Elizabeth Whitely BSN, RN

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in the farm country of Northeast, Ohio. I received my BSN from Franciscan University of Steubenville!

Share with us about your family.

I was raised in a beautiful, faith-filled Catholic family and am very close to my parents, brothers and sister. My husband, Justin and I will celebrate our first anniversary next month! We are so blessed by the love and support of both our families.

Tell us about what brought you to Heartbeat International.

I had worked as an inpatient pediatric nurse for four years and was looking for new opportunities. I heard about Heartbeat International and the Nurse Advocate position through my friend, Teresa Tholany. Having grown up in the pro-life movement, the cause of life has always been near to my heart! I could never have imagined working as a nurse for Life in such a direct and powerful way! As the doors kept opening, it became quickly apparent that this was where the Lord wanted me to be. My time at Heartbeat has been a joy and blessing!

Tell us about your experiences helping women on the APR Hotline.

Humbling is the best way I can describe it. Hearing the voices and stories of women seeking a second chance and fighting for the life of their child is truly an honor! The courage and strength of the women we serve never ceases to inspire me! It has given me a deep awareness that the choice to have an abortion is born out of very difficult, complicated and deeply personal circumstances. When a woman calls the hotline the circumstances of her life have not changed, but her heart has! I am grateful for the opportunity to witness her courage, offer hope and let her know she is not alone!

What has surprised you the most about the APR Hotline?

I was surprised by the roller-coaster ride that is APR! There are the beautiful high moments of finally being able to find a provider or seeing a text from a client stating that she delivered her healthy baby. Then there are the low moments when a client decides to continue the abortion or experiences a loss. Often these experiences are woven together as you offer words of support and sympathy to the client who lost her baby and then turn to congratulate the other client on the birth of her child.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

One of my favorite bible verses is Revelation 21:5 “Behold, I make all things new.” The best part of my work is seeing the countless ways the Lord brings newness into every situation! Whether it is the client with a successful reversal, an insincere caller or the client who experiences a loss, the Lord uses APR to not only save lives, but also to change hearts. Even the most difficult situations are an opportunity to speak the truth and share the love of Christ with our clients. We may not be able to save every baby, but each call is an opportunity to offer new life to the women we serve!

What are your favorite things to do outside of work?

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, building a small homestead with my husband, reading good books (especially Tolkien and C.S. Lewis), baking sourdough bread and pretty much anything outside in the fresh air and sunshine!

What else would you like to share?

I would like to say thank you to all our wonderful APR providers! Your availability, skill and care for our clients never goes unnoticed. I have been inspired by the sacrifices you make, and the mountains you move to care for these women and their precious babies! May God Bless you!!

by Danielle White, Esq.
General Counsel, Heartbeat International

Since the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion advocates have worked hard to make pregnancy help organizations public enemy number one. One would think that those claiming to care about pregnant women would not direct their violence at the very locations that support pregnant women. But unfortunately, we are not talking about reasonable people.

On Sunday, May 8, 2022, pro-life group Wisconsin Family Action was attacked with Molotov cocktails and the building set fire. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Shortly thereafter, an organization calling itself “Jane’s Revenge” claimed responsibility for the attack. While Wisconsin Family Action is not a pregnancy center, “Jane’s Revenge” called the attack “only a warning” and demanded the “disbanding of all anti-choice establishments, fake clinics [an extremist term for pregnancy centers offering help and hope to women] and violent anti-choice groups within the next thirty days.” The group claims to be “not one group, but many. We are in your city. We are in every city.” Since then, Jane's Revenge has been threatening and committing vandalism against pro-life organizations of many kinds, including pregnancy help organizations. The FBI is taking this very seriously and has an open investigation on Jane's Revenge. 

Intimidation of pregnancy centers is not a new tactic, and, sadly, pro-abortion extremists have long hated pregnancy centers. However, the temperature reached new heights on the abortion issue in 2022. Well, it may not be fresh in the news anymore, but pregnancy centers are still targeted - especially during holidays and around anniversaries like the day of the Dobbs decision, June 24. It's hard to say when an abortion advocate will decide to organize an act of vandalism, a fake client inflitration, or harrassment. This is a time to review your safety and security policies and procedures, retrain your volunteers and staff as necessary, and be especially vigilant about your surroundings. Here are five more tips to better prepare and protect your pregnancy center now and in the days to come.

