Families enriched by life-affirming care

By Christina Galeone
CFP Correspondent

Many women and their children can rejoice because of the life-changing support they have received from local pro-life pregnancy centers. This type of support has been available here from various non-profit organizations – secular and religious – for more than 30 years. Melinda and Taycha, whose last names are being withheld for privacy reasons, and their children are witnesses to the value of such support.
When Melinda discovered that she was pregnant, she was terrified.
“I was unsure if I could financially afford a child … and my relationship at the time was not a healthy relationship,” she confided. “I feared I would be bringing a baby into a situation of uncertainty and instability.”
She found the support she needed at First Concern Pregnancy Resource Center in Clinton. The nonprofit, which offers pregnancy tests, parenting classes, infant supplies, ultrasound referrals, counseling, mentoring, a moms’ club as well as a dads’ club, post-abortion counseling and perinatal hospice care, helped her to process what she referred to as “racing thoughts and fears” that she had.
“First Concern helped me piece together my thoughts in a way I could look at my situation more rationally and gracefully,” Melinda recalled. She added, “I felt incredibly supported, validated and far more capable.”
That guidance gave her the confidence she needed to choose life for her son. And she revealed that because she’s so bonded with her son and wants to give him “the best life possible,” she’s made better career and relationship choices, leading to a loving marriage and an expansion of her family. “My son is two-and-a-half years old now and has completely transformed my entire life,” she shared. “He steals an entire room’s attention with just a smile, and I can’t even imagine my life without him.”  
For Taycha, her unplanned pregnancy was also frightening. She was on a break from college when she discovered that she was pregnant. With a job that only provided enough income for her and with roommates who didn’t want a baby in the apartment, she wasn’t prepared for an unexpected pregnancy.
“I was devastated when I found out I was pregnant,” Taycha recalled. “My fear of being homeless came true when I got pregnant; I had to move out.”
But seeking assistance from Visitation House, a Catholic home for pregnant women and their babies, gave her a new outlook on life. The Worcester nonprofit, which offers women training, education, mentorship and job placement resources during their stay, while also nurturing their strengths, gave her the independence and the helping hand that she desperately needed.
“It got me closer to my spiritual side,” she said, noting that Visitation House also ensured that she was taking care of her baby and working while she was living there.
“Also, the fact that there is someone going through the same thing – being homeless – helped in a way; it built a sisterhood,” she said.
The baby she had while living at Visitation House is now 10 years old, and he has a little sister. The devoted mom said that her son showed her that love between a mother and a child is unconditional.
“And I promised my best to my children and to be the best parent I can be for them,” Taycha shared. “I am a hard-working person, and when I come home, I dedicate myself to my kids – even if it’s playing Pokémon cards or doing make-up sessions. My life is for them.”
When people disparage organizations that encourage and empower women to choose life for their unborn babies, it angers and frustrates both Taycha and Melinda.
Taycha believes that the people who are criticizing those organizations shouldn’t do so unless they’ve walked in the shoes of a woman going through a crisis pregnancy – especially one who is homeless. She also believes that the critics should help find a way to empower women to better provide for themselves and their children.
Like Taycha, Melinda is grateful for the work crisis pregnancy centers provide.
“After all the education about all the various options, I still ultimately chose life,” she shared.