Obria launched its prenatal care program in the first week of January. God was immediately in our midst, revealing Himself as the miracle worker He is. And when God shows up, He frequently shows up big. There is neither enough time nor enough space to recount all the big and small miracles He has wrought since launching prenatal care. However, two of these miracles simply cannot be dismissed. They beg to be shared.
Thinking that she could have an abortion performed at Obria, Laura came to us on a cold and rainy Tuesday morning. She didn’t have an appointment, but the staff immediately pulled together to work her in. Staff PCA Lilly shifted her responsibilities to be with Laura, who we quickly discovered spoke only Spanish. Lilly learned that Laura was undocumented, which means she doesn’t qualify for any type of medical insurance. She had had an ectopic pregnancy in her past, which landed her in a local hospital’s emergency room. The medical expenses associated with that hospitalization were crippling. She simply could not afford to have a baby. When Lilly made her aware that she could receive prenatal care at Obria at no cost, there was a spectacular shift that occurred. Through tears and in Spanish, she wept, “I can keep my baby.” And just like that, Laura began making plans to parent her baby.
Nineteen-year-old Maya’s story is no less remarkable. Several months ago, she came to Obria intending to parent her baby. She joined our Spanish Thrive Program but never really got off to a good start. Despite Lilly’s best efforts to keep Maya engaged, she eventually dropped off the radar. In this same period, she sought prenatal care with a local practice.
In February, Maya returned to Obria, frustrated, overwhelmed, and wanting to terminate her pregnancy. Because of her previous positive experience with the clinic, she returned to us to get information about abortion procedures. Maya communicated her frustration over not being heard by her selected obstetrician. She couldn’t get her questions answered and concluded that being a parent was more than she could handle. Again, the staff came together so that Maya could have the space to be heard and have her questions answered. Our brand new medical assistant, Evelyn, took the appointment so that she could translate. Tiffany stepped in to cover for Evelyn. It quickly became apparent that she didn’t really want to have an abortion. She just needed support. When Maya learned that she, too, could receive prenatal care at Obria, her anxiety melted away, and she repurposed to parent her baby. As an Obria prenatal care patient, relationships with her will be forged. She will be supported through the Thrive program.
*Patient names changed to protect their privacy.