31,018.
That is the number of babies’ lives lost to abortion in Pennsylvania in 2019.*
In our community, that is 2,007 babies lost to abortion in 2019.
Changed hearts and changed minds…
When “Lizzie” and “Anthony” entered Morning Star’s doors, they had already made the decision that if the ultrasound confirmed Lizzie was ten weeks pregnant or less, she would use the abortion pill (RU-486) to end her pregnancy.
After checking in at the reception area, Lizzie and Anthony were brought into a counseling room to talk with a patient advocate about their situation. They were very upfront with their Morning Star counselor and said the decision was already made—Lizzie would take the abortion pill if she was ten weeks pregnant or less. If she was further along in her pregnancy and it was too late to take the abortion pill, they were not sure what they were going to do.
Our counselor educated the couple about chemical abortion and the possible risks and complications for Lizzie. She asked if they had any family support, how their relationship was going under the stress of an unplanned pregnancy, and what obstacles they were facing that might keep them from continuing with the pregnancy. She then opened the discussion to other options, including parenting and adoption.
After wrapping up their counseling session, Lizzie and Anthony went into the examination room for their ultrasound. The young couple repeated their intent yet again: If the baby was ten weeks or less, they were having an abortion.
When Lizzie and Anthony saw their baby’s beating heart, their faces changed. As Morning Star’s sonographer explained the development of their baby and pointed out his little arms and legs, the baby began to move. The ultrasound revealed that the baby was seven weeks old. Lizzie was shocked to see the little life growing inside her. Even though the baby was less than ten weeks old, Anthony and Lizzie agreed that they could not proceed with an abortion. At that moment, they chose LIFE for their baby.
As Morning Star is approaching our 50th anniversary, we have established deep roots in our community. We have built relationships with our mothers and fathers, and we know how vital it is to provide programs and services so that couples like Lizzie and Anthony will choose Life.
Each day, with YOUR support, Morning Star provides:
- Confidential Counseling
- Pregnancy Testing
- Ultrasound Examinations
- STI Testing and Treatment
- Pregnancy Education
- Fatherhood Program
- Relationship and Sexual Health Education
- Parenting Education Classes
- Baby Clothing and Supplies
- Post Abortion Recovery Classes
As we’ve proven over the years, our doors always remain open and we continue to see an increase in the number of clients we serve. In fact, looking at our client history, we anticipate seeing at least 224 new clients this holiday season. By the end of this year, Morning Star will have supported over 1,450 individuals—a 20% increase from 2020! It costs Morning Star $447.49 to provide a new mom like Lizzie with Life-affirming services and programs. In order to support these 224 moms and dads we have to reach a goal of $100,237.76 by the end of this year.
This Christmas you can support individuals and couples like Lizzie and Anthony with a one-time gift of $447.49 or you can become a Circle of Friends supporter with a monthly gift of $37.29. Your donation will give the support they need to choose Life, helping reduce the lives lost to abortion in South Central PA.
At Morning Star we see our open doors touch lives and hearts. We see women and men in the midst of crisis experience joy and gratitude after choosing Life. And here, we see the incredible power of Jesus Christ to actually change lives.
YOU are a part of their story. YOUR gift makes that choice possible.
*PA Dept of Health’s 2019 Abortion Statistics Report