Security Systems

Invest in security systems and cameras both inside and outside your center. While this requires an investment of fiscal resources, a security system with cameras may deter criminal activity helps create a record that can be provided to law enforcement if, God-forbid, something does happen. Many companies that provide security systems and devices offer a free consultation and provide recommendations to protect your center. This would be a good ask for a certain level donor.

Local Law Enforcement

This is a great opportunity to build a relationship with local law enforcement! Most departments, particularly rural departments, would be happy to perform a walkthrough and security assessment of your center. Take this opportunity to share with them what the center does for women and to ask for their expertise about security. Ask them to identify vulnerabilities in your center’s security. Ask them to show you where they would allow protesters to congregate and to explain what the center should do if protesters trespass or engage in threatening behavior. Keep in mind that you could extend this invitation either to the City Police or the County Sheriff if they share jurisdiction. Building a relationship with a local law enforcement official might make it easier to call upon them if your center experiences threats.

You can also hire police on “special duty.” This involves an investment of funds and is usually available on a pre-scheduled basis, rather than in response to an ongoing situation. Your local law enforcement agency can advise you about the conditions for hiring a special duty officer. This option might be especially helpful if you become aware of a planned protest at your center or in your area. A special duty officer can assist with keeping people off the center’s property and act as a deterrent to property damage or violence.

Finally, you should mention the Jane’s Revenge threat to law enforcement if your pregnancy center contacts them for help with protesters or vandalism. Explaining the current climate with the Dobbs decision and the vandalism documented may be beneficial in keeping local law enforcement apprised should a need arise in the future. Threats of violence or vandalism of a PHO can be submitted to your local FBI Field Office or through the FBI Tip Line at FBI.gov and also through state and major urban area fusion centers. They are owned and operated by state and local entities, and are designated by the governor of their state.  Sometimes, this prompts a faster response than a local Police Department can or would provide. The FBI is taking this very seriously and has an open investigation on Jane's Revenge. Click here for an FBI resource booklet.

Property Considerations

Private property owners can set their own rules for speech and protest activities on their property. The center is not required to allow protesters on its private property. Therefore, it is important to know the location of the property lines where your center is located. Is your center’s parking lot private property? Once protesters are on private property, they are trespassing, and you could contact law enforcement to ask for their removal. Keep in mind that protesters may be entitled to protest on public sidewalks.

If applicable, you may also consider talking to your landlord to find out what the landlord expects from the center in the event of protesters. If you are in a plaza or office space shared with other tenants, your landlord may be especially interested in ensuring that protesters do not disrupt the other businesses as well, and your landlord may be an ally in interfacing with police or installing cameras or barriers to deter protestors.

Policies & Procedures

Now is the time to revisit your Center’s policies and procedures relating to security and evaluate them given the intensifying extremism by the pro-choice movement. Here are a few policies and procedures we recommend you implement:

• Do not leave one employee to lock up the center by themselves. There should always be at least two people to close the center and ensure each other’s safety. Ensure that anyone involved in locking up knows how to turn on any security system that is installed.
• Be cautious about having packages delivered to your center and consider having mail delivered to a P.O. box instead of your center’s physical location. Likewise, if a package or anything looks suspicious near your center, contact your local authorities immediately.
• Pay attention to local social media and see what is trending in your area. If you are concerned with anything that you see, contact local law enforcement and have them review what you found.
• Take any threats seriously and work with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of your volunteers, staff, and clients.

FACE Act

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (“FACE Act”) likely applies to your center and could be a very powerful tool in dealing with protestors. The FACE Act prohibits violent, threatening, damaging and obstructive behavior towards anyone obtaining or providing reproductive health services. Violators of the FACE Act could be fined or even imprisoned. The Act also provides civil remedies to the victims, including compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief. The FACE Act provides for statutory damages, making it even easier to recover money from protesters who violate it. If protesters outside your clinic attempt to block or impede access to the clinic, to intimidate your clients, or cause property damage, please contact Heartbeat to discuss your options. We have been informed that from the FBI's perspective, pregnancy help organizations are covered under the FACE Act. Click here for an FBI resource booklet.

While we hope that you never need use of this information, it is always good to take the opportunity to review your security policies with staff and volunteers and ensure that you are ready, just in case.

