Lucy's Story

Lucy learned she was pregnant in September, 1995. With a four-year-old already to care for, a non-supportive father and a low-paying job, Lucy felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“I was working, but I wasn't earning very much”, she stated. “I was fearful about what way to go. I didn't want to go to the government for help, but I wanted to keep on working. There were so many thoughts going around in my head. I had made up my mind not to have the child.”

Lucy admits her determination to have an abortion was fuelled primarily by economic concerns. She recalls not even having enough money left over at the end of the month to pay for a public transit Metropass. Yet the Aid to Women's promise of support — emotional, material and financial — eventually began to bolster her flagging spirit.

“I suppose I just needed someone to talk to, someone to listen to me”, Lucy said. “The people at the pregnancy help center were very helpful right away. They gave me formula and winter clothes for the baby and even money when I needed to buy food.”

Lucy eventually overcame the temptation of abortion and gave birth to her daughter. “It hasn't been easy and there are still a lot of worries, but I think it was the right decision,” she says.

Allison's story

Allison, a 35 year single mother, discovered she was pregnant and immediately felt the shame and anxiety of most women in crisis pregnancy. “I was ashamed at the time, and my first thought was that I really wanted to get rid of this child”, she said. She visited a number of abortion clinics, but none of the staff there would answer her basic question: “is a six-week old unborn baby really alive?” She had the good fortune to meet up with a pro-life counsellor. “I spent three hours with her that day,” Allison said. “She opened my eyes to the humanity of the unborn child. It was the turning point in my decision.”

Allison found that instead of being rejected by friends, family and her church congregation, she received support and encouragement for her decision to keep the baby.

And today, Allison is the proud, vibrant parent of beautiful 2-year-old daughter Jhmiah.

Allison's gratitude and the joy Jhmiah has brought to her young life do not in themselves overcome the difficulties faced by a single parent. In fact, Allison is still sorting out her future with thoughts of returning to television work or setting up a single parent's ministry from her home. Nonetheless, she remains optimistic and the devotion she feels toward daughter Jhmiah speaks volumes about a life-affirming decision she made 24 months ago.