HBI
Kayla and Maverick
KAYLA'S STORY
Maverick — Born May 2022
In Boerne, at the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center, Kayla Sunny found the vital support she needed to navigate her journey as a mother to Maverick. From the moment she walked through the center's doors, Kayla was met with compassion and guidance.
Initially unsure of her options, Kayla found reassurance through the caring staff who provided invaluable information and support, allowing Kayla to make informed choices about her pregnancy. Their prayers and unwavering presence offered Kayla comfort and strength during uncertain times.
As Kayla prepared for Maverick's arrival, the center's programs, notably the Earn While You Learn initiative, became invaluable resources. Through this program, Kayla earned baby bucks, which she used to acquire essential items for Maverick's care, ensuring he had everything he needed from the very beginning.
Despite the challenges of Maverick's premature birth, Kayla remained resilient, supported by the center's prayers and encouragement. Through it all, the Hill Country Pregnancy Care Center stood as a pillar of support, providing Kayla with the tools and resources she needed to care for Maverick and navigate the early days of motherhood with confidence.
As Maverick grew and thrived, Kayla's gratitude for the center's services only deepened. With each milestone, from Maverick's first steps to his first birthday, Kayla found herself surrounded by the love and support of the Pregnancy Care Center community, a testament to the profound impact of their care and services on her journey as a mother.
Elizabeth and Evelyn
ELIZABETH'S STORY
Evelyn — Born January 2024
Elizabeth found herself unexpectedly pregnant with Evelyn after a brief reunion with Ben, her ex-partner. With Ben already moved out and their relationship strained, Elizabeth faced the daunting prospect of single motherhood. Despite her initial excitement, doubts from family and friends left her feeling unsupported and unsure.
Seeking guidance, Elizabeth turned to Planned Parenthood but found little solace there. Pressured into a pill abortion, she regretted her decision immediately upon receiving a text from Ben expressing his desire to keep the baby. Frantically searching for hope, she discovered abortion pill reversal (APR) and reached out for help.
With the support of Ben and a network of compassionate individuals, including the Abortion Pill Rescue Network, Elizabeth embarked on the journey of reversing the abortion. Through this process, she witnessed the resilience of her unborn child and the unwavering support of her community.
As weeks passed, Elizabeth and Ben embraced parenthood, attending counseling sessions together and witnessing the miracle of their daughter's life unfold through regular sonograms at their local pregnancy center. The experience not only strengthened their bond but also reaffirmed Elizabeth's belief in the importance of APR in providing second chances to women facing similar crises.
On January 18th, 2024, Elizabeth gave birth to Evelyn, a vibrant testament to love and resilience. With their daughter in their arms, Elizabeth and Ben found solace in their newfound family unit, planning a future together filled with love and commitment with a fall wedding in the works.
Elizabeth's journey underscored the profound impact of APR in preserving life and offering hope to families in crisis. With a newfound sense of purpose, she vowed to advocate for the preservation of programs like APR, ensuring that every woman facing a difficult decision receives the support and resources she needs to choose life.
View Elizabeth's story HERE!
Heartbeat International & pregnancy ministry collective sue New York Attorney General to block threatened prosecution
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thomas More Society inquiries: Tom Ciesielka, 312.422.1333, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thomas More Society backs pregnancy help organizations in lawsuit to protect Abortion Pill Reversal
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Heartbeat International, CompassCare, and a collective of pregnancy help organizations — represented by Thomas More Society — are suing to block imminent, ruinous legal action threatened by New York Attorney General Letitia James against pro-life ministries that offer and/or promote Abortion Pill Reversal (APR). On April 30, Thomas More Society attorneys filed a verified complaint in the Supreme Court of New York against James, outlining how her threatened prosecution and intimidation of pregnancy help organizations violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, the New York Constitution and state civil rights law.
On April 22, James’ office sent “Notice of Intention to Sue” threat letters to at least a dozen pregnancy help organizations that offer or share information about the APR protocol. James’ threat letter falsely accuses the targeted pregnancy help organizations of “repeated and persistent misleading statements and omissions.” In their filing today, Thomas More Society clearly lays out why the organizations’ communications about APR are truthful and, even more, fully protected under the First Amendment. The threat letters gave these pro-life ministries only five business days to explain why James should not sue them for false advertising — their lawsuit is the response to those notices.
Thomas More Society attorneys are requesting court intervention against the Attorney General’s threatened legal action, to safeguard the constitutional rights of Heartbeat International and the collective of pregnancy help organizations — many of which are part of Heartbeat International’s Abortion Pill Rescue® Network, or otherwise provide information about APR. At its core, James’ threatened litigation seeks to illegally silence Heartbeat International and its network member organizations from sharing their science-based, life-affirming message about the benefits, success, effectiveness and safety of APR.
Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation, said:
“This is a political witch-hunt against small nonprofits that have selflessly served New York’s pregnant women and their children for over 50 years. Letitia James should be heralding these charities, not launching outrageously false claims against them under laws that don’t apply to their noncommercial speech. For decades, doctors have been prescribing supplemental progesterone for pregnant women at serious risk for miscarriage—but because this safe and long-established practice may actually reverse abortions, ideologues like Letitia James now want to squelch it. Ms. James’ Notices of Intention to Sue are a transparent attempt to harass small pro-life charities into silence, targeting her political opponents because of their beliefs, in flagrant violation of the First Amendment. We will fight back as long as it takes against Ms. James’ efforts to jeopardize the Christian and life-affirming missions of Heartbeat International, CompassCare, and all similar pro-life ministries in the State of New York.”
Jor-El Godsey, President of Heartbeat International, stated:
“New York State laws protect abortionists and abortion on demand up until birth. Now they are targeting those who assist a woman in exercising her right to continue her own pregnancy. It is unconscionable to see the abortion industry and its paid-for politicians go so far as to insist she complete an abortion she no longer wants.”
Rev. Jim Harden, CEO of CompassCare, declared:
“The actions of the New York Attorney General should be a major red flag for all Americans, wherever they stand in the abortion debate. Conspiring to violate the constitutional rights of the politically disfavored sets an ominous precedent and, if allowed to stand, will only serve to dismantle American rule of law.”
Kathy Jerman, Executive Director of New Hope Family Services & President of NYS Coalition for Life, added:
“If we truly believe that women should have a choice in her pregnancy decision, then she should also have the choice to reconsider her abortion after taking the first chemical abortion pill. The NY Attorney General is falsely accusing our centers of sharing misinformation with our clients about this life-saving protocol. It is simply not true. Abortion Pill Reversal gives women a second chance to choose life.”
Read the Verified Complaint in Heartbeat International, et al. v. Letitia James, filed by Thomas More Society attorneys on behalf of Heartbeat International and its Abortion Pill Rescue® Network and clients, on April 30, 2024, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York – Monroe Country, here.
Read a representative “Notice of Intention to Sue” letter dated April 22, 2024, sent from the State of New York Office of the Attorney General threatening litigation for alleged “repeated and persistent misleading statements and omissions in the advertising of the Abortion Pill Reversal protocol,” this one addressed to CompassCare Pregnancy Services, here.
Visit the Thomas More Society case page for documents, updates, and details, here.
Press inquiries for Heartbeat International can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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Heartbeat International is the largest network of life-affirming pregnancy help in the world, with over 3,500 affiliated locations in 90 countries. Heartbeat's mission is to Reach and Rescue as many lives as possible, around the world, through an effective network of life-affirming pregnancy help, to Renew communities for LIFE in order to achieve their vision of making abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.
Website | HeartbeatInternational.org | Facebook | /HeartbeatInternational | Twitter | @HeartbeatIntl
Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.
Heartbeat International & pregnancy ministry collective sue New York Attorney General to block threatened prosecution
Thomas More Society backs pregnancy help organizations in lawsuit to protect Abortion Pill Reversal
Press Release: JDA Worldwide for Heartbeat International
April 30, 2024
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Tracie Shellhouse
Vice President of Ministry Services at Heartbeat International
| FEATURED TOPICS | FEE RANGE | TRAVELS FROM |
|
► Pregnancy Help |
$2,000-2,200 | Columbus, OH, USA |
Biography
Tracie Shellhouse began pregnancy help as a volunteer client advocate in 2003. She has served as an abstinence educator, client services director, executive director, CEO, and consultant. As Heartbeat International's Vice President of Ministry Services, she oversees a team of dedicated individuals committed to the growth and development of the pregnancy help movement. Tracie has an M.A. in Biblical Counseling, is a board-certified Master Christian Life Coach, and is a Life-Affirming Specialist. Her passion is enabling people to live abundant lives by helping them discover their God-given purposes and empowering them to live according to their original designs. Tracie and her husband, Gene, have four children, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Featured Articles
Christa Brown, BSN, RN, LAS
Senior Director of Medical Impact at Heartbeat International
| FEATURED TOPICS | FEE RANGE | TRAVELS FROM |
| ► Medical ► Abortion Pill Reversal ► Ultrasound ► L.O.V.E. Approach |
$1,800 | South Bend, IN, USA |
Biography
Christa serves as the Senior Director of Medical Impact for Heartbeat International, offering support and training to medical clinic affiliates throughout the world. She also oversees the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network, a global initiative operating 24 hours a day, staffed with a dedicated nursing team and a network of more than 1,400 medical professionals, clinics, and hospitals. Through this network, thousands of lives have been saved in 86 different countries and all states of the U.S.
With over 25 years of dedication to the pregnancy help movement, serving as Executive Director in three pregnancy help clinics, Christa has empowered thousands to navigate challenging circumstances and choose life. Christa's advocacy for women and families worldwide has made a profound impact on women's health and the sanctity of life.