Ezekiel 38:7
“Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them.”

by Cindi Boston-Bilotta, Vice President of Mission Advancement
Heartbeat International

As Casey* exited the elevator, it was clear she was in crisis. Her tear-stained face and sad eyes told the story. Casey was a senior in college and pursuing her goal to graduate in a few months but was diverted by the sickness hitting her body due to an unexpected pregnancy. She felt the harsh reality that life was different, and she could never fully return to what she once knew.

Casey entered Planned Parenthood to confirm her pregnancy and learn more about her choices. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do, but their name indicated they could walk her through this dicey situation. As she entered the clinic, a receptionist, facing a copier and sighing with disdain, finally turned around to face Casey. Through tears, Casey indicated she thought she was pregnant. With an eye-roll and another sigh, the receptionist handed her a card and said, “this will fix everything, honey.”

She handed Casey a referral to a clinic that performed abortions. They thought abortion was her only option. It would be a calculated decision to terminate, but the sting of the word “abortion” didn’t settle well. She wanted a life of accomplishment but wondered if success could include motherhood, as well. But she had no idea where to go for more information.

From her car, a Google search revealed a local pregnancy center that offered “options.” That sounded more like what she needed – she wasn’t sure about anything, but she knew she needed to consider more than one choice.

Casey visited the pregnancy center, and her despair turned to joy as she saw the positive pregnancy test, discovered more about parenting and adoption, and viewed the dancing baby in her womb. That moment in time was forever seared in her mind because she instantly found the joy of motherhood. What was once a burden was becoming treasured. She left the center all smiles as she celebrated the gift of a new life within her body. Now, she knew she could do it.

The pregnancy center team, who used the L.O.V.E. Approach – Listen & Learn, Open Options, Bring Vision & Value, and Extend & Empower – gave Casey comfort and safety as she explored the possibilities.

The moments of motherhood look different for each pregnant mom. When the pregnancy is unexpected, courage must grow just like it did with the mothers who were pregnant at the time of Pharaoh – they had to rely on the “midwives” who were fighting for those babies' lives.

Like the mother of Moses, some moms must find the courage to create a safe passage for their sons or daughters.

Like Mary, the mother of Jesus, some must say yes to motherhood when it can threaten their lives if they carry their children.

The moment motherhood arrives is designed to be filled with celebration. But the difficulties of life can delay the celebration. Using the L.O.V.E. Approach with expectant moms who must navigate difficult decisions opens an opportunity for them to make choices that bring their hearts alive. It awakens the natural, God-birthed maternal instinct of moms across the globe. We celebrate moms everywhere this week, including moments when courageous moms say yes to life during unexpected pregnancies.

by Brooke Myrick BSN, RN, LAS

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:9-11 ESV

As Nurses within the pregnancy help setting, often we are blessed with experiences that fill us with abundant happiness and thankfulness. In comparison, we can also find ourselves experiencing feelings of utter sadness that can bring us to our knees.  The service offered to women and families within the pregnancy help role is a unique service, unimaginable and unrelatable to many, unless they are also united in the same service. Many times, the nursing care offered is concerning a life-or-death decision. As love, care and support are shared, to reach and rescue as many lives as possible, there are times when the woman’s decisions may not be as we had earnestly prayed and hoped. In addition, the conversations had, and relationships built, each distinctly demands an immense amount of physical, emotional, and spiritual support from the nurse. Appointment after appointment, nurses proceed to offer all we can, with all that we have, as we pray for God to guide our words and actions, in efforts to save lives today and for eternity future.

Despite circumstances, how can your joy be made full and complete?

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory…

1 Peter 1:8

The joy described in 1 Peter is an inexpressible joy. A joy unable to be given an explanation. This joy is independent of circumstantial surroundings, adversity, and attacks. It is a constant joy independent of the current life challenges. This joy is a byproduct of the love given us by remaining in Him, as referenced in John 15.

In Hebrews 12:2 we read that Jesus endured the cross, for the joy set before him, to become our Savior and sit at the right hand of God. He can identify with our struggles. With every act of service offered and with every sacrifice made, may you also be filled with joy.

With the utmost gratitude, we thank you for your endless hours of acts of service to those entering your pregnancy help center doors. Thank you for your continued prayers for the families you serve and their situations long after their care at your center is complete. You care. You care deeply for those you serve, and this is worthy of commending and admirable.

Your service does not go unnoticed and is making a difference, one life at a time, every single day.

