A 5-Minute Call With An Abortion Clinic Changed My Life Forever

I thought my life was over. Ashamed and panicked, I imagined the reactions from my parents, friends, and deeply Christian, conservative college community. I felt trapped, standing at the entrance of a long, dark tunnel with no clue what lay inside or if the light at the end was real—much less worth it. I had always dreamed of becoming a mother, but not like this.  

Abortion suddenly felt like the only way out.  

“You’ve put yourself in this situation—now you have to fix it,” I thought. I quickly dialed the nearest abortion facility and connected with a staffer who recommended a chemical abortion. Yet as she casually described the process, I felt sick to my stomach.

My Catholic beliefs hadn’t stopped me from making the call in a moment of panic, but learning the details was different. The first pill would end my baby’s life; the second would expel him or her from my body. It was horrifying. I couldn’t imagine paying someone hundreds of dollars to do something that would harm my child and bring me unbearable emotional pain.  

But that phone call, despite its panic and dread, became a turning point. It sparked my first moment of clarity since the positive pregnancy test.  

Spoiler alert: An unexpected pregnancy didn’t destroy my dreams. Despite the odds, the fear, and the unknown, I chose life for my daughter, Penelope. Today, I am happily married, a mom of three, and pursuing my master’s in clinical psychology. My hope is to become an anchor for women—especially mothers—navigating life’s hardest challenges.