Heartbeat International Fights Back Against California’s Attempt to Force Women to Abort Their Babies
Heartbeat International
Heartbeat inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thomas More Society inquiries: Tom Ciesielka, 312.422.1333, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thomas More Society Attorneys Ask Court to Throw Out AG Rob Bonta’s Lawsuit
(February 6, 2024 – Oakland, California) Today, Thomas More Society attorneys asked a California Superior Court to throw out the lawsuit filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta against Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics, over their advocacy for “Abortion Pill Reversal,” the medical intervention provided to women who decide to reverse their in-progress chemical abortions. The hundreds of pages of argument and evidence represent the most comprehensive legal counterattack by the pro-life movement against recent legal maneuvers by state government officials like Bonta who are trying to interfere with and stop the efforts of pregnancy centers to help women who regret and want to reverse their chemical abortions.
Heartbeat International, an international network of thousands of pregnancy centers, provides referrals to medical providers for women who are seeking to reverse their chemical abortions through its Abortion Pill Rescue® Network, which is the target of Bonta’s lawsuit, along with the RealOptions pregnancy centers in California, which provide Abortion Pill Reversal services. Abortion Pill Reversal is the process of providing supplemental progesterone to counteract the anti-progesterone effects of the first pill (mifepristone) of the two-pill chemical abortion regimen.
“Women undergoing chemical abortions deserve the truth: even after starting a chemical abortion, they may still be able to save their babies,” remarked attorney Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation. “California and its Attorney General Rob Bonta are illegally and unconstitutionally seeking to rip away ‘choice’ from women in dire need by attacking pregnancy help ministries like Heartbeat and RealOptions, to shut down their promotion of Abortion Pill Reversal. Abortion Pill Reversal provides real hope for women who want to stop their abortions and continue their pregnancies. Today’s massive legal filings mark the most ambitious and broad-based counterattack by the pro-life movement against the efforts of state officials, like Rob Bonta, who intend to prevent women from accessing this potentially life-saving treatment option.”
Heartbeat International President Jor-El Godsey agrees:
“California should be more concerned with helping women who desperately want to continue their pregnancy,” stated Godsey. “Targeting women’s opportunity to reverse their abortion is an obvious act of misusing the goodwill of taxpayer funding to shill for Big Abortion.”
Bonta’s aggressive campaign to dismantle Heartbeat International’s Abortion Pill Rescue Network and shut down RealOptions’ Abortion Pill Reversal services went public when he filed a Complaint for Permanent Injunction against both, along with 100 unnamed “Does,” on September 21, 2023, in the Alameda County Superior Court of California.
“Despite overwhelming evidence of Abortion Pill Reversal services’ safety and effectiveness, this lawsuit makes outrageously false claims against Heartbeat International and RealOptions,” explained Paul Jonna, Thomas More Society Special Counsel and Partner, LiMandri and Jonna LLP. “Attorney General Bonta’s lawsuit aims to hide life-saving information from women regarding Abortion Pill Reversal. This is a desperate attempt by Bonta to eliminate any competition to the well-funded abortion lobby with which he has proudly partnered throughout his political career.”
In their February 6, 2024, filings, Thomas More Society attorneys advance three main arguments:
(1) The First Amendment protects the advocacy efforts and information provided by Heartbeat and RealOptions to women about Abortion Pill Reversal.
(2) On Bonta’s claims, the Superior Court cannot decide a “battle of scientific experts” between Heartbeat’s scientific studies and Bonta’s competing studies on Abortion Pill Reversal.
(3) California’s Reproductive Privacy Act and its Constitution totally immunize Heartbeat and RealOptions, prohibiting Bonta from interfering with their aid and assistance to pregnant women who want to stop and reverse their chemical abortions.
Among the information provided to the Superior Court, Thomas More Society provided compelling evidence of the safety of supplemental progesterone for pregnant women and its effectiveness in countering the effects of mifepristone, the first pill of the two-pill chemical abortion regimen. In particular, progesterone has been safely used by obstetrician-gynecologists for decades to thwart potential miscarriage in pregnant women.
Read the Memoranda in support of Demurrers, on behalf of Heartbeat International and RealOptions, and of Motion to Quash Service, on behalf of Heartbeat International, filed February 6, 2024, by Thomas More Society attorneys in the Superior Court of the State of California – County of Alameda, in The People of the State of California v. Heartbeat International & RealOptions, here.
The complete collection of court documents filed February 6 is available here.
About Heartbeat International
Heartbeat International has been providing pro-life pregnancy resources since its inception in 1971. Today, it is the largest and most expansive network in the world with nearly 3,500 affiliated pregnancy help locations providing life-affirming alternatives to abortion. For more information, please visit heartbeatinternational.org.
About RealOptions
RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics is a non-profit 501(c)3 recognized for its quality of care since 1981. Providing caring, compassionate, high quality holistic healthcare with or without insurance, support services, optimal health education, and pregnancy loss healing to women, men, students, and families, RealOptions has five licensed medical clinic locations serving Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties devoted to caring for patients physically, emotionally, and spiritually. RealOptions offer a broad spectrum of prevention, intervention, and restorative services to the community positively impacting thousands of students and families in the Bay Area each year. For more information, please visit realoptions.net.
About Thomas More Society
Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.
