by Lynn B., Sidewalk Ministry Coordinator
I met N at the Brooklyn Park Planned Parenthood (PP) on July 8 at about 3:00 as she was coming out of the building. She came over to talk with us even with Stephen Saunders (a pro-abortion detractor) right next to me telling her that we were “phonies” telling lies.
She told me that she didn’t go through with the abortion, that she had changed her mind and left her appointment. I asked her to meet me nearby so I could talk with her more.
She told me her story, including some very sad and traumatic events. She had lost a full-term baby, stillborn with no known cause of death. The father of that child then abandoned her after the baby died. Then she began to date another man who became the father of her current preborn child. He pressured her to have sexual relations and then abandoned her when she told him she was pregnant. She didn’t know how she could take care of this baby alone so she made an appointment at PP. N said she felt conflicted when she was inside. She saw her ultrasound with her 8-week-old baby and the baby’s heartbeat. She went back to the waiting room to wait for the pill portion of the appointment.
But she decided to leave and got up and walked out.
When I asked her, “Did our presence out here help you in making your decision? Did you know why we were out here?” She said, “Oh, yes!” she knew why we were out there and this gave her the courage to do the right thing. She has a church community and other family who can help her on this journey. She plans to go to a nearby pregnancy resource center as well.
It should be noted that PP called her three times while we were conversing over the next 10 minutes to get her back into the building for her abortion pill.
She didn’t pick it up the first two times knowing what they wanted. The third time, they blocked their phone number from the caller ID to trick her into answering. She picked it up and when she heard who it was, she defiantly hung up right away. “See what they’re trying to do?!” she said.
This baby is safe and sound with this brave mama! Please pray for this grieving, yet hopeful, mom and her baby.
Big thanks to Sharon O., Joanne N., Vicki O., John T., Craig J., Karen V., Lori M., Susan M., and St. Stephen’s Life Matters prayer warriors who were present and offering help on the shifts before Lynn W., John J., and I arrived. Thank you as well to all our Brooklyn Park team members who faithfully stand up for the babies and mamas there every Wednesday (under persecution by Stephen), which also includes Doug W., Michele K., Bob B., Patty M., John L., Dave U., William R., and Shira C.!