As she drove to her local pregnancy center, Apryl’s* hands were sweating while she feverishly thought back over the last few weeks. It seemed like only yesterday that she was staring at that pregnancy test. It seemed crazy to think back to that sharp sting of reality and knot of anxiety in her stomach that now felt like a distant dream.

She thought back to when she told Eric* the news. His face went blank, and his eyes widened with surprise. When the shock passed, he made it clear that he did not want their baby.

Apryl let out a breath through her teeth as she turned into the parking lot. The memory of her first abortion still haunted her; the numbness, the feeling of emptiness, and the guilt that followed her home leaving her with a scar that would be with her forever.

There was no way she could ever go through the agony of another abortion again.

Stepping out of the car, she made her way to the front door. Her mom and dad were supportive of her decision to keep the baby, and were excited to meet their new grandchild. But Eric remained adamant in his position. He didn’t want Apryl to carry this baby to term and he didn’t really care what she wanted, or how much other support she had from her family.

Standing outside the pregnancy center, Apryl found herself asking that same question she’d asked herself as she walked away from that argument: Could she really hope to raise a child without Eric? 

After speaking with our Pregnancy Decision Line coach, Apryl had hope. She now knew that she had more options than she realized, and that the pregnancy center and her parents would be there to support her life decision, no matter what. 

Thanks to your faithful and generous support, young women like Apryl are finding compassion, hope, and help through the ministry of Care Net. Your help means the difference between lives transformed, and lives devastated. 

Please pray for Apryl and other women like her, who find themselves forced to choose between what they know is right and keeping a relationship with their baby’s father. And pleases, pray for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of these fathers to embrace the responsibility of fatherhood.