This Nurses Week we are praying you remain in the love of our Father, that his joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

This month we are highlighting Bryan Williams, one of our Ultrasound Consultants. Bryan brings wisdom, humor, and encouragement to our team. As he teaches medical professionals in the pregnancy help setting, they benefit greatly as they gain knowledge and inspiration. Bryan has a desire to help others learn the skill of imaging life so they can in turn show life to those they encounter in their pregnancy help center.

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in Mtn Grove MO. A small town near Springfield, MO. I went to a hospital based x-ray and ultrasound school at CoxHealth in Springfield, MO. I completed my business degree from Evangel University. I completed my MHA at Webster University in St. Louis, MO.

Share with us about your family.

I have been married to my wife Lindsay for 18 years. We have two daughters. Addy is 12, and Izzy is 6.

Tell us about what brought you to Heartbeat International.

I was brought to HB because of my desire to train. The story is long, but I met Cindi Boston at the center in Springfield, MO when I volunteered and trained nurses there. She offered our names up when HB began to think about starting their own training.

What do you enjoy most about your role as Ultrasound Consultant for Heartbeat International?

I get so much joy when I get to teach at trainings. My cup gets filled at each training event. This literally gives me the energy I need to go back to my other job at the hospital with joy and renewed efforts.

What do you love most about ultrasound?

The ability to see life and make an impact in people’s lives.

Tell us about sharing your love of ultrasound with new nurses in the pregnancy help setting.

OB is not something that I really wanted to do. It is something that God pushed me to do. I really enjoy the ability to train others so they can be equipped to do the work God has called them to do.

Where else do you work and what is your role in that setting?

I work at CoxHealth in Springfield MO. I’m the Administrative Director of Neuro and Cardiovascular Services.

What are your favorite things to do?

Spend time with my family, fish, and run.

What else would you like to share?

I’m extremely humbled by the people who do this job every day. I get to play a role part-time, but the people who do this on a regular basis are doing the real work. They are dedicating their lives to serve the ones that cannot speak for themselves.

by Sara Dominguez, Affiliate Services Specialist of Heartbeat International

With one in four women in the U.S. having an abortion by age forty-five,¹ it is not uncommon for Heartbeat affiliates to be called upon to serve a post-abortive client. Walking with a client, a friend, or a family member on their healing journey after an abortion can seem daunting but learning about resources that can serve as springboards to healing can offer encouragement. One such resource comes from the Institute of Reproductive Grief Care®. The Institute of Reproductive Grief Care provides education, research, and expertise to health professionals and other care providers to offer support after reproductive loss including miscarriage and abortion. The Institute of Reproductive Grief Care also offers a safe place, without religious or political affiliation, for those impacted by abortion at YourAbortionExperience.org® and miscarriage at MiscarriageHurts.com®. As laborers in the pregnancy help movement, we all serve as that invitation to heal. Focusing on our post-abortive clients, friends, and family, we will take time to explore YourAbortionExperience.org – a web-based tool serving as an invitation to begin the after-abortion healing process.

Web-based healing resources help hurt individuals as they can help to reduce the feeling of social isolation, provide round the clock and meaningful activities to work through the grieving process, as well as empowering visitors to tap into their emotional resilience, encouraging a sense of control during a time when many may feel they have no control. The Institute of Reproductive Grief Care has developed Healing Pathways for those suffering after reproductive loss and those who want to support others in their loss. The Healing Pathways include spaces to tell your story, build support, explore emotions, identify losses, recognize unhealthy behaviors, and begin healing.

The flexibility of the healing website, also available in Spanish, offers people the choice to work through healing concepts with a pregnancy help organization representative or in private. The Healing Pathways provide tangible tasks to work through which can provide the feeling of progress. They do not require a particular order, permitting people to grieve authentically. When visiting or introducing the healing website, advocates may find it helpful to first share the stories section, allowing the individual to see how others have shared their stories and quickly see that they are not alone. They may also read something relatable and start to think about their own story. Each healing pathway also includes prompts or tips to assist you, the care provider, to help you best describe the task.

