Emma's Story

I was fourteen years old and living with my grandmother when she got arrested and they took her away. It was not a good situation There was just so much happening at the time. That's when I decided to have an abortion.

 With everything that's happened over the years in my life, I really haven't had time to think about it. Though, I've noticed that lately, I've felt anxious about being pregnant now and I wonder if I might lose my baby because of my past. I've driven by the abortion clinic and seen protestors holding signs and felt a lot of guilt and shame for what I did. It's weighed heavy on me a lot.

I shared all of this with Ellen at Life Forward. She is a good listener and didn't judge me for what had happened in my past. Instead, she talked with me about something called "post-abortion syndrome." She told me that I might be experiencing this and that's why I'm feeling the way I am. It's the first time anyone ever made sense of it for me. She even gave me some things to read about post-abortion syndrome. Right then, I felt like the heaviness lifted a bit from me.

This would have been a great ending to my appointment with Ellen, but it got even better. She shared with me about Jesus' sacrifice and told me how much God loved me. She told me that through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, God has removed my sin "as far as the east is from the west." Ellen then ended our meeting by praying for me.

It was one of the most helpful times I've ever had talking about my abortion. It was a lot to hear and I'm still thinking about it all. I'm thankful that Ellen told me that I can come back for another appointment or I can text or call her. I think I'm going to have a lot of questions about knowing God and growing in a relationship with Him.

I'm thankful I came to Life Forward. They were so kind to me. I'm not feeling nearly as anxious about my pregnancy. Instead, I'm thinking more about how to be a good mom to my baby. I feel like this is the beginning of something new for me.