EVALYNN'S STORY

Hezekiah — Born October 2021

Born to a crack-addicted and alcoholic mother, Evalynn was removed from her mother’s custody at the age of only 10. She had her first abortion at 19 and at 24 she almost died from a second abortion that led to her having an emergency D&C three days later.

At the age of 30, she found herself pregnant out of wedlock again.

“I was already a single mother of a 3-year-old and I was attempting to finish my Bachelor’s degree. I had no idea how I was going to support myself, two children, and finish college.”

Evalynn felt alone as the father of her baby was encouraging her to have an abortion and she had no one else to support her. Not knowing if she was going to choose to have an abortion or keep the baby, she reached out to the Women's Center of Ohio for an ultrasound.

That ultrasound changed her entire life, as it made the pregnancy real to her and empowered her to choose life for her baby! That choice also led to choosing life for herself as two months after that she surrendered her life to Jesus Christ.

Today, baby Hezekiah is a year old. Evalynn earned her bachelor’s degree and then married shortly after!

“In this age, the world tells women that to be happy and to have a successful life we must abort our unborn babies. That is the furthest thing from the truth! I have never lived a life that is so fulfilled physically, mentally, and spiritually. God used this baby's life to save mine and I am forever grateful!”

Support the efforts of pregnancy help organizations today so that moms like Evalynn are encouraged and equipped to choose life for their little ones.

Baby Hezekiah

DANIELLE'S STORY

At 20 years old, Danielle was terrified to find herself staring at two pink lines on a pregnancy test. She was immersed in a world of drugs, alcohol and risky behavior that she used to numb the pain of years of abuse and assault.

“I knew that I was carrying life - that it wasn’t just me anymore,” she said, “but I had no money, and my family refused to support me.”

That is when found a local maternity home, the Paul Stefan Foundation. It was here when she was welcomed with open arms and spent the next five years learning valuable life skills and gaining the education needed to get a good job for herself and her growing baby girl.

Danielle describes those years as the “hardest of my entire life, but they transformed me and my future in an incredible way.” She has remained involved with the home ever since, and today she serves her community as a foster care social worker in the Virginia Department of Social Services.

“So many women resort to abortion because they think it’s their only option, or that their baby will hinder their goals. I wish I could comfort those women, and tell them how keeping my baby motivated me to achieve every single goal that I set my mind on. I’d tell them that I named my daughter Lei’Lani, which means royal child of heaven. Why? I tell anyone who will listen – God sent her to me to save my life.”

Support the efforts of pregnancy help organizations today so that moms like Danielle are encouraged and equipped to choose life for their little ones. 

Lei'Lani and Danielle

KYLIE'S STORY 

Kylie* was a mom of two and had just started a new relationship when she found out that she was pregnant. She felt that she wasn’t ready, and even though her boyfriend was excited to be a dad, Kylie decided to have an abortion.

She quickly regretted this decision, especially as she and her boyfriend struggled to get pregnant again over the following years. She was overjoyed to find out she was pregnant in the summer of 2019 with a baby boy.

And then, when her son was seven months old, she found out that she was pregnant again with twins. Kylie felt overwhelmed and that she couldn’t go through with the pregnancy as her boyfriend was out of town quite a bit. The financial strain of raising five children on her own was just too much.

Hoping to get more answers, Kylie reached out to Real Options. She was still on the fence about getting an abortion, but after discussing the many resources that were available she realized she had all the support she needed!

Sadly, one of the twins passed before birth. Real Options was there for Kylie at that time as well, so she knew that she wasn’t alone. They provided her with counseling services and a baby shower. They gave her the support that she needed and became the family that she didn’t have.

“Now that my boyfriend is temporarily away, I still don’t feel alone. I know I have my family at Real Options and they are only one call away…If I didn’t come to Real Options, I would not have chosen life for my daughter. For that, we are forever grateful!”

*Name changed for privacy

Support the efforts of pregnancy help organizations today so that moms like Kiley are encouraged and equipped to choose life for their little ones. 

Baby Zoe

Watch as Katelynn shares her reversal success story.

We found out we were pregnant on Christmas day. At first we were really excited! It was the most amazing Christmas gift we could ever have. At the same time, it was really scary because we have other kids we needed to care for. I had lost my job and my husband was struggling with his business. I just couldn’t see how we could possibly feed and care for another child.

My husband said he would support me whatever my decision and my decision was that I needed to abort this baby. I talked to Planned Parenthood - they seemed so knowledgeable and I thought I just needed to push through and get it done quickly; that would be the easiest way. That was a big mistake.

I took the first pill. All that night, I was awake. I knew in my heart that what I had done was just wrong. “Is it too late? Can I do something else?” I Googled what to do if you want to reverse an abortion and that is when Heartbeat International came up.

While I waited for my appointment the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network helped schedule for me, I was just praying that there was still a Heartbeat... and there was!

Aubrey Lynn was born August 24 weighing 8 pounds and one ounce that included 10 sweet fingers and 10 cute little toes! We know she is going to have a great future. She has parents who love her. God sent her to us and I think she is going to do amazing things!

Interested in helping more women like Katelynn? Visit hbi.life/socialgive to give today.

Join us for a tour of our new office, talk with Heartbeat Staff and Board members, and enjoy refreshments.

Date: Thursday, November 3, 2022
Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m. ET
Address: 8405 Pulsar Place, Columbus, OH 43240

RSVP using the form below:

by Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications & Marketing
Heartbeat International

Have you heard the term "Reproductive Health Care Provider" before? If you are like me, the phrase brings to mind "Reproductive Rights" and therefore I automatically think of Abortion Facilities. But I would be wrong.