Another feature included on the healing website is a list of life-affirming hotlines for immediate client care:

• National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262)
• Support After Abortion Hotline: 844-289-4673
• International Helpline for Abortion Recovery: 866-482-5433
• Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988

These referral sources include trained peer counselors, professional therapists, individual and group counselors, and weekend retreat workshops. Individual care providers and organizations, clinics/centers, practices, and health institutions who have obtained the Reproductive Grief Care Certification from the Institute of Reproductive Grief Care and have attended Reproductive Grief Care training courses may be listed on the “Find Help” directory of YourAbortionExperience.org. Click here to learn more about the Institute of Reproductive Grief Care's certifications and trainings. We encourage you to become acquainted with the Institute of Reproductive Grief Care's Healing Pathways, consider opportunities for training and certification in your organization, and for qualified care providers to become a referral source on the “Find Help” directory of YourAbortionExperience.org.

YourAbortionExperience.org can mark the beginning of an individual’s healing journey. Keeping in mind that there is no fixed end point in grief, this web-based resource can help you to journey alongside individuals on the path that is right for them. The hope is that while moving forward through this process of healing, we can help individuals create a connection that will prepare them to let go of the pain.

Sources

1. Rachel K. Jones, Jenna Jerman, “Population Group Abortion Rates and Lifetime Incidence of Abortion: United States, 2008–2014”, American Journal of Public Health 107, no. 12 (December 1, 2017): pp. 1904-1909. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304042. PMID: 29048970

This month we are highlighting Tammy Stearns, one of our Ultrasound Consultants. Tammy brings love and encouragement to our team, as well as to the many pregnancy help medical professionals she teaches the skill of ultrasound. Tammy and her family have a heart for the world and for all to come to know and love Jesus! It is a blessing to us all to witness the many ways God uses Tammy to bring light to the darkness.

Where did you grow up and go to school?

I grew up in a tiny town called Pontiac, Missouri located on Bull Shoals Lake. I went to college, Radiology and Ultrasound School in Columbia, MO and Springfield, MO. I have a Master’s in Administrative Studies with an emphasis in Communication, along with being credentialed in Radiologic Technology, and Abdominal, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vascular Technology, Pediatrics and Neurosonography.

Share with us about your family.

I married my high school sweetheart 32 years ago. We have four children. A son who is 30. He and his wife live in Houston TX. Our daughter, Taellor, passed away in 2014 at the age of 19 in the mission field with us. Our two younger boys are Antonio (14) and Slaton (13) who both serve on the mission field with us in Nicaragua. 

Tell us about what brought you to Heartbeat International.

I had the privilege to work with Cindi Boston at her Pregnancy Center in Springfield, MO launching her medical mobile unit. While there, I also helped train some of the nurses given that my background is a Diagnostic Medical Sonographer Educator. When Cindi came to work for HBI, the opportunity presented itself for me to join the team to develop a Limited Obstetrical Educational Program for nurses.

What ministries are you involved in?

My family and I serve as full-time missionaries in Nicaragua. We moved there in 2012 to serve with Project HOPE. I am the Director of Women’s Ministries with a feeding center in the city dump called Center of Hope, UnShackled. This is a place that offers restoration and redemption to ladies coming out of prostitution along with serving women in the jails and hospitals. I also perform ultrasound exams with our ministry’s physician. 

What do you enjoy most about your role as Ultrasound Consultant for Heartbeat International?

I love being part of something so much bigger than myself! God has put together an incredible team whose focus is to share life through imagery. I love being able to come alongside those trying to learn ultrasound to image life and getting to be an encourager in their journey. 

What do you love most about ultrasound?

I love when mom sees her baby for the very first time. Each and every time there is a sense of wonder when we see what God is knitting in the mother’s womb. I never get tired of that! 

Tell us about sharing your love of ultrasound with new nurses in the Pregnancy Help setting.

I love when it begins to make sense. You can tell when someone is worried or concerned about not understanding it. We then find a different way to explain and teach the method or technique and watch the moment of awareness that every teacher teaches for. For some, it clicks faster than others and that is okay as we each have our own journey and our own process. God always equips who He calls. 

What are your favorite things to do?

I love to serve. I love to play with the kids at the city dump or hang out with the ladies from our outreaches. I love spending time with my family exploring the world. In my quiet time, I love to read and write.

What else would you like to share?

It is such a privilege to be able to do ultrasounds. I’m thankful for the technology and the resources that allow us to image life literally bringing Light to the darkness.

The world continues to watch as Russian troops march across the Ukraine. The photos and reports we have access to either personally, traditional news outlets, or social media, are devastating as 2 million people have migrated to safer places in western Ukraine, Poland, Romania, and Hungary.

