurse sonographer, during an intake and assessment a question asked all clients is whether they have had previous abortions and if yes, would they make that choice again. A small percentage have had previous abortions and say it wasn’t a problem but they would never consider it again. They feel desperate because they have been convinced they are not strong enough or have enough resources to manage a child or be a good parent. Some women had abortions under duress, believing it would solve their problem and life would go back to normal and found that far from true. Some women report a previous abortion and still see it as their only choice with this pregnancy because of external pressures ie: from parents or friends, embarrassment, financial stressors, boyfriend threatening to leave. Many women when relating their abortion experiences tell of treatment ranging from insensitive to gruesome to possibly illegal. But the main themes I keep hearing are “I didn’t think I had any other options,” “I felt trapped in my situation,” “I didn’t have insurance and didn’t know there was help for me,” and many similar stories with the same theme – “I didn’t know all the choices I had.”

Why  these other choices were not presented would be a good topic for another post.

Instead of abortion, what positive choices do we provide at BirthChoice? After we complete an intake and assessment to evaluate the woman’s situation and needs, the following are possible.

• Sonograms for women considering abortion. Many women truly believe “the products of conception” they are told an abortion removes is a blob of tissue and are shocked to see the heartbeat of a 6 week baby and how active a 10 week or older baby is, kicking, punching, sucking it’s thumb. They will comment that because they don’t feel it yet they didn’t expect it to be moving. A baby’s movement is not usually felt until after 20 weeks. Abortion in Texas is legal until 24 weeks.
• Sonograms for women not wanting abortion but are being pressured by boyfriends/parents/friends/spouses. We strongly encourage those significant others to view the sonogram.
• Review of the booklet by the state “A Woman’s Right To Choose” which shows fetal development and factual information about the various types of abortion procedures and their possible risks and side effects – both short and long and short term,  and they are given a copy.
• For the woman who still plans to seek an abortion, given a copy of questions for her to ask her abortionist. *Will the procedure hurt?  *In your practice, have you ever punctured a uterus?  *If there is a problem do you have emergency blood on hand? *If there is a problem which hospital will the ambulance take me to? *If I am admitted, who will pay my hospital bill? *Will I have problems getting pregnant when I want to? * Can you assure me this procedure is completely safe and that I will not have any problems now or later? * Can I change my mind at any time and have my money returned?
• If undecided shown a video Honest Answers or Choices which present real women talking about the choices they made and how it worked out for them.
• Given options for prenatal care if they don’t have health insurance. Lately we have seen more women who are pregnant and have recently lost their jobs or their husband or boyfriend has become unemployed and they have lost their health insurance and or income.  We don’t want a woman to be pressured to have an abortion with long term and possible detrimental consequences because of a temporary situation.
• Given a referral list for various programs for financial support.
• Given adoption information – we have an adoption specialist who can meet with the client and educate them about adoption and adoption agencies.
• Information and referrals for emotional support or spiritual counseling including but not limited to: Rachel’s Vineyard for post abortive women suffering emotionally and spiritually from effects of their abortions, Project Gabriel and their GEMS program, Nurse Family Partnership Program, spiritual counseling at our center.
• Connect to many other appropriate resources.

We do many other things at BirthChoice but the purpose of this article is to show how by providing education about all the choices a woman has in an unplanned pregnancy, she can make an informed choice, hopefully the one that will impact her life in a positive way.

More often than not when I introduce myself to a client, the expression she has is sad, flat, angry or scared.  She believes her choices are very limited or she has been lead to believe she doesn’t really have one. I want her to leave with hope for different possibilities. My greatest reward is a huge sigh of relief and a smile.