As a pregnancy help organization, you provide reproductive health care through a variety of means for women: abstinence education, pregnancy tests, limited ultrasounds, and in some cases, STI/STD testing and prenatal care. We are blessed to have healthcare professionals on staff or volunteering at pregnancy centers across the nation, using their God-given gifts to help the mission and care for women at one of the most delicate times in their lives. 

This nuance of language is important as we navigate new waters that are sometimes putting pregnancy centers in harm's way through abortion-related violent extremism. 

Leveraging the label "Reproductive Health Care Provider" properly appropriates language that actually applies more to us, who discuss all options, than those who only favor abortion. In fact, the Department of Justice (DOJ) identifies pregnancy help centers as "Reproductive Health Care Providers"  which empowers them (the DOJ) to do more to protect you from threats of violence under the FACE Act.To pull from our Protect Your PHO page: 

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 toward 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.

It is important for us to be aware of what laws exist that we can use to help protect our organizations and push back against violent extremists. While we are glad that the physical attacks against pregnancy help organizations have lessened, it is important that we remain vigilant and have a clear understanding of our rights.

The work we do is good. Our clients know it, our supporters know it, and we know it. Keep up the life-changing work you do!

Practical Tip #1: Review Protect Your PHO with your staff and Board. 

Practical Tip #2: Sign up for tomorrow's webinar - The "8Ds" of Risk Management (October 12, 2022 at 12pm EST), presented by Darin J Goodwiler MBA, CCEP, Samaritan's Purse VP of Compliance and Risk/CCRO. In this webinar, you'll learn the methodology of a risk management assessment that measures and evaluates risks to people, facilities, infrastructure, internal controls, and reputations. This thorough assessment has been taught for 30 years and will provide you with an effective framework to help you ensure that you have all your bases covered to keep your organization protected!

Beginning her pregnancy center work as a volunteer in Alabama, Tracie has led teams in Texas and Tennessee, allowing her a unique perspective in comprehending the issues pregnancy centers of all shapes and sizes face. Her willingness to follow God’s calling on her life has taken her around the country and now back to Ohio where she will relocate to join Heartbeat headquarters.

“Tracie is a familiar face around Heartbeat as she has tapped into our leadership trainings for years,” said Jor-El Godsey, president of Heartbeat International. “When the search began for such a critical role, Tracie was on our radar immediately.”

“I’ve known Tracie for over 10 years. I have watched her grow, wearing many different hats and growing in her leadership. I had the privilege of being part of her first New Director’s training here at Heartbeat International and we developed a friendship,” said Betty McDowell, who is retiring from the role after nearly 19 years. “She is well respected, and she cares deeply about people, which for me was really key as I was thinking about somebody taking the place where I have been. That care for people is a hallmark of what Heartbeat is and how we care for our people on our teams -- and Tracie has that.”

“I am excited to start a new season of service in the pregnancy help movement. I am committed to the mission of Heartbeat International and its legacy of saving lives. Learning from the unique experiences and diverse perspectives of people all over the world who share the goal of making abortion undesirable today and unthinkable tomorrow is humbling and exciting,” said Tracie Shellhouse, Vice President of Ministry Services. “It is an incredible blessing to join such a passionate and dedicated team in this vitally important work. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it.”

From the experts at Extend Web Services

By now you've heard the news of Google changing its policies (again) in an effort to appease politicians and suppress the great work of pregnancy help.

While this may cause uncertainty in many of our hearts and minds, we know this is not the first time Google and Big Tech have come after us. We continue to pivot and seek out new and innovative ways to reach women searching for help.

In this most recent case, some of the Google changes are minor and will not impact your marketing efforts while others will require more strategic thinking. 

What changes do I need to know about? 

Change 1: One of the main changes Google has implemented is the disclaimer that accompanies ads for organizations that do not provide abortion. Since 2019, this disclaimer has shown up at the bottom of ads and it will now appear at the top (see picture below). 

How will this impact my center: While this may seem like a major change, we do not anticipate it affecting your marketing efforts and results. In fact, when this disclaimer was first implemented three years ago, we did not see a negative impact on our ad campaigns and we have not seen an impact on ad results in the past couple of weeks.

Change 2: Another change from Google will have a greater impact on your marketing efforts is Local Search. Google has changed the default for local search results for abortion services to only show those verified to provide abortion procedures. Women will be able to see more results if they choose to, including from organizations that don't provide abortions, such as pregnancy help centers.

How will this impact my center: When a woman searches abortion-related terms pregnancy centers will most likely not show up on Google Maps unless the user expands their search. It could be very difficult for a pregnancy help center to be found through local search relying solely on organic SEO.

Remember, at times like these it is easy to become overwhelmed and lose heart but please do not give up! The Extend team is here for you and will work to give you the best web presence possible at an affordable price.

We know that no matter what politicians, Google and Big Tech do to try to suppress us, women will continue to be reached, lives will continue to be saved and the great work of pregnancy help will continue to advance.

It's an honor to partner with you! God bless.

Check Out More Innovative Products from Extend Web Services!

This summer, we have noticed various suspicious activities implemented by Google. The latest has been the inability for some pregnancy help organizations to have people write reviews on their Google Business Page. We know the value of clients sharing their pregnancy help experiences to help combat the negative claims put forth by abortion advocates. 

As this has been a bit inconsistent from state to state, we thought it best to go straight to the source - the pregnancy help network. 

Please take 2 minutes to complete the survey below and help us have a better understanding of how broad Google's review ban is.