We invite you, our partners, to send resources to pregnancy help centers in specified countries as those centers embrace refugees, women, and their families in need of physical resources and finances. Consider that males between the ages of 18 and 60 are not permitted to leave Ukraine so that they can serve the nation's defense. I have heard the stories, as you have, of fathers and husbands who drive their families to the border, or into Poland and then immediately head back to Ukraine to serve in the military.

Friends, let us respond to the humanitarian crisis presented in our world by offering of our resources, as much as we are able, to welcome the stranger, embrace the families, and reach and rescue the women and families in our midst.

You may want to contribute to Heartbeat's HALO fund. This fund is specifically designated to help affiliated life-affirming organizations. Those funds will be distributed to affiliated centers in countries impacted by the war in Ukraine. This is often the best option for those outside of Europe because getting practical resources to the right place can be extremely challenging. 

But the European pregnancy help movement may have a better way to help these refugees and those receiving them.

We've begun to gather a list of Pregnancy Help Organizations in Eastern Europe receiving refugees and what kind of resources they need to support them.

Practical resources can be sent to the following centers.

Ukraine: 

Kharkiv PAC
Kharkov Pregnancy Assistance Center
http://www.helpcenter.com.ua
+380 66-220-0303
Poltavsky shlyah 6a, office 4, 5
Kharkov, 61033
Ukraine
UKRAINIAN NATIONAL CRISIS PREGNANCY AID HOTLINE
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Vasyl and Olga Olynk

Poland:

Kobietom Na Pomoc
Marlena Macskowzka+48 576 382 256
http://www.KobietomNaPomoc.pl/
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Romania:

Clinica Pro Vita
Dr. David Ille
str. Teodor Mihali nr. 38-40
Cluj-Napoca, CJ 400591
Romania
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+40 264 431 8911

Centrul Alexandra
Alexandra Nadane
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Bucharest, B 010882
Romania
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
0751859467

Hungary:

Alpha Alliance (Alfa Szövetség)
Imre Teglasy
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
http://www.alfaszovetseg.hu
36-309-541-010
H-2071 Páty
Fazekas u. 84.
Hungary

If you are another center also reaching out and rescuing women and their families during this crisis, please let us know. We will add your center to the list.

Please see below for a list of resources needed: 

LONG-TERM FOOD: canned goods, oil, sugar, pasta, flour, groats, rice, tea, coffee, candy, UHT milk, canned vegetables/fruits (e.g. beans, peas, corn, pineapple, peach), tomato puree in cartons, dried fruit, nuts.
COSMETICS AND CHEMICALS: shower gels, shampoos, soaps, toothbrushes and toothpastes, creams, pads, baby pampers, washing liquids, dishwashing liquids.
SUPPLIES, especially for wounds and burns: thermal blankets, sterile gauze, sterile compresses, knitted bands, elastic bandages, ampoules of saline, disinfectants, disposable gloves, sterile bandages, tourniquets, scissors for dressings.
NEW blankets and sleeping bags

List of needed items for children:
- toys;
- School supplies: notebooks, crayons, plasticine, coloring books, markers, drawing pads, coloring paper, picture books, etc;
- Pampers in sizes: 1 i 2;
- Wet wipes;
- Jars of ready-made baby food;
- bottles with pacifiers;
- pacifiers;
- powdered milk;
- blankets;
- body oils;
- toothpaste and toothbrushes for babies.

Thank you for the work you are doing everyday to change lives and change the destiny of women in unplanned pregnancies. we pray for you. Please reach out to efoell@heartbeatinternational.org with any questions. 

by Danielle White, Esq.
General Counsel, Heartbeat International

I want to take us back to a moment. It’s April of 1992. The pro-life movement has been hard at work on many fronts, and pro-life legal professionals now believe that the composition of the Supreme Court is finally favorable to overturning the devastating Roe v. Wade decision. After Planned Parenthood challenged a slew of abortion regulations enacted by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the long-awaited oral argument has arrived.

The attorney arguing on behalf of Planned Parenthood approaches the podium, and she opens with what she believes is her strongest argument: “Since this Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, a generation of American women have come of age secure in the knowledge that the Constitution provides the highest level of protection for their child-bearing decisions.” She says that Roe v. Wade has “enabled millions of women to participate fully and equally in society.”

