by Abby D., volunteer sidewalk counselor
On Saturday afternoon, June 27, a couple drove into the Uptown Planned Parenthood (PP). Volunteer Claire C. saw that the woman was crying, and she called out to her as they went in. They came out a short time later and went back to their car at the back of the parking lot. My husband, volunteer Derek D., went around the back to talk to them through the fence.
The woman rolled down the window, still crying, and said, “We couldn’t do it!” The man then got out of the car and talked to Derek as he told them they made the right decision. The couple wanted to talk more (without a fence between them), so Derek invited them to our house (7 blocks away). We were able to talk to this lovely couple from Wisconsin, L & K, and hear about their story.
She had gone to PP determined to take the abortion pill, but he was more hesitant. They described the stark difference between the hope and peace they felt from Claire and Derek versus the darkness and coldness they immediately felt when they walked into PP. They told us that when they told the abortionist they were changing their mind, she was very nasty to them and angrily snatched the papers away. We asked if our presence on the sidewalk contributed to their decision to choose life, and they said yes, definitely.
L and I were excited to be “pregnancy buddies!” We talked about prenatal care, the help they could find at a pregnancy resource center near their home in Wisconsin, and encouraged them to find a church to start attending. We prayed together before they went home, so thankful for what God did in saving their baby’s precious life!
And a positive story from the same day!
Derek gave literature to a couple walking into PP through the front door. They shared that they were pregnant and excited to have a baby, but they didn’t know where else to go for care. We were able to tell them about the pregnancy resource centers nearby. They still went into PP for a pregnancy test and came out with PP’s literature, but we were still able to talk to them again on the way out. They were still excited to keep their baby and grateful for the resources.