Miguel and I were working as counselors at a summer camp when I began to suspect that I was pregnant. There was no way for us to know for sure, so we kept it a secret for the rest of the summer. As soon as we got home, I took a pregnancy test, and it came back positive. We knew we couldn't put it off anymore, but neither of us felt ready to tell our parents.

I looked in the phone book for someone that we could talk to about pregnancy and options. I found an ad for Lighthouse Pregnancy Resource Center that said, "Pregnant & Scared?" This was, in fact, exactly how I felt. At that time, I was strongly considering the possibility of abortion. I was so ashamed that I was thinking about taking the easy way out that Miguel had to make the call. He called and we ended up speaking with a woman for an hour. She then gave us an appointment to come in and talk to counselors.

When we arrived we were greeted with warmth and understanding. I was given the opportunity to speak with a female peer counselor and Miguel talked with a male counselor. I felt so comfortable there, all of these emotions just came pouring out. I was able to honestly express my fears and concerns. My peer counselor walked me through all of my options. She gave me lots of information and pamphlets on each of my options. She also told me about a nearby center that offered free ultrasounds. I knew that I wanted to see the ultrasound.

We went together, and the moment we saw our baby on the screen, we knew that we had to consider what was best for our unborn child, as well as ourselves. We called our counselors at Lighthouse, told them that we were going to keep the baby, and asked for their help and guidance.

Lighthouse became a source of strength as well as information. They helped us make a hospital appointment, sign up for Medicaid, and even helped us through the process of telling our parents. In addition, Miguel's counselor was really mentoring him and helping him prepare to become a dad, while my counselor was helping me prepare for motherhood.

Soon after, our son, Steven Michael was born. We will always be thankful for our local Care Net center. Lighthouse helped us become the people we have always wanted to be. 

“I would simply like to say that without the guidance of the Lighthouse family we would not be the strong, confident and loving new parents we are now going to be. Thank you for being our light and helping us step out of the darkness. Thank you.” – Miguel