The Court bought it.

When the Court issued its opinion in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, it embraced the idea that women need abortion to “participate equally in the social and economic life of the nation.” This idea that women can either fully participate in society or become mothers, but not both, is deeply antiquated and incredibly disempowering to women. Who among us would ever say this to our own daughters? This idea suggests that women have reached their places in society today not as a result of their determination and hard work, not because they are intelligent and capable, but because they resorted to abortion.

It's a deadly lie that has devastated countless women and families and resulted in the deaths of millions of unborn children.

For 50 years now, Heartbeat has labored alongside pregnancy resource centers, medical clinics, maternity homes and adoption agencies, all fighting to obliterate the false dichotomy of parenthood on the one hand, or participation in society on the other. Indeed, women can be mothers and participate fully in society. We have shared this message with expectant mothers around the nation, indeed around the world, day in and day out for decades.

So fast forward with me back to 2021. The Court has granted review in Dobbs, and now it’s our time to share this message with the Court. Women are capable. Heartbeat, its affiliates, and the vast and sophisticated network of pregnancy help in this country stand ready to assist them. And women do not need abortion.

We knew that stare decisis would be a central issue in this case. Stare decisis means to stand by things decided. It means that generally, the Court should follow its own precedent in deciding cases. But, as the Court has repeatedly stated, stare decisis is not an inexorable command. There are certain factors for determining when to deviate from precedent.

Our brief addressed each of those factors but focused its argument on defeating the notion that women must resort to abortion in order to be successful.

We argued that the proliferation of pregnancy help organizations represents a critical change since Roe and Casey, and that women certainly do not need to rely on abortion any longer, if they ever did. Indeed, when Casey was decided, pregnancy help centers existed, but they were nowhere near as numerous or robust as they are today. For example, when Casey was argued, only three pro-life pregnancy centers were providing medical services. Today, that number is 2,132. In Mississippi, the state at issue in this case, pregnancy centers outnumber abortion clinics 29 to 1. Pregnancy centers serve millions of people each year with hundreds of thousands of free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, millions of articles of clothing and diapers, and untold practical support for mothers and families.

Not only is the idea that women need abortion to participate equally in the social and economic life of the nation disempowering, it is flatly false. Today, educational pursuits are increasingly feasible for mothers. Indeed, more than 20% of all undergraduate students today are parents. Mothers also routinely pursue careers. In 2020, more than 70% of all women in the US with children under the age of 18 participated in the workforce. Not to mention, federal and state laws now prohibit pregnancy discrimination. The idea that women must resort to abortion to participate in the economic life of the nation is not just outdated – it’s illegal. If an employer took that position with a female employee today, that employer could look forward to a swift lawsuit and substantial liability for pregnancy discrimination.

Writing this brief was particularly meaningful for me. You see, when the briefs were due, I happened to be on maternity leave, having just given birth to my fourth baby, a little girl. But writing a brief asking the Supreme Court to overturn Roe and Casey was a career aspiration that I could only have dreamt of, and I was certainly not going to let it pass me by! I drafted large sections of the brief in the wee hours, while balancing my laptop on my lap and holding my newborn baby girl on my shoulder.

Holding her in my arms fueled me through those sleepless drafting nights. I will not soon forget the feeling of her soft breath on my cheek and the sound of her rhythmic breathing in the background of my keyboard clicking away in the soft glow of a dim lamp. She was a little embodiment of what I was fighting for – not just for the babies only a few weeks younger than her who have inadequate legal protection, but also for the countless women from whom Roe has robbed motherhood, women who were told that they had to choose between motherhood and their dreams. Indeed, 29 years after the Planned Parenthood attorney took to the podium to tell the Court that women cannot have both careers and babies, I was doing that very thing! And I’m not the only one.

I had the privilege of sharing with the Court the stories of three women who learned that they were unexpectedly pregnant and feared that their pregnancies signaled the end of their educational goals, their careers, or their other aspirations. They each visited pregnancy centers, who supported them with practical assistance, financial aid, and emotional support as they continued their education, began careers, and fulfilled their personal dreams with their children by their side.

You undoubtedly know women like them.

It was a highlight of my career to hold my newborn baby girl as I wrote the words “Heartbeat urges the Court to overturn Roe and Casey.” And I’m prayerful that the Court will do just that.