By Carla L., volunteer sidewalk counselor
I sidewalk counsel two or three Mondays a month at Planned Parenthood (PP) in St. Paul, but I made a mistake and showed up on the “wrong” Monday, June 7. I now know I was doubly meant to be there because I was able to help save a mom and baby from abortion! It happened within the last 15 minutes of being there.
A vehicle drove in with a female driver and a female passenger. I approached the car to talk to the driver, but the PP escort came over right away and tried to move her on in. I suggested she drive to the bank parking lot so we could talk more freely. She accepted, and that’s when I found out the driver was bringing her cousin to PP for a possible abortion, but she really didn’t want her to have it. She thought that there must be other options, but didn’t have any, so she was so receptive when I talked about Abria (the nearby pregnancy center) and how they could help.
Her cousin was 11 weeks along, and when the driver asked her what she wanted to do after we talked, I said, “You really don’t want to go into PP at all, because all they can offer is abortion, and it will be hard to get out. Many women feel pressured to have an abortion once they are in there. Why not go to Abria first?” She agreed and I ran back to my bag and gave her a little baby onesie that said “LOVED” on it from Pro-Life Action Ministries. She was very touched by the gift, and I gave her a hug and they left for Abria. Praying for mom and baby to continue to stay safe.
